Problem: The client reported missing href-lang tags and self-referencing canonical tags on their multilingual website pages, which could negatively affect their SEO. The issue was suspected to be related to the robots.txt file, which incorrectly pointed all domains to the same sitemap, rather than individual sitemaps for each language domain. Solution: We clarified that WPML does not create or control the robots.txt file and therefore does not modify the sitemap URLs within it. The client resolved the issue by deleting the incorrect robots.txt file via FTP, allowing Google Search Console to correctly identify and index the appropriate sitemap for each domain. For ongoing SEO performance issues in other languages, we recommended consulting with an SEO expert and verifying indexing status directly in Google Search Console.
If this solution does not apply to your situation, or if it seems outdated, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have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 feel free to open a new support ticket at WPML support forum.
Problem: The client is concerned about translating synonyms from Yoast SEO Premium in WPML's Advanced Translation Editor for better SEO across different languages. Solution: We clarified that the synonyms entered in Yoast's custom fields are used internally for calculating SEO scores and do not appear on the site or influence search engine indexing directly. Therefore, translating these synonyms in WPML will not affect your SEO as they are not visible to search engines. For effective multilingual SEO, focus on translating the main content and key phrases for each language, rather than the synonyms.
If this solution does not resolve your issue or seems outdated, we recommend opening a new support ticket. Also, check the related known issues, verify the version of the permanent fix, and ensure you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. For further assistance, please visit our support forum.
Problem: The client is experiencing an issue where tracking codes (Google Tag Manager, GA4, and HubSpot) implemented via the Avada Theme Options are being removed or overwritten in a multilingual site using WPML. This issue occurs randomly and seems to be influenced by the default language settings (Swedish), affecting the tracking codes and other Avada settings across different language versions.
Solution: We recommend the following steps to address the issue: 1. Avoid using "All Languages" in Avada Options: Always set theme options per language using the WPML admin language switcher. 2. Register and Translate Theme Options via WPML: Go to WPML → String Translation → Translate texts in admin screens, locate relevant Avada fields like tracking codes, and translate these strings to ensure they persist across languages. 3. Prevent Sync Overwrites: For critical fields, mark the translation as complete in String Translation and avoid switching between language contexts while editing Avada settings. 4. Use WPML’s
wpml-config.xml
for Custom Tracking Fields (Optional): If custom tracking code fields don’t appear in the admin strings, use the following configuration:
Replace [your_field_key] with the exact option name. 5. Escalate to Avada Support: Report the issue to Avada’s support for potential improvements in multilingual compatibility.
If these steps do not resolve the issue or if it reoccurs, 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 problem persists, please open a new support ticket with us.
Problem: The client is unable to remove URLs in Advance Translation Management for a specific language and needs to use the WPML editor instead. Solution: We recommend editing the translated page or post using the WordPress editor and manually removing the links. Unfortunately, it is not currently possible to remove the markers for the links directly from the translation editor. We have noted your request for this feature.
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.
Problem: The client is experiencing an issue where the Essential Grid disappears from pages after translating them using WPML. This problem occurs in both the original and translated languages. The Essential Grid fails to fetch pages by page-ID, which the client suspects is modified by WPML. Solution: We recommend disabling WPML and verifying that the Essential Grid functions correctly in the default language without WPML. If the grid works properly, re-enable WPML and translate the pages again. If the issue reoccurs only in the translated versions, please let us know for further assistance. Regarding the URL changes (e.g., adding "-2" at the end), this is a WordPress behavior where slugs must be unique across the site, not specifically related to WPML. For more details on WordPress slug uniqueness, visit https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/35315/must-slugs-be-unique.
If this solution does not apply because it might be outdated or not relevant 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 issues persist, please open a new support ticket at our support forum.
Problem: After activating WPML Multilingual CMS and WPML String Translation, the filters on the 'College & University' section of the first page, which were based on tags such as 'Florida', 'California', 'New York', disappeared. These tags were added using the 'Add Categories to Pages' plugin and persisted on each school page. The client also experienced a slowdown in the Admin Dashboard after activating WPML. Solution: If you're experiencing similar issues with disappearing filters after activating WPML, we recommend the following steps: 1) Disable WPML. 2) Add a category to a page. 3) Re-enable WPML. This process helps determine if the issue replicates with WPML activated. Additionally, the client discovered that the Essential Grid plugin had not been updated for several months. Re-entering the product key and updating the plugin resolved the filter issue.
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 problem persists, please open a new support ticket.
Problem: The client wants to migrate their Swedish website from a .se domain to a .com structure, specifically to example.com/se, and add an English version at example.com. They are concerned about maintaining SEO and how to structure the URLs. Solution: We recommended installing WordPress and WPML on the main domain (example.com) and setting English as the default language. The Swedish version should then be added as a secondary language under example.com/se using the 'language per-directory' option. If the client prefers to keep the Swedish as the default language, they could maintain the .se domain and add English as a directory (example.se/en). This approach leverages the existing SEO strength of the .se domain. For changing the default language after migration, the client can manually adjust the default language for specific pages via the backend. It's crucial to create a full website backup before proceeding with these changes. For detailed guidance on setting up languages in different directories or domains, visit:
If this solution does not fully address your situation, 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 open a new support ticket at WPML support forum.
