Problem: The client reported that some ACF Field Groups were duplicated when new languages were added to their site. They inquired whether it was safe to delete these duplicates and how to prevent such duplication in future projects. Solution: We identified that the duplication occurred because the ACF Field Groups were set as translatable in the WPML settings. To resolve this, we advised the client to set the ACF Field Groups to 'Not Translatable' in the WordPress Dashboard under WPML > Settings > Post Type Translation. This change prevents future duplications by ensuring that field groups do not create copies when new languages are added. The client should safely remove any existing duplicates, as they are no longer necessary.
If this solution does not apply to your case, or if it seems outdated, we recommend opening a new support ticket. We also 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. For further assistance, please visit our support forum at WPML Support Forum.
Problem: If you're experiencing issues on your production site where custom fields like 'downloads_*_url_pardot' show a lock icon in WPML > Settings > Custom Fields Translation, preventing you from setting their translation behavior to "Copy", while on your staging environment these fields do not have this lock and can be set to Copy normally. Solution: First, ensure that the 'acf-field-group' post type is set to not translatable in WordPress Dashboard > WPML > Settings > Post Types Translation. If it's already set, no changes are needed there. Next, make a minor edit to the original page (like adding an extra space) and save it. This should prompt an update across translations. If the issue persists, check for any XML code under WordPress Dashboard > WPML > Settings > XML Custom Code tab that might be forcing the lock icon. Also, verify if such XML files exist in your theme or plugin files. If you find the settings are correct but the problem remains, it might be due to the field group settings in ACF > Field Groups > Knowledge Base group field translation option, which should be set to Expert mode to allow changes in custom field translation options. After adjusting these settings, make a small change on the page using the field in the original language and complete the translation to see the results.
If this solution does not resolve your issue, or if it seems outdated or irrelevant 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 needed, please open a new support ticket for personalized assistance at WPML support forum.
