ACFML Causing Performance Issues with String Translation

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

Problem:
You are experiencing performance issues with ACFML when it adds strings to the string translation tool for all ACF field groups. You do not translate admin fields and do not want these strings in the string translation as it slows down your site. You have many ACF fields, resulting in thousands of strings being added. A workaround was provided previously, which involves modifying a file, but it needs reapplying after each ACFML update.
Solution:
Currently, there is no alternative solution apart from the workaround you mentioned. We have escalated the issue to our development team, and it is on our list. You will be updated on your previous support ticket as soon as there is any news. In the meantime, if you need to apply the workaround, you can prevent ACFML from registering and reading the fields translations from String Translation for ACFML labels by going to this file:

wp-content/plugins/acfml/classes/class-wpml-acf.php

and changing this line from

ACFMLStringsHooksFactory::class => true

, to

ACFMLStringsHooksFactory::class => false

Please note that this solution might be irrelevant if it's outdated or not applicable to your case.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.

This is the technical support forum for WPML - the multilingual WordPress plugin.

Everyone can read, but only WPML clients can post here. WPML team is replying on the forum 6 days per week, 22 hours per day.

Tagged: Bug

This topic contains 1 reply, has 0 voices.

Last updated by Andrey 2 weeks, 4 days ago.

Assisted by: Andrey.

Author	Posts
March 21, 2025 at 8:57 pm #16846469
peterL-60	Background of the issue: We are experiencing performance issues with ACFML when it adds strings to the string translation tool for all ACF field groups. We do not translate our admin fields and do not want these strings in string translation as it slows down our site. We have many ACF fields, resulting in thousands of strings being added. I first reported this issue in March 2023: https://wpml.org/forums/topic/performance-issues-with-acfml-string-translation/. A workaround was provided: "On the other hand, you can prevent ACFML from registering and reading the fields translations from String Translation for ACFML labels by going to this file: wp-content/plugins/acfml/classes/class-wpml-acf.php and changing this line from ACFMLStringsHooksFactory::class => true, to ACFMLStringsHooksFactory::class => false." This workaround works but needs reapplying after each ACFML update, which sometimes gets overlooked, causing performance issues again. Symptoms: Performance issues due to ACFML adding many strings to string translation, slowing down the site. Questions: Can an option be added to disable this feature? Is there a filter that developers can use to disable the feature themselves?
March 24, 2025 at 5:15 pm #16853554
Andrey Supporter Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+03:00)	Thank you for contacting WPML support. I have double-checked this matter, and unfortunately, no alternative solution is available apart from the one you mentioned. The issue has already been escalated to our development team and is on our list. I will add a note for the team. You will be updated on your previous support ticket as soon as there is any news: https://wpml.org/forums/topic/performance-issues-with-acfml-string-translation-again/.