Some core blocks are not available for translation

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

Problem:
The client is attempting to translate an article using WPML but encounters an issue where some text elements remain in English because they are not available for translation. The client questions why some core blocks are not available for translation and how to ensure all text elements are translated.
Solution:
We recommend the following steps to ensure all text elements are picked up and translated:
1. Send the page for translation or update the existing translation:
* Go to WPML → Translation Dashboard in your WordPress admin.
* Use the filters to find your article.
If the issue persists, it might be due to the use of emojis or specific characters that are not supported by the current database collation. In such cases, changing the database collation to "utf8mb4_unicode_520_ci" might resolve the issue. Additionally, consider manual translation for pages with complex designs or frequent changes, as detailed in our documentation on using different translation editors for different pages.

If this solution does not apply to your case, or if it seems outdated, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have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. Should you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to 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: ATE

This topic contains 16 replies, has 0 voices.

Last updated by beatS-3 16 hours, 37 minutes ago.

Assisted by: Kor.

Author	Posts
November 9, 2025 at 2:31 pm #17560055
beatS-3	Background of the issue: I am trying to translate an article on my website. The issue can be seen on this page: hidden link. I expected to see the article fully translated into German. Symptoms: Some text elements remain in English, as they are not available for translation. Questions: Why are some core blocks not available for translation? How can I ensure all text elements are translated?
November 10, 2025 at 1:07 am #17560497
Kor WPML Supporter since 08/2022 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Singapore (GMT+08:00)	Thanks for your reply. I've checked your page here hidden link and I can see some sections showing English language. I will require temporary access (WP-Admin and FTP) to a test site where the problem has been replicated, if possible. This will enable me to provide better assistance and determine if any configurations need to be modified. Please note that it is important to have a backup for security purposes and to prevent any potential data loss. You can use the UpdraftPlus plugin (https://wordpress.org/plugins/updraftplus/) to fulfill your backup requirements. Your upcoming reply will be treated with confidentiality and will only be visible to you and me. ✙ To resolve the issue, I may need your consent to deactivate and reactivate plugins and the theme, as well as make configuration changes on the site if necessary. This emphasizes the significance of having a backup.
November 13, 2025 at 5:57 pm #17576463
Kor WPML Supporter since 08/2022 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Singapore (GMT+08:00)	Thanks for your reply. That section shows up correctly for translation when I remove this icon, as shown in the attached screenshot. Could you try another method to display that icon?
November 13, 2025 at 6:15 pm #17576535
beatS-3	Hi Kor Wow, who would have thought a simple drum emoji would screw up the whole thing 🙂 I added the standard emoji via MacOS keyboard.. Have you heard about similar issues before? Thanks so much for finding that weird bug! Best wishes, Beat
November 13, 2025 at 7:12 pm #17576616
Kor WPML Supporter since 08/2022 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Singapore (GMT+08:00)	Thanks for your reply. Looks like a known issue here https://wpml.org/errata/using-emojis-with-page-builders-might-make-the-content-not-available-for-translation/ . Could you try the workaround provided? If not, you'll have to remove these emojis and add it back manually.
November 14, 2025 at 5:45 am #17577165
beatS-3	All tables are already set to "utf8mb4_unicode_ci". What do you mean with "you'll have to remove these emojis and add it back manually. "? Greetings!
November 14, 2025 at 7:44 am #17577592
Kor WPML Supporter since 08/2022 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Singapore (GMT+08:00)	Thanks for your reply. What I mean is to switch to manual translation as explained here https://wpml.org/documentation/translating-your-contents/using-different-translation-editors-for-different-pages/ and insert the emojis manually to your primary and translated page.
November 14, 2025 at 2:24 pm #17579542
beatS-3	Hi Kor.. I understand that approach, but I prefer to stick to only translating the strings. Right now it's a simple blog post, but what if an emoji is used in a more complex design that changes frequently? That would most likely "break", too. From what it seems to me: The bug is somewhere in the WPML plugin, am I right? So in my opinion (and probably others' too) I would rather have this bug fixed at its roots, instead of having to workaround. Thanks for shedding some light into the dark. Best wishes!
November 14, 2025 at 4:20 pm #17579922
Kor WPML Supporter since 08/2022 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Singapore (GMT+08:00)	Thanks for your reply. Have you applied all the workarounds listed here? https://wpml.org/errata/using-emojis-with-page-builders-might-make-the-content-not-available-for-translation/
November 14, 2025 at 4:25 pm #17579928
beatS-3	As I already shared, my tables are already set to "utf8mb4_general_ci".
November 14, 2025 at 4:26 pm #17579929
Kor WPML Supporter since 08/2022 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Singapore (GMT+08:00)	Thanks for your reply. Did you insert the custom PHP code as mentioned in the errata? If you haven't done it, please backup before you proceed.
November 14, 2025 at 5:16 pm #17579989
beatS-3	I just ran the snippet on the staging site, but the issue persists.
November 17, 2025 at 5:01 pm #17585489
Kor WPML Supporter since 08/2022 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Singapore (GMT+08:00)	Thanks for your reply. I've tested it here hidden link on our sandbox site and it seems to work fine as shown in the attached screenshot. Not sure why it is not working on your Website and I will need to investigate this further. hidden link I kindly ask for a snapshot of the site. Alternatively, with your permission, I can create one myself. For this purpose, I typically recommend using the free plugin "Duplicator." If you're already familiar with Duplicator (https://wordpress.org/plugins/duplicator/), please skip the following steps and simply send me the archive file you downloaded. To guide you further, please adhere to these instructions: 1. View the Duplicator instructions video: hidden link 2. Consult WPML's instructions on providing supporters with a copy of your site: https://wpml.org/faq/provide-supporters-copy-site/ 3. If the archive file exceeds 400MB, please use Duplicator's file filters to exclude cache, wp-uploads directory, media, and archive files. Once you have the archive file ready, kindly share the link with us. You can utilize platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, or similar for file sharing, as the snapshot file might be large. Please note that your next reply will be private, visible only to you and me. You can paste the file link there. Rest assured that once the issue is resolved, I will delete the local site.
November 17, 2025 at 6:59 pm #17586000
beatS-3	Thanks, you have the permission to create a duplicate of my website. Appreciate!
November 18, 2025 at 7:22 pm #17589530
Kor WPML Supporter since 08/2022 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Singapore (GMT+08:00)	Thanks for your patience. I've downloaded a copy of the site and I will investigate this further and will come back to you as quickly as possible.