I am working on a multilingual project using ACF Options Pages created via the ACF UI, and I have been struggling with a persistent issue around translating them. I would appreciate your help.
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**What I am trying to achieve**
I want ACF Options Pages to behave like regular posts in WPML — each language has its own version, they are linked as translations of each other, and saving one language does not affect the content of another.
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**What I have tried**
**1. Copying Option Pages**
My first attempt was to copy the Option Pages. This produced no effect.
**2. Duplicating and connecting Option Pages — same slug**
I then duplicated the original Option Page and connected it as a translation. This is where an important distinction appears between two different levels:
- **At the Option Page creation level / ACF UI:** both pages are correctly shown as linked — "this is a translation of [Original Option Page Name]" — regardless of slug configuration.
- **On the Option Page itself (the actual admin screen):** the language switcher aalows me to jump between translations only when both pages share the same slug.
IMPORTANT POINT
So with the same slug, I can navigate between language versions from within the Option Page admin screen. However, saving the main language version erases the content of the translated version — the shared slug causes both languages to write to the same underlying option key. When I mean erase, it makes it completely empty, not a copy.
**3. Duplicating and connecting Option Pages — using different slugs**
When each Option Page has a unique slug, saving one language no longer affects the other. I can no longer navigate between translations from within the page itself. The connection is visible at the Option Page creation UI, but in fact not work.
"Sorry, you are not allowed to access this page."
**4. Field Group translation settings**
I have tested every available translation mode at the Field Group level: Translate, Copy Once, Copy (Expert mode), Different Fields, and Same Fields. I tried all combinations — none resolved the issue.
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- Same slug → navigable between translations on the Option Page itself, but saving overwrites the other language's content.
- Different slugs → content is independent, but the language switcher don't allow navigate from one to the other, yet is marked as connected translations on the Options Page Creation UI.
I also tried having different field groups connected to each Option Page.
I am aware that Options Pages are stored differently from posts, but I was hoping WPML has an established solution for this. I would like Options Pages to work the same way regular posts do.
Could you advise on the correct configuration to achieve proper, non-destructive translation of ACF Options Pages?
I fully understood what you're asking, but this is not how WPML works presently. ACF Options pages behave differently when it comes to WPML, and cannot be edited directly via the WordPress admin editor.
In a nutshell, the process is as follows:
1. You setup the options page in ACF;
2. You populate the values via WordPress admin;
3. You translate the page via WPML > Translation Dashboard;
That means that you cannot edit the options page in other languages via WordPress, but only using the Translation Editor. Let me know if you have other questions.
