Problem:
The client is using Kinsta hosting for their WordPress site and is trying to manage WPML site keys between a staging and live environment. They are concerned that the wp-config.php file, which contains the WPML site key, gets overwritten when pushing changes from staging to live, making the automatic registration method suggested by WPML impractical for their workflow.
Solution:
1. We recommend merging the staging and live sites to share the same translation memory, glossary, and automatic translation credits. This can be done by following the instructions here: Automatic Translation Subscription for Multiple Sites.
2. Register each domain on wpml.org and ensure each has its unique site key.
3. We advise against using a programmatic conditional approach to manage site keys as it could cause issues.
4. Defining the site key in the wp-config.php file for each environment is recommended, but this is only effective if using the OTGS Installer Plugin. More information can be found here: Automatic WPML Registration Using PHP.
5. If the wp-config.php file is overwritten during migration, and it's not possible to exclude the file from the migration process, the client should manually ensure that the correct site key is used after migration by checking under Plugins > Add new > Commercial.
Please note that this solution might be irrelevant if it's outdated or not applicable to your case. If these steps do not resolve your issue, we highly recommend checking related known issues at WPML Known Issues, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. If you still need assistance, please open a new support ticket with us here.
