Issue with Plugin Behavior on Multilingual Sitemap and Ukrainian Pages

This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.

Problem:
The client reported an issue with the HTML sitemap on their website using WPML and Rank Math SEO. The sitemap displayed Ukrainian titles for pages but linked to the Czech versions, and it did not include other language versions correctly. Additionally, all pages for the Ukrainian language were marked with a noindex tag, making them invisible to search engines.
Solution:
We recommended the client to follow these steps:
1. Install the WPML SEO add-on from Plugins -> Add new -> Commercial tab.
2. Re-save the permalinks.
3. Apply the workaround described in the errata page: https://wpml.org/errata/rankmath-rank_math_html_sitemap-shortcode-lists-html-sitemap-in-all-languages/.
4. Check if the issue is resolved.
If these steps do not resolve the issue, we recommend creating a staging site and testing by deactivating all plugins and reactivating them one by one to identify the culprit. Start with a default WordPress theme and only WPML plugins and RankMath SEO activated.

Please note that this solution might be outdated or not applicable to your specific case. We highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. If the problem persists, please open a new support ticket at WPML support forum.

This is the technical support forum for WPML - the multilingual WordPress plugin.

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Tagged: Exception, Known issue

This topic contains 0 replies, has 1 voice.

Last updated by Carlos Rojas 1 month, 1 week ago.

Assisted by: Carlos Rojas.

Author	Posts
November 28, 2024 at 12:03 pm #16454869
Carlos Rojas Supporter Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+01:00)	Thank you for this clarification. Please apply the workaround described in this errata page: https://wpml.org/errata/rankmath-rank_math_html_sitemap-shortcode-lists-html-sitemap-in-all-languages/ and double-check if the issue disappeared.
November 28, 2024 at 1:23 pm #16455315
maksymK-2	Done, UK pages missing now, it means I see only CZ pages in sitemap. Tried to create UK version of sitemap page hidden link but nothing changed.
November 28, 2024 at 1:25 pm #16455317
maksymK-2	For me is ok to show all lagunages on one HTML sitemap page. But I want it to be with correct URLS, not like now. both language versions pointing to same url.
November 28, 2024 at 1:29 pm #16455346
Carlos Rojas Supporter Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+01:00)	Please share screenshots or create a video and share the URL describing how to see the error. This will help me to fully understand what your are seeing.
November 28, 2024 at 1:44 pm #16455538
maksymK-2	The issue is as follows: I replaced the page and generated a sitemap using the shortcode hidden link to check if everything is working fine. However, the problem remains the same as before. For example, these two pages hidden link are created in Ukrainian. This means the links should point to hidden link and hidden link. But instead, they point to hidden link and hidden link. The same issue happens with product categories in WooCommerce. They exist and are translated, but the sitemap only includes the Czech versions. For instance, hidden link is listed, but its translation hidden link is not included.
November 29, 2024 at 1:23 pm #16459710
Carlos Rojas Supporter Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+01:00)	Hi there, I have checked the configuration and the errata pages on our documentation but the issue persists. Do you authorize me to create a copy of the site to escalate this ticket to our 2nd tier of support?
November 29, 2024 at 1:25 pm #16459726
maksymK-2	Yes ofcourse. DO it
November 29, 2024 at 2:29 pm #16459977
Carlos Rojas Supporter Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+01:00)	Before I escalate this ticket, could you create a staging site with a copy of the live site where I can run further tests without affecting the production site? I have set your next message private so you can securely share the credentials to the staging site if you could create it.
December 2, 2024 at 10:01 am #16465030
Carlos Rojas Supporter Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+01:00)	Thank you for creating the staging site. I left the staging site in a minimal setup (only WPML plugins, RankMath SEO, and a default WordPress theme) and the issue seems to be solved. Please start by activating the theme and then the rest of the plugins, one by one, until the issue appears again and you find the culprit.
December 2, 2024 at 12:02 pm #16465779
maksymK-2	I just activated all the plugins and there is no problem. Can you please explain what you did? How I can transfer this solution to my live website? Bcoz now looks like there is no problem. even with all plugins activated.
December 2, 2024 at 12:29 pm #16465990
Carlos Rojas Supporter Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+01:00)	Hi, I followed these steps: - Deactivated all plugins - Activated a default WordPress theme - Activated WPML plugins and RankMath - Re-saved the permalinks That was it. I recommend you create a full website backup and follow the same steps in the production site.