This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: If you're experiencing issues with images being replaced by random previously uploaded images in your WordPress media library when WPML is enabled, and you're using Filebird to organize your images, this might be relevant to you. Solution: 1. Ensure you have a backup of your site, or test on a staging site. 2. Disable all other plugins except for WPML. 3. Switch to a WordPress default theme. 4. Check if the issue persists. If it does not, gradually re-enable other plugins like image optimization or Filebird and check again. 5. If the problem continues, provide the WPML support team with debug information from your site by following these steps: - Log in to your site and navigate to WPML → Support. - Click on the 'debug information' link at the bottom of the page. - Select and copy the entire content of the text box. - Paste this information into the debug information box on our support forum. More details on providing debug information can be found here: https://wpml.org/faq/provide-debug-information-faster-support/ 6. Record a video of the issue using a tool like LOOM and share it with the support team for better understanding.
Please note that this solution might be outdated or not applicable to your specific case.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 at WPML support forum.
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Background of the issue:
I am trying to upload image files to my WordPress media library. I am using Filebird to organize my images better.
Symptoms:
When WPML is enabled, the uploaded images are replaced by random images that were uploaded previously. This issue does not occur when WPML is disabled.
Questions:
Why are my uploaded images being replaced by random images when WPML is enabled?
How can I prevent WPML from replacing my uploaded images?
1) In order to expedite handling your support requests, can you please share WPML support debug information from your site.
- To give debug information, login to your site and go to WPML → Support. From there click on the “debug information” link at the bottom of the page. - Once on the “debug information” page, select the entire content of the text box and copy it. - Now go back to our support forum, find debug information box and paste it.
More information on the link: https://wpml.org/faq/provide-debug-information-faster-support/
2) Please record a video of with 1 example image, so I can see and understand the issue better. You can use free tool like LOOM.
You can see that if WPML is enabled and an image is being uploaded it gets "replaced" by another one and when I disable WPML the original uploaded image and the one that replaced the original are both in my FileBird folders and optimized by Shortpixel, both officially supported.
thanks for getting back and sharing video, that is really weird.
Can you please try next:
- Make sure you have a backup or better test this on staging site.
- Disable all other plugins and leave active only WPML plugins
- Switch to WP default theme
- Check if the issue still happens.
- If not, enable back few plugins like image optimization / file bird and check if the issue still happens.
Alright, I did some testing and came up with this on my staging site:
Disabling Shortpixel and Filebird (Pro) with WPML being enabled results in the same bug. I suspected this to be the obvious issues but they’re not.
Changing the theme from Hello Elementor to Twenty Twenty-Five didn’t fix it.
Disabling all plugins besides WPML Multilingual, WPML SEO and WPML String Translation didn’t help. I even disabled Elementor and Elementor Pro. Tested with the Twenty Twenty-Five theme.
Having just WPML SEO and WPML String Translation doesn’t make the bug appear.
I strongly suspect it's related to the WPML Multilingual plugin because nothing else is enabled and I'm working with a WordPress standard theme.
I even deleted all the pages just to see how it would affect it.
Changing the "Organize my uploads into month- and year-based folders" doesn't help either.
I guess I need some personal support. This makes the plugin pretty much unusable...
There's only one difference I found out about. When Filebird (Pro) is disabled and I upload an image it doesn't "duplicate" as seen in the video where it just puts some old image in a folder where I upload. It doesn't put anything into it when I upload and Filebird is enabled. Once WPML is disabled all uploaded images appear as usual...
The only thing that still bothers me is the discrepancy in the already uploaded images when I enable WPML. If I enable WPML the folder contains 0 images. If I disable it, I got 313 images.
That's exactly the folder with the images where I ran into that issue, so maybe you got a solution for those images too... Would be nice if all images are in my media library and not only when WPML is disabled.
Quick note: I tried using the plugin "media sync" to sync all the missing images into the library and it worked but it puts them in the folders where the wrongly duplicated images came from. If you got a solution for it then that'd be really handy.
I can't edit posts so a last note from my side regarding the replaced images. If WPML is enabled then the images aren't really in the library and this also results in posts having the old, wrongly duplicated images as attachment. Luckily, only in the backend it seems...
But just take a look at for example these posts in "Uhren":
Rolex Texano ref. 5100 "Beta 21"
Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3800/1
Enable WPML and refresh. Or disable WPML and refresh. The images completely change.
This affects more or less 20 of my posts and it just seems to be a "visual" bug if uploading works correctly now but it shouldn't be like that I guess.
I am sorry but I am a bit confused by the replies, note we also try to keep 1 topic per ticket to keep things clear and easy to follow for other users with similar issue.
As I understand, the issue with uploaded wrong images is solved, and you have new issue with wrong image shown in the translated page. Note, this might not be related with original reported problem.
I advise force updating WPML plugins to latest version 4.8.1, since similar issue was resolved there, and if you still have issue please start new chat / open new ticket, and we would be glad to further help and check.
"When WPML is enabled, the uploaded images are replaced by random images that were uploaded previously. This issue does not occur when WPML is disabled."
That's the issue that was fixed for NEW images that are going to be uploaded.
BUT when WPML is enabled the images that were uploaded before that fix (I think it's exactly 313 images) are not part of the library. I disable WPML and they're there as usual. You can just check the folder "DROP AUGUST 25.2" and enable/disable WPML to see the discrepancy.
And those exact images have been used in my posts of the CPT "uhren" and are being replaced with the random images that WPML somehow messed up. Therefore I suggested you to open the posts in the backend:
Rolex Texano ref. 5100 "Beta 21"
Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3800/1
Then disable WPML and refresh. You'll see the images change. And it's related to WPML and to this exact issue.
New threads created by Dražen and linked to this one are listed below:
I did some more testing and made a little code snippet with AI to compare the image IDs and the WPML attachment IDs and here's the result of 1 post in "uhren". I just enabled and disabled WPML and then did the comparison. Nothing else.
The WPML Translated Image IDs are only different with the posts that have this kind of issue. For other posts it seems to be always the same.
