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

Problem:
If you're experiencing issues where the content of translated posts is overwritten by the default language's content upon publishing, even if the post is published in the original language first, you are not alone. This problem persists even after following the workaround suggested in the WPML errata.
Solution:
We recommend trying to deactivate the String Translation plugin to see if this resolves the issue. However, we understand that deactivating the String Translation plugin may not be feasible for many sites due to dependency on the plugin. Unfortunately, currently, deactivating WPML String Translation is the only solution we can offer for this specific problem. A WPML Update that solves this issue is planned for Monday the 19th of May 2025.

Please note that this solution might be irrelevant if it's outdated or not applicable to your case.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 the issue persists, please open a new support ticket.

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This topic contains 3 replies, has 1 voice.

Last updated by guntherK-2 1 month ago.

Assisted by: Andreas W..

Author Posts
May 14, 2025 at 10:40 am #17031646

guntherK-2

Background of the issue:
I am trying to create posts and save them as drafts. However, when I publish the post, the content of the translated posts is overwritten by the default language's content. This is a known bug according to WPML (https://wpml.org/errata/editing-translated-posts-directly-can-result-in-lost-content/), but the workaround provided does not resolve the issue.

Symptoms:
The content of translated posts is overwritten by the default language's content when the post is published, even if the post is published in the original language first.

Questions:
Why does the content of translated posts get overwritten by the default language's content upon publishing?
Why doesn't the workaround provided by WPML resolve the issue?

May 14, 2025 at 12:18 pm #17032064

Bruno Kos
WPML Supporter since 12/2018

Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français )

Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)

Hi,

Can you confirm if the issue still occurs when String Translation is deactivated? If it does, this might be a different scenario we haven't encountered before.

May 14, 2025 at 12:46 pm #17032320

guntherK-2

Hello,

deactivating the String Translation plugin does indeed fix the issue. However, the posts that I created for testing purposes do not include any links, only simple text content.
And the workarounds on the WPML errata page imply that situation 2 (you are working with draft posts, and you first publish the translated post, then publish the original post) are a separate problem and that they should work by simply publishing the original post first. Is this not the case?

Regardless, deactivating the String Translation plugin is not possible for quite a few sites we manage for our clients as they are dependent on the plugin.

May 15, 2025 at 4:11 am #17034815

Andreas W.
WPML Supporter since 12/2018

Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch )

Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)

Hello,

Thank you for your message!

We have one issue, with two different use cases, both with the same outcome, and sadly disabling WPML String Translation or downgrading WPML is the only solution we can offer for now in both cases.

We hope for your understanding!

Best regards
Andreas

May 15, 2025 at 9:06 am #17035816

guntherK-2

I see, that is unfortunate.

Hopefully there will be an update in the future that can resolve this issue. For the time being I will communicate to our clients that they need to change their workflow.

Thank you for your time.