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[Resolved] license activation on staging site and preventing automatic translation credits usage
This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: The client needed guidance on activating WPML on a staging site without affecting the live site's license and ensuring that automatic translation credits are not used. Additionally, the client sought advice on managing translations to ensure future changes could be made easily without retranslating unchanged content. Solution: We advised the client to generate a new site key from their WPML.org account and register the staging site with this key, ensuring it does not affect the live site's license. To prevent the use of automatic translation credits on the staging site, we recommended ensuring that no credits are assigned to that site and that automatic translation is disabled. For the translation workflow, we suggested using the WordPress Editor for manual translations and provided a link to the relevant documentation: https://wpml.org/documentation/translating-your-contents/using-different-translation-editors-for-different-pages/. This method allows the client to manually add translations and ensures that only the modified segments need updating if the original content changes. We also clarified that using the WPML Translation Editor is beneficial for tracking changes and only updating the modified parts, whereas manual translation requires updating the entire content manually if changes are made.
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Hello,
I have a live site already running with WPML, and I am building a new version on a staging site under a different domain
I need to know the correct workflow to activate WPML on the staging site without affecting the active live site license. I also want to ensure that the developers working on staging do not use any automatic translation credits.
Could you please confirm:
how to register/activate WPML on staging,
whether this can be done without impacting the production site,
and how to fully prevent automatic translation credits from being consumed on staging?
Thank you.
since I dint get any answer I add some extra info.
Today when I change a text in my primary language the wppml ask me to update the other language version.
I need to upload all the content in Spanish (main language) and then all content in English (translation). The translations I will do them outside the plugin; I need than once the site is operative all the translations are 100% complete, and only reappears as needing a new translation when the original is edited.
So please in addition to the original workflow please specify how to accomplish this
You can safely activate WPML on your staging site without affecting the license on the live site. Simply generate a new site key in your WPML.org account under Sites, add the staging domain, and register WPML on the staging site using that key.
To ensure no automatic translation credits are used on staging, just make sure that no credits are assigned to that site and that automatic translation is not enabled.
Regarding your workflow, since you plan to translate content outside of WPML, the best option is to use the WordPress Editor for translations. Edit the page and from sidebar set to use WordPress editor:
Your workflow would then be:
Create and publish content in Spanish, then click the + icon to create the English version and add the translation manually. If the Spanish content is edited later, WPML will mark the English version as needing an update.
If you mix the translation method for example use WPML editor but add content manually to 2nd page then all the manual updates will be overwritten.
I just got your answer accusing wpml site. I have had this problem in the past and a colleague of you told me it was solved; it seems it didn't; which is that I don't get the email notification about your answering my ticket. I'd appreciate a definitive solution
What I want is to upload the translations and make the site operative, but I most definitely need that if in the future I need to change something I can change it.
Lets make a practical example so you can tell me how to deal with it. In Spanish I have a portfolio entry with a description of a header and then 4 paragraphs, so I need in English the same structure. The workflow must warrant that in the future I want to change paragraph 3 I only have to translate that paragraph, or event better, if I change one word in the middle of the sentence that the plugin request me to translate that, I DO NOT want a workflow in which I have to re translate the title and all the paragraphs regardless they remained untouched.
Thanks in advance
Regarding the email notification issue, could you please confirm that the email address associated with your WPML.org account is correct info@n-o-a.net?
If everything looks correct, we can open a separate ticket and investigate this further with our systems team, as notifications should normally be sent when there is a reply on your ticket.
As for the translation workflow, I think the confusion comes from mixing two different translation methods.
If you want a workflow where only the changed content needs to be translated (for example you change only one paragraph or even one word), then you can use the WPML Translation Editor. With this method WPML tracks changes in the original content and only marks the modified segments as needing an update. This means you do not need to translate everything again.
However, if you use the manual translation method described in the documentation you shared, then the pages are edited independently in each language. In that case WPML does not track which individual fields or sentences changed, and you would manually update the translated page yourself by switching language and editing the content.
So in short:
If you want automatic change tracking and only translate updated parts → use the WPML Translation Editor.
If you prefer full manual control and upload translations yourself → use manual translation, but updates must also be handled manually on the translated page.
Both methods will keep the structure of your content (title, paragraphs, etc.), but the “translate only what changed” workflow works specifically with the WPML Translation Editor.
In your case, if you are going to upload translation manually you can not use WPML editor method since WPML will will not recognize your uploaded translation and you will need to translate it all again in WPML editor.
Hi, again the same problem, I only got the notification about the ticket was waiting a reply, but I had no notification of you actual reply on time. The address is ok info@n-o-a.net.
Ok, so method 1) is kind of legacy mode, I have content in Spanish, then I translate to English, no auto linking between translations
Method 2) with the editor, the translations and changes are linked, but in order to work I have to "upload" each translation via the editor, paragraph by paragraph until complete is marked, correct?
If yes, just help me decide the following, from a dev point of view that delivers the work and never access the site again, path 1 seems straightforward and the smart choice, however from the end user it seems path 2 is more useful/sustainable for the future. Is this take-out correct? are there any reasons from the end user not to choose path 2?
Regarding notifications, please make sure you have enabled them at the top of the page to receive replies. At the moment, I don’t see that you are subscribed.
From a long-term and end-user perspective, Method 2 is generally the better and more sustainable choice.
However, there are some cases where Method 1 may be preferred:
- if you need completely different layouts or designs per language
- if the theme or page builder is not fully compatible with WPML
