This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: The client is experiencing an issue where the translation of a page using WPML is stuck at 97% completion and cannot be saved. This problem arises because the HTML markers in the translation do not match those in the original text, which is essential for maintaining the page's HTML integrity. Solution: To resolve this issue, ensure that the HTML markers are identically set in both the original and translated text. This involves selecting the text with the mouse and clicking on the marker to set it correctly. There should be no spaces between markers and no markers should be missing. This requirement helps prevent accidental HTML styling breaks, link omissions, or design issues. For more detailed guidance, refer to the WPML documentation on safe HTML editing: Safe HTML Editing. If adjusting the markers does not resolve the issue, please open a support ticket.
If these solutions do not apply or if the problem persists, we recommend opening a new support ticket. It's also advisable to check related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verify the version of the permanent fix, and confirm that you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. For further assistance, please visit our support forum: WPML Support Forum.
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Background of the issue:
I am trying to translate a page automatically using WPML, but the translation is stuck at 97% completion. I suspect the issue is related to WPML tags differing between the original and translated text. The translation process intelligently removes French text from the English text, which is beneficial. However, WPML refuses to save the page, forcing me to spend excessive time identifying the issue. I believe the solution is to allow the translator to decide if the translation is sufficient. The issue can be seen at: hidden link
Symptoms:
The translation is 98% complete with no indication of what is missing. WPML does not allow me to save the page, preventing me from making changes later using WP or Elementor.
Questions:
Why does WPML refuse to save the page when the translation is 98% complete?
How can I identify the missing parts of the translation to complete it?
No, it was absolutely not possible to set the markers in the same way—and for a very good reason. In the translation from English to French, some elements of the original text became redundant and were naturally omitted. For example:
Original: “The Open Recognition (Reconnaissance Ouverte) is about…”
Translation: “La Reconnaissance Ouverte est…”
In such cases, the text in parentheses—and its italics—simply don’t belong in the translation. Including those markers would not only be awkward, but also misleading in the target language.
On top of that, the UI does little to help identify where the issue lies. I had to go through each field manually, copying and comparing line by line to locate the discrepancy.
Frankly, it’s not up to a robot to decide whether a translation is valid—especially not when we’re talking about non-breaking spaces or italic tags. It shouldn’t force the translator or author to spend hours debugging formatting issues that could be solved with a simple, human-readable warning.
What’s more inconsistent is that I can save a translation if I paste the full English text into the French version—even if nothing has been translated. But if a single tag is missing or used differently, saving is blocked—even though WPML doesn’t verify whether those tags are being used meaningfully or correctly.
This feels more like a bug than a feature. If you fix this, you’ll save users and translators a lot of time—and probably make them much happier too. 😊
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)
My apologies, but the tags need to be set identically to be able to save the segment. There should be no free space between markers and there should not be any missing marker.
The markers are related to HTML markup inside the source code of the page and if those markers are not properly set, it will break the markup on the translated content.
If this is causing an issue on the site, you might need to consider using a different markup on the original content, changing the translated text, or even making use of CSS to style the text.
When you write "If this is causing an issue on the site" you are misrepresenting the problem which is: it's not for an automaton to decide if the translation is good enough or not or if the "style break" is a problem or not.
It is for the user to make the decision, and what you write is: we (WPML) are right, and you (the user) are wrong. You (the user) have no right to decide whether the translation is good enough and if the style break is or isn't a problem. We (WPML) know better than you (the user).
WPML is a great product, but it would be even better if you listened to the users and stoped violating a basic rule in UX:
* give the users a choice
* provide a warning, e.g. that the translation is not complete
* don't block the user who wants to save a translation that it finds good enough
The current behaviour is particularly insulting to the intelligence of the user...
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)
My apologies for the misunderstanding. I only explained the feature from the perspective of a web developer and tried to explain that there is a technical reason why the markers operate in this way.
It is more about how HTML works. If you mark a text as bold in WordPress, behind the scenes an opening marker and a closing marker are set. If in HTML this format is not respected, it will break the whole layout.
Could you please provide some screenshots or even better a short video that displays the issue that you are experiencing?
