This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: If you're experiencing an error every time you try to activate WPML, it might be due to a compatibility issue with another plugin on your site. Solution: We recommend deactivating the "Share Buttons by AddThis" plugin and then trying to activate WPML again. This plugin is known to cause issues with WPML as it is not currently listed in our compatible plugins directory. If deactivating the plugin resolves the issue, you might consider contacting the plugin's author to encourage them to join our Go Global program where we help developers make their plugins compatible with WPML. You can find more information about this program here: https://wpml.org/documentation/support/go-global-program/
If this solution does not resolve your issue or seems irrelevant due to being outdated or not applicable to your case, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent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 problems persist, please open a new support ticket with us for further assistance.
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Background of the issue:
I am trying to activate WPML, but every time I do, there is an error. We bought a next level package from our web hotel provider, but it didn’t help.
Symptoms:
There is an error every time I try to activate WPML.
Questions:
What could be causing the error when I activate WPML?
Why didn't upgrading our web hotel package resolve the issue?
Thank you for contacting WPML support, I’m happy to help you with this issue.
There could be a fatal error when activating WPML plugin on your site. Please enable WP debug mode, re-activate WPML, check if there are some error messages in the debug file and share them with me so I can take a look at it, and determine where to go from there.
If you don't know how to enable WP debug, please follow this documentation https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/debug/debug-wordpress/
It looks like the PHP error log, not WP debug log. And according to the log, I see it is related to the server access permission rather than WPML.
I suggest you contact your hosting support and ask for more information regarding the PHP error log.
If it still doesn't help, I would like to request temporary access (wp-admin and FTP) to your site to take a better look at the issue. It would be better to have a testing site where the issue is replicated. Your next reply is set to private to share the info.
❌ IMPORTANT: Please backup your database and website before proceeding ❌
You can use this plugin to create the backup: https://wordpress.org/plugins/duplicator/
✙ I would need your permission to de-activate and re-activate Plugins and the Theme to change configurations on the site if needed. This is also a reason the backup is critical.
After restoring your site on my local host, I don't see any issues after activating WPML plugin. On your site, after activating WPML, the translation page in the frontend is working properly. Please check the attached screenshot. However, the admin area doesn't work. Can you please share the FTP account also? Your next reply is set to private to share the info.
There is a compatibility issue with the plugin "Share Buttons by AddThis", if this plugin is deactivated, WPML can work properly on your site in both admin area and frontend.
The plugin "Share Buttons by AddThis" is not available in our list of compatible plugins (https://wpml.org/plugin/), I suggest you contact the plugin author and ask them to join our Go Global program where our Compatibility developers will help them to make their product compatible with WPML. https://wpml.org/documentation/support/go-global-program/
