Translated browser tabs are blank or have funny characters

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

Problem:
The client is experiencing an issue where changing the language on their homepage (and other pages) results in the browser tab showing a blank label or one with hyphens, percent signs, etc. This issue is also affecting the 'og:title' meta property, which is crucial for SEO and displaying titles in browser tabs.
Solution:
1. We recommend deactivating the WPML String Translation plugin to see if this resolves the issue.
2. If deactivating the plugin fixes the problem, it indicates that there is a translated string that should not be translated.
3. If the issue persists after deactivating the plugin, it may be related to the settings in the Yoast SEO plugin.

If this solution does not seem relevant to your situation, please open a new support ticket with us for further assistance.

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Tagged: Exception

This topic contains 20 replies, has 2 voices.

Last updated by Osama Mersal 1 year, 6 months ago.

Assisted by: Osama Mersal.

Author	Posts
December 6, 2023 at 10:21 am #15006125
thomasG-103	Accessing our homepage and changing from English to another language (German, Italian, Spanish), I notice that the browser tab is either blank or has hyphens, percent signs, etc.). This happens on the other pages as well. I would like the tab to render the appropriate label hidden link hidden link hidden link Is there a similar example that we can see? hidden link. I have uploaded a doc with screenshots. Our team gave the following analysis and their response was "When the page loads, the page title is visible in English, but it is removed quickly. Also, we can see that the "og:title" meta property, which is responsible for displaying titles in the website tab and also for SEO purposes, is skipped as a value of the translated title. So as per our review, the process appears to be: firstly, the website loads the page title in English language, but after that, in the page title translation procedure, it removes the English title and appends the new translated title name, which is handled automatically by the WPML plugin." The attached screenshot may help. What is the link to your site? hidden link
December 6, 2023 at 1:20 pm #15007995
Osama Mersal WPML Supporter since 02/2020 Languages: English (English ) Arabic (العربية ) Timezone: Africa/Cairo (GMT+03:00)	Hi, Thanks for contacting WPML forums support. I'll be glad to help you today. Could you please check if the issue persists in a minimal environment by following these steps? 1- Deactivate all the plugins except WPML CMS, String Translation, Elementor, and Elementor Pro. 2- Switch for a moment to a WordPress default theme like Twenty Twenty-one. If the issue is gone, activate them one by one to see which one there is causing an interaction issue. ❌ Please backup your database before performing the above test ❌ Best regards, Osama
December 7, 2023 at 7:18 pm #15020731
thomasG-103	Hi Osama, We did the check that you recommended and found that the Yoast SEO plugin is the problem. Is that something you have seen before, or should I contact Yoast support? All the best! Tom G
December 8, 2023 at 10:42 am #15024689
Osama Mersal WPML Supporter since 02/2020 Languages: English (English ) Arabic (العربية ) Timezone: Africa/Cairo (GMT+03:00)	Hi Tom G, Thanks for your update. It could be a translated string in String Translation, which shouldn't be translated. Best regards, Osama
December 12, 2023 at 8:36 am #15043075
thomasG-103	Hi Osama, What is your recommendation about how I should proceed? Do I try some searches in the String Translation, or should I contact Yoast, or something else?
December 12, 2023 at 8:43 am #15043107
Osama Mersal WPML Supporter since 02/2020 Languages: English (English ) Arabic (العربية ) Timezone: Africa/Cairo (GMT+03:00)	Hi Tom, I recommend checking String Translation first for Yoast strings that are translated. One or more of these strings shouldn't be translated, which could cause this issue. Best regards, Osama
December 12, 2023 at 9:58 am #15043929
thomasG-103	Got it. will do. Is it ok to leave this SR open for another day? Or should I close it?
December 12, 2023 at 10:04 am #15043983
Osama Mersal WPML Supporter since 02/2020 Languages: English (English ) Arabic (العربية ) Timezone: Africa/Cairo (GMT+03:00)	Hi, 1) Please deactivate the String Translation and check if that fixes the issue. 2) Yes, you can keep it open, but please note our system closes the tickets automatically after two weeks of inactivity. Best regards, Osama
December 12, 2023 at 10:42 am #15044361
thomasG-103	Thanks Osama. Just to confirm, you are suggesting that I deactivate the WPML String Translation plugin and then check if the problem is resolved.
December 12, 2023 at 10:44 am #15044399
Osama Mersal WPML Supporter since 02/2020 Languages: English (English ) Arabic (العربية ) Timezone: Africa/Cairo (GMT+03:00)	Hi, Yes, please deactivate it to check if the issue is fixed. If it's fixed, the issue is a translated string that shouldn't be translated. If it's not fixed, the issue could be related to Yoast settings. Best regards, Osama
December 12, 2023 at 1:41 pm #15046563
thomasG-103	Hi Osama, You got it right! When I deactivated WPML String Translation, the tabs render correctly. Nice work! Now, what should I be looking for to find the translated string that shouldn't be translated? Tom G
December 12, 2023 at 1:43 pm #15046601
Osama Mersal WPML Supporter since 02/2020 Languages: English (English ) Arabic (العربية ) Timezone: Africa/Cairo (GMT+03:00)	Hi Tom, Please check for translated strings in the Yoast text domain or admin texts for the Yoast plugin. Best regards, Osama
December 12, 2023 at 2:39 pm #15046969
thomasG-103	Thanks, Osama, I think we may have something--and I'm afraid it isn't just one instance. Here is an example in which a text string that I think should NOT be translated (as you mentioned!) is being translated: Domain: admin_texts_wpseo_titles Name: [wpseo_titles]title-endorsements String: %%title%% %%page%% %%sep%% %%sitename%% German translation: %%Titel%% %%Seite%% %%sep%% %%Seitenname%% Am I correct that the German translation should be the same as the original string, that is, it should NOT be translated?
December 12, 2023 at 2:47 pm #15047025
Osama Mersal WPML Supporter since 02/2020 Languages: English (English ) Arabic (العربية ) Timezone: Africa/Cairo (GMT+03:00)	Hi Tom, Yes, these strings shouldn't be translated. Best regards, Osama
December 12, 2023 at 3:01 pm #15047061
thomasG-103	Oy vay! OK. At least we know the problem. I'll get on this and then report back. I so much appreciate your help and perspective, Osama!