Problem:
You are using the WPML String Translation plugin and want to remove the ability to view the location of strings in the dashboard due to security concerns. The 'Track where strings appear on the site' setting is deactivated, but previews are still visible.
Solution:
We recommend using admin CSS to hide the preview icons. Here are two methods to achieve this:
.wpml-st-col-view {<br /> visibility: hidden;<br />}1. Quick inline injection:
Add the following code via the
hook:
function my_admin_css() {<br /> echo '<style><br /> .wpml-st-col-view {<br /> display: none;<br /> }<br /> </style>';<br />}<br />add_action('admin_head', 'my_admin_css');2. Enqueue a dedicated admin stylesheet:
Create a file named
in your theme or child theme, then load it with:
function my_admin_styles() {<br /> wp_enqueue_style(<br /> 'my-admin-css',<br /> get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . '/admin.css'<br /> );<br />}<br />add_action('admin_enqueue_scripts', 'my_admin_styles');Security considerations:
- No direct risk: The preview doesn’t expose source code or internal files—it just loads the front-end page where the string is displayed.
- Access control: Only users with permission to access WPML’s String Translation screen can see this preview. If you restrict that screen to administrators, only trusted roles can use it.
- Potential misuse: If sensitive data (like API keys or internal identifiers) were mistakenly registered as translatable strings, then yes, they could be previewed. But that’s a coding/configuration issue, not a WPML security flaw.
If this solution does not resolve your issue or seems irrelevant, 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 further assistance is needed, please open a new support ticket at WPML support forum.
