Bug with WPML SEO

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

Problem:
The client is experiencing a deprecated error message when editing the Elementor Header using the WPML SEO plugin. The error message indicates an issue with the 'urlencode()' function in the 'class-wpml-wpseo-filters.php' file.
Solution:
We recommend disabling the debug mode in WordPress to prevent this warning from being displayed. This can be done by editing the

wp-config.php

file and ensuring the following line is included:

define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

For more details on debugging in WordPress, please visit: https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/debugging-in-wordpress/
Additionally, updating the WPML SEO plugin to the latest version (2.2.3 or higher) might resolve the issue. Updates can be checked and applied from the 'My Account → Downloads' section on our site or through the 'Plugins → Add New Plugin → Commercial' tab in WordPress.

If this solution does not apply to your case, or if it seems outdated, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have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. If the issue persists, please open a new support ticket at WPML support forum for further assistance.

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: Exception

This topic contains 7 replies, has 0 voices.

Last updated by Andrey 6 months, 1 week ago.

Assisted by: Andrey.

Author	Posts
August 12, 2025 at 5:00 pm #17314332
mikeS-64	Background of the issue: I am trying to resolve an issue related to WPML SEO. I initially thought the problem was with Yoast, but they directed me to contact WPML support. The issue is discussed in this topic: https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-class-wpml-wpseo-filters-php-on-line-131/#post-18596120. I encountered an error message when editing the Elementor Header. Symptoms: I received the following error message: 'Deprecated: urlencode(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in /…/public/wp-content/plugins/wp-seo-multilingual/classes/YoastSEO/class-wpml-wpseo-filters.php on line 131'. Questions: How can I resolve the deprecated error message when editing the Elementor Header? Is this issue related to WPML or another plugin?
August 13, 2025 at 6:57 pm #17319086
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	Thank you for contacting WPML support. This warning will not affect the functionality of the plugin or your site — it’s simply an alert. It will be fixed in a future version of the WPML SEO plugin. In the meantime, to prevent unwanted warnings or errors from being displayed to your visitors, we recommend disabling debug mode in WordPress. This helps ensure a smoother user experience. You can do this by editing your wp-config.php file and adding or modifying the following line: define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false ); For more details, see: https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/debugging-in-wordpress/ I also noticed that you are using an older version of WPML SEO (2.2.2). Please update to version 2.2.3 to check if this already resolves the issue. You can find the latest versions under My Account → Downloads on our site. If the update doesn’t appear, go to Plugins → Add New Plugin → Commercial and click Check for updates. Please back up your database before proceeding with any updates.
August 14, 2025 at 10:05 am #17320390
mikeS-64	Hi, Thank you for your reply. I did upgrade to 2.2.3. Is the problem fixed in that version?
August 14, 2025 at 1:04 pm #17321089
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	Thank you for your feedback. This should be addressed in the current or upcoming updates. Are you still experiencing the issue?
August 15, 2025 at 8:53 am #17322882
mikeS-64	Ok I will wait for the upcoming update as the error message is still being shown with the latest version. I prefer not to disable debug as we are still developing on the staging environment and need to know when and where things break.
August 18, 2025 at 11:10 am #17327420
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	Can I kindly ask you for access so I can double-check this warning message? Have you also tested this on your staging site by temporarily deactivating all plugins except WPML and your SEO plugin to see if the warning still appears? When you log in to leave your next reply, you will find the needed fields below the comment area. The information you will enter is private, meaning only you and I can see and access it. Please include the steps to replicate the issue.
August 18, 2025 at 1:40 pm #17328080
mikeS-64	I will try this out soon.
August 18, 2025 at 2:20 pm #17328162
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	Sure. If the problem persists, please let me know. The private messages will be activated.