Multisite support

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

Problem:
The client set up three local sites in a WP Network with subdomains for English, Spanish, and Japanese using WPML on the English site. WPML stopped working, possibly due to a conflict with the network subsite paths.
Solution:
We confirmed that WPML is compatible with multisite installations. Each subsite in a network should be treated as a separate WPML installation. The correct setup should follow these URL formats:

domain.com/subsite-1/ja/

domain.com/subsite-1/es/

domain.com/subsite-1/ja/

domain.com/subsite-1/es/

domain.com/subsite-2/ja/

domain.com/subsite-2/es/

domain.com/subsite-3/ja/

domain.com/subsite-3/es/

It is important not to combine and treat three subsites as one single WPML installation. For further guidance, refer to our documentation on multisite support.

If this solution does not resolve your issue or seems outdated, please check related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verify the version of the permanent fix, and confirm that you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. We highly recommend opening a new support ticket if the problem persists.

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Tagged: Documentation request

This topic contains 3 replies, has 0 voices.

Last updated by Andrey 1 week, 2 days ago.

Assisted by: Andrey.

Author	Posts
March 18, 2025 at 3:18 am #16827702
ralfK-2	Background of the issue: I followed your documentation and set up 3 sites locally, one for English, one for Spanish, and one for Japanese. Each of them is a separate site in WP Network with a subdomain. I set up WPML on the English site. Symptoms: WPML stopped working, and I suspect it's because it's trying to submit to /es/, which is already reserved for a network subsite. Questions: Is your plugin WP multisite compatible in the way described in the documentation where each site can have a different language? Am I missing something in the setup process?
March 19, 2025 at 2:04 pm #16835738
Andrey Supporter Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	Thank you for contacting WPML support. Yes, WPML is compatible with multisite installations. I assume you have followed the documentation at https://wpml.org/documentation/support/multisite-support/. One subsite in the network is a separate WPML installation. Therefore, you need to follow these formats: 1) domain.com/subsite-1/ja/ domain.com/subsite-1/es/ 2) domain.com/subsite-1/ja/ domain.com/subsite-1/es/ domain.com/subsite-2/ja/ domain.com/subsite-2/es/ domain.com/subsite-3/ja/ domain.com/subsite-3/es/ It is not possible to combine and treat three subsites as one single WPML installation.
March 19, 2025 at 7:28 pm #16837002
ralfK-2	Right then your docs is misleading. This part: domain.com/subsite-1/fr/ domain.com/subsite-1/es/ domain.com/subsite-2/de/ Suggests you can have 3rd language on another subsite. It should probably be super clear in docs that it's not possible.
March 20, 2025 at 1:29 pm #16840176
Andrey Supporter Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	I appreciate your observation. I will clarify this with our team. Thank you for bringing this issue to my attention.