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[Resolved] parts of the translations are lost when I edit an original language page
This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: When editing a page in the original language using WPML, parts of the translations in other languages are lost, even if those parts were not edited. This issue persists despite attempts to update translations before making changes to the original page. Solution: 1. The Advanced Translation Editor clears the translation memory of a segment when the original content is edited. This is to indicate which segments need updating. More details can be found here: https://wpml.org/documentation/translating-your-contents/how-wpml-keeps-track-of-your-translations/ 2. If minor edits are made to the original content and you do not wish to update the translation, use the 'Minor edit - don't update translation' option available in the sidebar before updating the page. 3. Consider using different widgets for different content types (like text, images) instead of a single text block to help manage translations better. 4. If the issue persists after trying these steps, it may be due to a previous bug or a long gap between updates. In such cases, updating the translations again might help.
If these steps do not resolve the issue or if the solution seems outdated or irrelevant to your case, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix,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 problems continue, please open a new support ticket at WPML support forum for further assistance.
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Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)
After duplicating one of the pages (privately), I believe I saw the issue on two segments, but it only happens when translating the page for the first time.
After making a second test, the issue did not occur again.
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)
As you said, those pages had not been translated for a long time, and after creating a second content update and translation, I can no longer replicate the issue.
I do find examples where it states that the translation is completed, but if you open the translation, you will see that they are not. This means the original content was changed sometime in the last 12 months, but for some reason, the translation status did not update itself, maybe due to a bug that used to occur on the site.
Example: hidden link
At the moment, I would suggest you keep investigating the problem after having updated all translations. If the issue occurs again in a few days, then please let me know. The ticket will remain open.
As compensation for the inconvenience and for testing purposes, I have credited your site with 5.000 credits for automatic translations.
Ok, thanks Andreas. Well, the issue is occurring since a long time. And I already did a full re-translation of all my posts twice, in these last 2 years (I am refreshing my website just before summer, as it is a mountain hiking site): it takes ages to fully-refresh the whole website.
Please note: the translation of the "missing segments" is NOT lost. In fact, if you browse the English page on the live website were some segments are missing, you will see the missing parts of the text on the webpage, 100% correct. The point is that, when you open it in the translation editor, WPML is not able to re-trieve them.
Woulnd't be possible to add some feature to "refresh" WPML with the content of the translated webpage?
Is there any other workaround (even quite technical, I am not scared to dive into the DB) I can use to avoid the need of re-translating continuously my pages?
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)
The Advanced Translation Editor will clear a translated segment once it realizes that the original content related to this segment was edited. This will not affect the Frontened at this state.
It might not be possible to resync content from the WordPress Editor to the Advanced Translation Editor, as both methods are not compatible.
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About the reported issue:
1) I was able to confirm that there was an issue when translating some existing content.
2) I was not able to confirm the issue after making another edit on the original content and then translating it again.
When it comes to step 1), take note that it might occur that some segment was edited a longer time ago and the translation was not updated since then. It might even happen that the translation's status did not change.
Something like this can be experienced if you change a global setting, for example, making a slug available for translations. It might even be that there was a bug on the site in the past due to which the translation status did not update as expected.
As on step 2), I was no longer able to recreate the issue, I am at this point not able to take any further steps. Anyhow, if you can confirm that you still can replicate the issue after step 2), then I will be glad to take a closer look, try to replicate the issue, and escalate it.
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Also, please take note that I added 5000 credits to your site as compensation for the inconvenience.
Picture 1) I randomly select any page where both EN and FR versions have the pencil icon
Picture 2) Before doing any change to the original version, just to be safe, I open the EN version. You can see that the translation is 100%. I click on "COMPLETE AND SAVE" at the end. For me, the translation is now refreshed.
Picture 3) I open the IT page, and I add a space in the place I am showing
Picture 4) When I open the EN version, I have 4 segments missing, and none of them is the one where I've added the space.
This is happening on EVERY portfolio page.
Now, if TODAY I re-translate the missing 4 segments in the EN version, save it, RE-EDIT the Italian page and open the EN version, the EN version is fine.
It will start to get corrupted as soon as some days have gone by, as it happened in the last 2 years.
You can see that the fact that I need to re-translate over and over parts of the text that I translated already mutliple times in hte past is definitely annoying. If I cannot fix this, I will need to switch to another translation tool: it will be terrible, I know, but I cannot continue like that.
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)
I compeltely understand that this issue is bothering and I also would definitely escalate this further, if I could recreate it.
As you said, "TODAY I re-translate the missing 4 segments in the EN version, save it, RE-EDIT the Italian page and open the EN version, the EN version is fine."
Now, please investigate if the issue occurs again without the original content having been changed. Make sure to remain focused on one single content in this case, so that you know that this content was already updated again and the issue no longer occurs.
If you can still recreate the issue, I can take another look, but I am not expecting the issue to occur again. The Advanced Translation Editor will not delete any translated segments unless the original content has been edited.
This translation editor runs on an external server outside of WordPress, where it also saves the translation memory and the glossary.
Once you edit and save the original content, the translation status changes and WPML sends an XLIFF file or the original content and its translation (language pair) to the external server, which is then picked up by the Advanced Translation Editor.
It would be impossible that something else would cause the Advanced Translation Editor to reset the translation memory for any segments.
Further, as I mentioned earlier in this ticket, you are using one text block, which includes headings, paragraphs, and images. This is usually not the way in which you use a page builder, as each page builder provides layout elements, title, text, and image widgets.
This said, if the issue is replicable, then this here would be an edge case due to an unrecommended workflow inside the page builder.
Hi Andreas. Am I mistaken, or here below you are you asking me to monitor whether, withouth me changing anything on the original IT version, I get - out of the blue - random segments disappearing from the EN or FR versions?
> Now, please investigate if the issue occurs again without the original content
> having been changed. Make sure to remain focused on one single content
> in this case, so that you know that this content was already updated again
> and the issue no longer occurs.
This never happened. As I said, knowing the issue that I have, I already did multiple time the following:
step 1) I need to change something on the IT version on a page that I correctly 100% translated months ago. Well, I do not touch the IT version at all.
step 2) I first OPEN the EN version in the the translation editor, just to make sure that all segments are there. And I've found out that yes, they are always there.
Therefore, what you're asking me to check has NEVER happened, and almost for sure will never happen.
The issue happens if I continue with the steps:
step 3) if, at this moment, I open the IT version of the page and I change it, when I open the EN or FR translations, they are missing random segments. That is 100% happening when some days passed by between TODAY change on the IT page and the LAST translation I've completed.
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)
Sorry for the confusion.
What I tried to explain was that I was able to see the issue when translating for the first time.
Then I edited again the original content, saved it, and opened the translation editor.
When doing this second update, I could no longer confirm the issue. If I can not replicate the issue, I can not confirm any bug.
I understand that you assume that something happens if the content has not been updated for a long time. Now, this is something very difficult to replicate.
It is more likely that there was a bug on the site in a given timeframe, and this caused an issue, but now this bug no longer exists.
If you still doubt my decision, please feel free to close this ticket and open a new one to consult another supporter, but I can not escalate this ticket as a bug, as I can not recreate the issue.
