[Waiting for user feedback] default templates (footer) not working
This is the technical support forum for WPML - the multilingual WordPress plugin.
Everyone can read, but only WPML clients can post here. WPML team is replying on the forum 6 days per week, 22 hours per day.
Elementor users - please update WPML to the latest version to maintain compatibility. More details here - https://wpml.org/changelog/2024/12/wpml-4-6-15-critical-update-for-elementor-sites/
Background of the issue:
I have created the footer of my site using default templates and translated these into DE and EN. Until a few weeks ago, this worked well.
Now, only the DE footer is displayed, even on the EN page.
DE: (Footer DE) hidden link
EN: (Footer DE) hidden link
Symptoms:
The EN footer is not displaying; instead, the DE footer is shown on both DE and EN pages.
Questions:
Why is the EN footer not displaying correctly?
How can I fix the footer translation issue with WPML?
If you are stuck and need further help, please share the access details to your site with me. I'm enabling a private message for the following reply. Privacy and Security Policy
We have strict policies regarding privacy and access to your information. Please see: https://wpml.org/purchase/support-policy/privacy-and-security-when-providing-debug-information-for-support/ **IMPORTANT**
- - Please backup the site files and database before providing us access. --
-- If you have a staging site where the problem can be reproduced, it is better to share access to the staging site.--
I can see you translated the footer using Classic Translate Everything. It might be a regration of a known issue that was already fixed. You can read about it here.
However, in your case, you also need to translate the ID of the footer. To do it follow these steps.
1. Go to WPML -> Strings Translation -> Translate texts in admin screens. This is the direct link on your site: hidden link
2. Search for the ID of the footer in German. In your case, it is: 39177.
3. Move it to Strings Translation. Please see the attached screenshot move-to-st-1.jpg.
4. In Strings Translation, change the language of the string from English to German. Please see the attached screenshot change-to-german.jpg.
5. Translate the string. Please see the attached screenshot trasn-the-id.jpg. You can know the ID of the translated footer by editing it and looking at the browser's address bar. Please see the attached screenshot id-of-trans.jpg.
I tried it on your test site, and it works. Please see the attached screenshot footer-en-ok.jpg.
Why is it like that all of a sudden? And why does everything always have to be so extremely complicated with WPML? I have over 10 websites where it suddenly stopped working. Why is it like that? I would like an explanation! It worked for 2 years and now all of a sudden it doesn't work anymore?
I clearly specify in the footer (dynamic template) that it is German. Why do I have to specify somewhere in the strings that it is German? What happens with the next update, do I have to specify it again in two other places or how? Isn't once enough?
And that's also where I specify the exact translation of the German footer. Here, too, the question is: Why are you making it extra work for us to link the IDs together when the translations are already linked?
Is your motto “Why make it simple when you can make it complicated?”
Other agencies have often advised us not to use WPML because it's so complicated. As of today, we no longer do this for any new site and are gradually converting the old sites...it can't be true that I now have this manual effort for 10-15 sites everywhere...
We don't have video calls paid-support. All of the technical support is done through this forum. We do have German-speaking supporters. Please let me know if you want me to pass on this ticket to one of them. Also, please know that we have a support forum in the German language:
If you open a ticket in the German forum, one of our German supporters will answer you.
You mentioned that you have more problems with WPML. We focus on one issue per ticket in our technical support forum. Otherwise, tickets can get cluttered and confusing for both users and supporters. So please open new tickets for each of the other problems.
Now, regarding the issue of this ticket: "The EN footer is not displaying; instead, the DE footer is shown on both DE and EN pages." You presented the above problem and you also wrote: "I have created the footer of my site using default templates and translated these into DE and EN. Until a few weeks ago, this worked well."
This is the issue I investigated and helped you with. I don't understand how now you blame me for breaking something that worked while you yourself complained that it is not working, and I could see that it is now working. You gave me access to your site and wrote: "I am sending the access data. It's a test site and full backups have been made." We never try things on production sites. But since it is a test site and you confirmed that you have a backup, I checked things on your site and tried the suggestion from our second-tier supporter. I explained everything and how to solve it. I have demonstrated that it works on your test site. I added EN before the links' labels to prove it works. We provided you with a workaround.
This is a problem with the Total theme you are using. A feature of it is creating the footer. The Total theme by WPExplorer is officially compatible with WPML.
If the footer's translation used to work but is now not working, we will investigate this issue and do our best to fix it. If needed, we will cooperate with WPExplorer to implement the fix in their files. You can also open a ticket about this issue in their support forum. I think it is here.
hidden link
You said that things with the footer worked and suddenly stopped working. It might be that something has changed in the theme's files. To continue investigating this issue, please proceed with the following.
1. Switch from the child theme Total Child Theme to the parent Total theme.
2. Update the Total theme to its latest version - 6.0.2.
3. Check if the translated footer is showing now.
If not, I'll escalate this issue to our compatibility team.
Please let me know if you want to continue with me or if you want me to pass on this ticket to one of our German supporters.
Our second-tier supporter instructed me to take a copy of your site and escalate this issue. We need a copy of it from when the problem existed. If possible, restore the staging site from a backup from when the problem persisted and allow me to take a copy of your site. I must install a plugin like Duplicator or All In One Migration for this. Please let me know if you agree.
