Menu sync time out issue - workaround or Patch?

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

Problem:
The client is experiencing timeouts with Cloudflare when using WPML to synchronize and translate menus due to high resource usage and extensive database queries. This issue is exacerbated by the n+1 query problem with a large number of menu options and languages.
Solution:
We recommend the following workarounds to address the timeout issue:
1. Manually translate the menu to avoid triggering the resource-intensive synchronization process.
2. Temporarily disable Cloudflare while running the menu synchronization or translation process, which will prevent Cloudflare from stopping the request.
3. Consider upgrading to Cloudflare Pro, which allows for a higher timeout limit (up to 100 seconds), potentially preventing these interruptions.

If these solutions do not resolve your issue or seem outdated, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have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 for further assistance.

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Tagged: Exception, Performance

This topic contains 67 replies, has 4 voices.

Last updated by Carlos Rojas 2 months, 2 weeks ago.

Assisted by: Carlos Rojas.

Author	Posts
November 23, 2025 at 9:05 pm #17602648
Jasmin	Hello Paola I will check the article. I will come back to you. Thank you Jasmin
November 26, 2025 at 9:58 am #17610810
Carlos Rojas WPML Supporter since 03/2017 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+02:00)	Hi Jasmin, I'll continue working on this ticket because my colleague Paola is on vacation. I will be waiting for your message.
December 1, 2025 at 12:52 pm #17622598
Jasmin	Will be back. Jasmin
December 1, 2025 at 2:06 pm #17622825
Carlos Rojas WPML Supporter since 03/2017 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+02:00)	Sure. Take your time
December 5, 2025 at 1:30 am #17636543
Jasmin	Hello we are working on it.. we found something weird. Will come back to you. Jasmin
December 5, 2025 at 1:53 am #17636552
Jasmin	Hello Please see hidden link Manual menu sync is not even working.. Please help... Jasmin
December 5, 2025 at 10:39 am #17637663
Carlos Rojas WPML Supporter since 03/2017 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+02:00)	Hi Jasmin, I created a video showing that it works on our side: hidden link but I recommend developing the site outside Kinsta because their cache memory is too aggressive, and you will get false positives all the time. Once the site is finished, you can restore it in Kinsta and continue from there.
December 5, 2025 at 12:42 pm #17638479
Jasmin	Hello Our site is not a development site; it's a PRODUCTION site. rael.org If you're referring to the one I provided you, it is a cloned site just for WPML support to examine. Since it's now old, I will provide a new one. Meaning, unfortunately, developing the site option is not an option for us, and we don't believe that that is a problem. We optimized a DB table 'wp_icl_translate table', but it still time out.. Jasmin
December 5, 2025 at 12:43 pm #17638484
Jasmin	and what's the link with Kinsta's caches to the problem sync menu manually not working?
December 5, 2025 at 12:46 pm #17638485
Carlos Rojas WPML Supporter since 03/2017 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+02:00)	Hi Jasmin, 1.- Could you tell me what you mean by " developing the site option is not an option for us"? 2.- Yes, we have been working on the staging site to avoid running tests on the production site. This is done for security reasons, and it is a good practice. 3.- I have set your next message private so you can share the credentials to the new staging site, where we will continue running any tests necessary.
December 5, 2025 at 12:47 pm #17638502
Carlos Rojas WPML Supporter since 03/2017 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+02:00)	The problem with Kinsta is that the cache is very aggressive, and sometimes the changes made to the site are not reflected, including the ones to the menus.
December 5, 2025 at 8:07 pm #17639679
Jasmin	Are you able to see data tables?
December 8, 2025 at 10:54 am #17643471
Carlos Rojas WPML Supporter since 03/2017 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+02:00)	Hi, Yes, I can see the database. Regarding the suggestion I made earlier, because of the aggressive Kinsta cache memory, taking a copy of the production site outside Kinsta, making the changes, and the restore it in Kinsta is not difficult to do and will save you time.
December 8, 2025 at 1:15 pm #17644081
Jasmin	Hello Could you at least tell me, for now, about the problem that we can't sync the menu manually? Jasmin
December 9, 2025 at 7:54 am #17645943
Carlos Rojas WPML Supporter since 03/2017 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+02:00)	Hi Jasmin, You can manually save the menus in a minimal installation, for example: hidden link