custom translation service

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

Problem:
The client is attempting to use a custom translation service with WPML, but it does not appear in the Translation Services list. They have set

WPML_CUSTOM_TRANSLATION_SERVICE_URL

in wp-config.php to point to their custom Translation Proxy API, which implements the WPML Translation Proxy API (JSON:API). Despite this setup, the custom service is not visible under WPML → Translation Dashboard → Translation Services. The client also noted that the “Enable other translation services” button is not visible under WPML → Support → Troubleshooting, and they do not have a Preferred Translation Service set in their wpml.org account.

Solution:
We informed the client that currently, there are no plans to make custom translation services available outside of the Partner program. As alternatives, we recommended considering the following options:

Translation Hub: A centralized interface for managing translations and translators.
Automatic Translation: Built-in machine translation with flexible pay-as-you-go options.

We also mentioned that we will soon announce the PTC (Private Translation Cloud) Partnership program for Agency accounts, which will provide benefits for those accounts regarding site translations.

If this solution does not apply to your case, or if it seems outdated, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have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

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: Custom Work, Documentation request, Translation Service

This topic contains 3 replies, has 0 voices.

Last updated by Andrey 1 week, 1 day ago.

Assisted by: Andrey.

Author	Posts
February 12, 2026 at 10:15 pm #17818999
volkerB-7	Dear WPML Support, I am trying to use a custom translation service with WPML, but it does not appear in the Translation Services list. Setup: I have set WPML_CUSTOM_TRANSLATION_SERVICE_URL in wp-config.php to point to my custom Translation Proxy API. The service implements the WPML Translation Proxy API (JSON:API) and exposes endpoints such as /clients, /language_pairs, /projects, etc. What I see: I am looking under WPML → Translation Dashboard → Translation Services. My custom service does not appear in the list. What I have tried: I have checked for the “Enable other translation services” button under WPML → Support → Troubleshooting, but it is not visible. I do not have a Preferred Translation Service set in my wpml.org account. Questions: How can I make my custom translation service appear in the Translation Services tab when using WPML_CUSTOM_TRANSLATION_SERVICE_URL? Is the “Enable other translation services” option still available, and if so, where is it located in the current WPML version? Are there any additional requirements or configuration steps for custom (non-partner) services? I can provide further details (e.g. WPML version, API URL, or logs) if needed. Thank you for your help. Kind regards, Marc Mannig
February 13, 2026 at 9:32 am #17819849
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	Hello Marc, Currently, it’s not possible to set up a non-partner translation service directly in WPML. If you’re interested in integrating a custom service, you would need to apply through the Translation Partners Program. You can find more details here: https://wpml.org/documentation/content-translation/ Once the integration process is completed and the service becomes an authorized partner, it will appear directly in the WPML interface under the available translation services.
February 14, 2026 at 3:26 pm #17822623
volkerB-7	Hello Andrey, ok thanks. Is there a plan to make this available for e.g. Agencies which manage their own sites or so? We are restricted to the services we are allowed to use and want to integrate our own translation service here. Is there an other way how we can translate pages with a private service via WPML? I saw that WPML provides a bunch of hooks but it seems direct page translation is not supported. Kind regards, Marc Mannig
February 16, 2026 at 6:10 pm #17826741
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	Hello Marc, Currently, there are no plans to make this available outside of the Partner program. As alternatives, you may want to consider the following options: - Translation Hub: A centralized interface for managing translations and translators. - Automatic Translation: Built-in machine translation with flexible pay-as-you-go options. Additionally, we will soon announce the hidden link" target="_blank">PTC (Private Translation Cloud) Partnership program for Agency accounts to provide benefits for those accounts regarding site translations.