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This topic contains 7 replies, has 2 voices.

Last updated by Alejandro 1 year, 6 months ago.

Assisted by: Alejandro.

Author Posts
October 29, 2024 at 8:56 pm #16344254

mikeB-46

Background of the issue:
Our developer is preparing to migrate our new website to our hosting environment on Pantheon, which has distinct Dev, Test, and Live environments, each with its own URL (e.g., hidden link, hidden link, and our main domain hidden link). We would like guidance on the best procedure for installing WPML across these environments to avoid conflicts when moving from Dev to Test to Live.

Symptoms:
No specific issue or error message mentioned.

Questions:
What is the best procedure for installing WPML across Dev, Test, and Live environments on Pantheon?
What settings, configurations, or best practices will support seamless synchronization of WPML across these environments?

October 31, 2024 at 10:00 am #16350553

Alejandro
WPML Supporter since 01/2018

Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Italian (Italiano )

Timezone: Europe/Rome (GMT+02:00)

Hello!

You mention "What is the best procedure for installing WPML across..."
This tells me that WPML is not already enabled or installed on the staging sites, which at the same time tells me you're not "migrating" the live site into the dev and staging and viceversa.

Can you walk me through the workflow you follow so I can suggest the best thing you can do here?

Thanks in advance!

October 31, 2024 at 1:13 pm #16351528

mikeB-46

Hello,

Thank you for your response. Let me provide some more clarity on the current situation and our intended workflow:

Our developer is currently working on the new WordPress site in their own hosting environment, but it has not yet been migrated to Pantheon. We plan to migrate the new website into Pantheon, which includes distinct Dev, Test, and Live environments.

The intended workflow is:
1. Deploy the new WordPress website to the Dev environment on Pantheon.
2. Conduct internal reviews and testing, then push to the Test environment.
3. Finally, promote to the Live environment after final checks.

We need guidance on:
1. Best procedure for installing WPML across these environments to avoid conflicts when promoting from Dev to Test to Live.
2. Best practices for managing plugin licensing and synchronization across these environments.
3. Optimal activation strategy for WML: During our onboarding with Agnes from WPML, we were informed that WPML is aware of certain issues with the license type we purchased when used with Pantheon hosting. We were advised to contact WPML for specific instructions before proceeding. Should WPML be activated in all environments from the start, or would a particular sequence help prevent conflicts?
4. Environment-specific settings/configurations: Any adjustments necessary for staging environments to ensure seamless promotion through the WebOps process.

We want to ensure we follow a setup that supports the best use of WPML without causing issues during deployment transitions.

Thank you in advance for your help!

October 31, 2024 at 6:14 pm #16353081

Alejandro
WPML Supporter since 01/2018

Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Italian (Italiano )

Timezone: Europe/Rome (GMT+02:00)

Alright.

1) Since you'll install WPML from scratch on the dev site, then only install WPML on the one where you need to (where you have the first time wizard).

The license is to finish installing the plugin and also to send credits, so there's no need to have it licensed on every installation, only where you want to send credits from WPML.org.

If you'll use Pay-As-You-Go which I recommend, then you don't really need to license it

2) Once you migrate you'll be prompted a banner from WPML. in here, i'd suggest you select the "no" option ("This is a copy of my site"). Then you'll be asked if you want to connect the sites or not.

Only connect the sites if you'll be moving back and forth between dev, test, live and the domains will always be active.

Why? because by copying a site you'll create an independent version of the translation editor, which will not share the translation memory, credits, anything and since you'll be moving back and forth, if you don't connect them, chances are you'll probably lose credits by deleting the site that had the credits. by connecting them together, you'll prevent that.

