Post Types Translation switching back to Not Translatable

This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.

Problem:
You have a Custom Post Type (CPT) that you need to set as Translatable on your site, but the setting reverts back to 'Not translatable' after some time without any identifiable pattern.
Solution:
If you're experiencing this issue, we recommend you try the following steps:
1. Manually set the CPT as Translatable again: In your WordPress dashboard, go to WPML → Settings. Scroll down to the “Post Types Translation” section. Find your custom post type in the list and select “Translatable – only show translated items”, then click Save.
2. Force the setting via WPML’s Custom XML Configuration: Still in WPML → Settings, switch to the “Custom XML Configuration” tab. Add an entry to declare your CPT as translatable permanently. For example:

<wpml-config><custom-types><custom-type translate="1">your_cpt_slug</custom-type></custom-types></wpml-config>

This solution might be irrelevant if it’s outdated or not applicable to your case.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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Tagged: Exception

This topic contains 7 replies, has 1 voice.

Last updated by Otto 2 months, 2 weeks ago.

Assisted by: Otto.

Author	Posts
March 25, 2025 at 12:42 pm #16857606
kristinaB-7	Background of the issue: I have a CPT which I need to set as Translatable on my site hidden link. I am following the documentation here: https://wpml.org/documentation/getting-started-guide/translating-custom-posts/#:~:text=Go%20to%20WPML%20%E2%86%92%20Settings,Click%20Save%20to%20confirm. Symptoms: The CPT setting reverts back to Not translatable after a while, and I cannot identify any pattern causing this. Questions: Why does the CPT setting revert back to Not translatable? How can I ensure the CPT remains set as Translatable?
March 26, 2025 at 8:41 am #16861044
Dražen Supporter Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	Hello, Thanks for contacting us. While you wait for my colleague to take over the ticket, let me try to help you with the issue quickly. I would advise disabling any cache/security plugin, as it might be blocking the save action. Other then that you can check if issue still happens when using WP default theme, as it could be custom code is affecting it. Let us know how it goes. Regards, Drazen
March 26, 2025 at 12:12 pm #16862660
kristinaB-7	Hi Drazen, Thanks for your reply. What's weird is that this happens after a while, like after 12 hrs. So it's a bit hard to debug by disabling plugins and changing themes, because when I save the settings, it saves successfully but then after a few hours, it reverts back. Kind regards, Michael
March 27, 2025 at 1:55 pm #16868886
Otto WPML Supporter since 09/2015 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires (GMT-03:00)	Hello, I apologize for the delay in responding. I will take care of this ticket; the reply time will be shorter now. Can you please elaborate on how the CPT was created? Custom code? A plugin? From the theme? Best Regards, Otto
March 28, 2025 at 12:56 pm #16873035
kristinaB-7	Hi Otto, The CPT was created using ACF Pro. Kind regards, Michael
March 28, 2025 at 1:17 pm #16873127
Otto WPML Supporter since 09/2015 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires (GMT-03:00)	Hello Michael, Thanks. Can you please try the following: 1. Manually Set the CPT as Translatable (Again): In your WordPress dashboard, go to WPML → Settings. Scroll down to the “Post Types Translation” section. Find your custom post type in the list and select “Translatable – only show translated items”, then click Save. (This is the standard step, which you likely did before. We’ll add additional measures below to make it stick.) 2. Force the Setting via WPML’s Custom XML Configuration: WPML allows you to override translation preferences through a custom config. Still in WPML → Settings, switch to the “Custom XML Configuration” tab. Add an entry to declare your CPT as translatable permanently. For example: <wpml-config> <custom-types> <custom-type translate="1">your_cpt_slug</custom-type> </custom-types> </wpml-config> Best Regards, Otto
March 28, 2025 at 1:37 pm #16873188
kristinaB-7	Thank you Otto! I did that and I can see that the CPT in the Post Types Translation section is greyed out now. Fingers crossed that it stays that way now. Kind regards, Michael
March 28, 2025 at 1:39 pm #16873190
Otto WPML Supporter since 09/2015 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) Timezone: America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires (GMT-03:00)	Great, let me know how it goes. Best Regards, Otto