[Resolved] Perhaps an issue with cache and synchronisation in translating slugs within URLs

I had written a lengthy explanation before my text was broken down during the ticket creation process. So, I'm re-pasting it for greater clarity to help understand the issue.

Good morning, I’d like to address an issue that I’ve been noticing for quite a while now—over a few years, actually. It hasn’t had a major impact on our work, but it does exist, and I’d like to understand if it’s possible to resolve it. I suspect it might be a cache issue. Let me explain what happens.

From time to time, we look at the URLs of product pages, maybe because we have the sitemap in hand, or because we’re moderating product comments and see the product URLs. While doing so, we occasionally notice, in a completely random way and without any identifiable pattern, that slugs appear in the secondary language instead of the main language.

Let me give you an example. I’ll preface by saying that .com is the main language.

The correct URL should be:
website.com/scarpe/nike-air/

Instead, sometimes we find:
website.com/shoes/nike-air/

Where "shoes" is, of course, the translated slug for the secondary language. Other times, we find the opposite: the main language slug appears instead of the secondary language one.

For example, the correct URL should be:
website.com/en/shoes/nike-air/

But instead, we find:
website.com/en/scarpe/nike-air/

It happens rarely, but it does happen. The link still works because an internal redirect takes place, but the issue remains, and I’d like to solve it.

Last night, for instance, I noticed the same thing. What makes me lean towards a cache problem is the fact that the URL I saw last night had corrected itself by this morning, without me doing anything at all.

Now, of course, the “cache” theory is just my own thought. As the site is live and I don’t have a way to replicate the issue in a staging environment, all I can do is guess. However, I’d love to have your feedback on this. Maybe it’s something you’ve encountered before and know how to tackle. We genuinely wouldn’t know where to begin.

Thanks.

Good morning Carlos,

I’m sorry, but I didn’t say it was a cache issue. I only mentioned that we hypothesised it might be, given that at a certain point, the problem seems to resolve itself, as if by magic.

Your reply seems to confirm that you haven’t the faintest idea what might be causing the issue, and that nothing similar has been encountered before, correct?

I ask because, in trying to search through other tickets, I haven’t found anything like it.

Thank you very much.

Sorry, Carlos, but for security and privacy reasons, I can’t grant you access to the live site. Unfortunately, it’s not a small website but rather a fairly large one, so we have to proceed with caution.

If it’s a caching issue, I should mention that we use LiteSpeed. Is there anything you think we should consider excluding? Honestly, I have no idea what could be causing the problem, but I suspect there’s a moment when WordPress regenerates its URL database, and that’s when the mishap occurs.

Alright, I understand. So, we’ll leave things as they are then. Thanks anyway, Carlos!