This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: If you're experiencing issues with your website after setting the default language to use a specific folder, it might be due to an incorrect configuration in the WPML settings. Solution: We recommend checking if the 'use the folder for default language' option is enabled in your WPML settings. If your site does not require a separate folder for the default language, you should uncheck this option. This change should resolve the issue and return your site to normal functionality.
Please note that this solution might be outdated or not applicable to your specific case.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.
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Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+01:00)
Hi,
I’ve created a separate ticket for this so we can handle it independently. It may not share the exact same root cause as the issue described in the initial ticket.
Do you have a staging environment where I could take a closer look?
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+01:00)
Hi,
thank you! The settings appear to be saving correctly on our side. To investigate this further, it would be best if you could provide a Duplicator copy of your site so we can debug the issue locally and isolate any server-specific configuration.
I attempted to reproduce the problem from scratch in a sandbox environment, but I was unable to trigger the same behavior using the same settings.
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+01:00)
Hi,
I noticed one additional issue: a root page was not defined. I didn’t notice this at first because the text was in French.
When using language-based folders, a root page must be defined. This can be either an HTML file or a WordPress page. For testing purposes, I have created a page called “Root Page,” which is now opened first when accessing the homepage of your site.
The root page was not a good idea : it has been indexed on Google and now the first result is "root page" :/
I finally found out the issue: the default language (french) was checked "use the folder for default language", I unchecked the box and everything is back to normal.
I now have to figure out a htaccess way to correct the bad indexation in Google...
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+01:00)
Hi,
I finally found out the issue: the default language (french) was checked "use the folder for default language", I unchecked the box and everything is back to normal.
I initially assumed you wanted to use this setting since it was reported as an error while it was active. When this option is enabled, a root page must be defined for the default language, so the configuration was incorrect with this checkbox enabled.
If you do not want a language folder for the default language, you can safely leave this option unchecked, of course.