You have flexibility on what to do here, but please check this guide first so you know what to do next: https://wpml.org/documentation/translating-your-contents/advanced-translation-editor/using-advanced-translation-editor-when-you-move-or-use-a-copy-of-your-site/

------------

Another suggestion is to maybe avoid "translate everything" mode so you can have more control over your translations, but that's pretty much it 🙂

Regards,

October 31, 2024 at 8:14 pm #16353314

mikeB-46

Dear Alejandro,

Thank you for the information provided. It's helpful to understand the options available with WPML, especially regarding licensing flexibility. However, l'd like to clarify that we're not currently concerned with automated translation credits, as we have a team of translators handling this manually. For our setup, we aim to keep WPML functional across environments without relying on the automated translation system.

To ensure we proceed correctly, could you please provide specific guidance on:

1. *Step-by-step installation and activation across Dev, Test, and Live environments* to avoid conflicts when promoting from one environment to the next in Pantheon.
2. *Best practices for plugin configuration and synchronization between environments*, particularly since we'll be testing in each one. Are there any specific configurations we should adjust on staging environments to ensure seamless promotion through WebOps?
3. *Handling potential conflicts with Pantheon hosting:* During my onboarding with Agnes from WPML, I was advised to consult WPML for instructions before proceeding with Pantheon.

Any additional insights on how to optimize WPML for Pantheon-hosted environments would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help in ensuring a smooth deployment process!

Best regards,

November 1, 2024 at 9:29 am #16354396

Alejandro
WPML Supporter since 01/2018

Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Italian (Italiano )

Timezone: Europe/Rome (GMT+02:00)

Hello, The suggestions I gave you will happen regardless of credits usage on your end or not. the credits part I mentioned mainly because if you want to send credits from WPML.org you need to have the correct license.

The migration banner will appear if you use the Advanced Translation Editor and handles not just the credits but the glossary entries, translation memory and more, which shouldn't be a problem on your end, no matter the choice, it's just so you know what will happen on each

--------------------

You ask for step by step installation instruction:

- Go through the wizard on the first site where you install WPML
- License that site, maybe using a "staging" license on your WPML.org account (just so it doesn't count as an "official" site and you can still have 3 production sites registered), just so you can finish the wizard.

- Work on your site normally
- Migrate when it's time and maybe remove the license after the migration. from here onwards the license can be set only on the site where you will make the WPML plugin updates

- Select the "no" option in the migration banner and connect the sites together, for ease of use not during the first iteration but later on. this banner will appear every time you migrate.

---------------------------------

About best practices:

- Do not enable translate everything mode (which you weren't planning on doing anyways)
- Send the jobs to translate from WPML > Translation Management. it's easier to manage things when you have more than one person translating

- Remember that if you translate OUTSIDE of the translation editor (manual translation directly on the translated page, Export/Import XLIFF, Using external translation services, importing translations via importer plugins) you will NOT see the content appearing as translated in the translation editor (classic or advanced, all the same).

--------------------------------

In pantheon you may have issues registering WPML, although I'm not sure if those issues were fixed already since the last time it was reviewed by them was on 2023. hidden link

You may want to code the license directly in the wp-config.php: https://wpml.org/faq/automatic-wpml-registration-using-php-for-easy-moves-between-production-development-and-staging/ just remember that if you want to manually register the sitekey, you need to use the URL that appears in SETTINGS > General.

Apart from that you should not encounter any issues but if you ever do, you can contact us and we can help out for sure 🙂

November 4, 2024 at 2:34 pm #16361631

mikeB-46

Thank you, Alejandro. I think I have all I need, but I would like to maintain this ticket open in case I need further assistance. No reply is required! I will mark it resolved as soon as I know I need no further assistance; probably in the second half of this month.

November 4, 2024 at 3:04 pm #16361773

Alejandro
WPML Supporter since 01/2018

Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Italian (Italiano )

Timezone: Europe/Rome (GMT+02:00)

No problem!

By default tickets are closed after 14 days of inactivity by you and there's also a mail that will arrive to you a few days before the ticket is closed, reminding you to update it if needed.

Regards.

The topic ‘[Closed] Installation on Pantheon Dev, Test, and Live environments’ is closed to new replies.