I am currently implementing WPML with Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) Multilingual on one of my client websites (Vidanova Pension Fund) and have reached approximately 90% completion.
Before proceeding with the remaining two websites, I would like to request a session with your team to review the current setup and confirm that the configuration follows best practices.
Specifically, I would appreciate guidance on:
• Proper configuration of ACF field translation settings (Copy vs Translate) to ensure a scalable and maintainable multilingual structure
• Ensuring that layout elements (icon boxes, CTAs, repeaters, etc.) automatically sync across languages without requiring manual duplication
• Validating that our workflow (NL as default → EN as translation) is correctly implemented
• Recommendations to avoid future issues when content is updated by non-technical users
• General review of the current implementation before replicating it across additional websites
The goal is to ensure that:
• Content updates in the default language propagate correctly
• The setup is efficient and maintainable long-term
• We avoid structural inconsistencies between languages
I would appreciate the possibility of a short session (e.g. 30–60 minutes) to walk through the setup and receive your recommendations.
Thank you for your detailed questions these are all very valid points when setting up a scalable multilingual structure.
At the moment, we do not provide live sessions or calls, and support is handled via the forum. However, I’ll do my best to guide you here.
Regarding ACF and WPML setup:
- Depending on the translation method you’re using, you can choose Option 1: Same fields across languages or Option 2: Different fields across languages
In general use Copy for layout/structure fields (repeaters, icons, CTAs, etc.) so they stay in sync across languages and se Translate for user-facing content. This ensures that updates in the default language propagate correctly while still allowing proper translation of content
If you’d like, feel free to share specific examples, and I’ll gladly review your setup and provide more targeted recommendations.
I have aligned the setup based on your recommendations:
• ACF Field Groups are set to Not translatable
• layout/structure fields are set to Copy
• user-facing text fields are set to Translate
The setup is now working much better, and key pages such as the Home page, FAQs, and Annual Reports are displaying correctly in both Dutch and English.
My remaining concern is the very large list of custom fields shown under WPML → Settings → Custom Fields Translation. To make this easier to review, I prepared an XLSX file with the field list and my current classification work.
Please refer to the XLSX file here: hidden link
Could you please advise whether my approach is correct, especially regarding:
• which fields can safely remain ignored or untouched
• which fields should clearly be treated as Copy vs Translate
• whether this field list looks normal for an ACF-based site of this type
My goal is to make sure the setup is scalable and maintainable before I continue with the other two websites.
