Background of the issue:
I have a live WooCommerce store and it has been decided to make it multilingual. I'm using WP All Import and also downloaded WPML Import/Export. All original products and taxonomies are in English and seem to be working correctly. Now, I'm trying to import the translations of the Products' Categories before importing the translated products. Following the guide, I have exported the Products' Categories along with _wpml_import_language_code, _wpml_import_source_language_code, and _wpml_import_translation_group. I have prepared a new file with the translations and set: 1. _wpml_import_language_code with the code of the translated language (el) 2. _wpml_import_source_language_code with the code of the original language (en) 3. _wpml_import_translation_group kept the same code to match the translation group.
Symptoms:
After WP All Import, the translated taxonomies are not related to the original terms but are shown as original with the second language. Running WPML Import/Export seems to execute correctly, but the terms are kept unrelated to the original language. Exporting again shows that all translated taxonomies cleared the _wpml_import_source_language_code and got a different _wpml_import_translation_group.
Questions:
Can you please advise how to import in bulk taxonomies for a store where there is already a default language?
As I've mentioned, it's a live website where I added WPML on a later stage. I have completed the required setup and all the content is in English (confirmed).
Now, I'm trying to translate products' taxonomies. You mention that I need a separate Unique Identifier column only for WPML. In my case the terms are already inserted. So if i want to use WP All Import, you may understand I have to match it with an already existing Unique Identifier, Term ID from WordPress DB in this case. I'm writing this as the other supporter here mentioned i HAVE to use a different identifier, but didn't give me a solution on how to match the existing original taxonomies... 🙂
For the video you requested, and based on the second guide you mentioned, I have created a NEW default language import (English), which updates one term of the taxonomy (line 2). Then, I have created a NEW second language translation (Greek), to insert line 2. You can see the result in the UI (last page), where the new term is created independently, and set as default language as Greek.
It looks good and it should work, can you try it next:
- Disable WPML Export and Import
- For unique identifiers use WPML translation group ID/field, not term ID.
The thing is you can not use import to match already existing taxonomies on your website, they also need to be imported first in the default language, then in 2nd language for WPML to use the same unique identifier for both and match them. That is how this process works, you can not use this method for already existing content/taxonomies on your website.
Please try as suggested for new not existing content and let me know how it goes.
OK, for now I will keep all original content and add a new taxonomy as suggested. I'll revert in a couple of hours.
Nevertheless, the problem stands, where it's almost impossible to delete the original content to import it again, as this will break categories, links, etc.
I understand, but it is not possible to import 2nd language content if the default content was not imported also, that is not how it works. In your case if you are importing taxonomy, they also need to be imported first in the default language.
As it says in our docs: Because WP All Import relies on the unique identifier to connect translated posts with their corresponding default language post, you cannot upload the secondary language file to add translations to pre-existing default language content. If you do this, WP All Import will not know which posts the translations belong to.
Unfortunately it's a big setback in case a client needs multilanguage functionality after the initial go live.... Makes the process pretty difficult and breakes any possible SEO scoring due to potential changes in the original slugs.
Anyway, in order to test your methodology, I have made a staging website. By deleting all taxonomies and products, and reimporting them with a new unique identifier, does the job.
Now it's time for the products. The products include several data, and I'm worried of the following:
1. How to match their relevant taxonomies with the (separately) imported and translated products?
2. How to match custom attributes that are not a taxonomy? Example barcodes.
For both the above mentioned points, I understand that I will first import the default language of the products. Which for that part:
a. for the taxonomies there isn't a clear explanation in the documentation how to match it. For each product, I have an hierarchy by name only.
For the second import (translation),
a. Should I keep the taxonomies empty or I should match it with the translated taxonomies? If yes, this is twice the job, since I have already matched the taxonomies in the separated imports above.
b. For the custom attributes, if I upload only the default translation, will it show automatically in the translated content? As an example the barcode?
1) As our docs say all the taxonomies including category, attribute and etc should already be existing, so created and translated before any post/product import.
You do the import as you would normally do with WP All import, adding relevant information to taxonomy fields, in both languages.
a) You should do complete import as you did in the default language, so you should add that information in your import template, in both languages.
b) Import needs to be complete, so all fields/information added in both languages.
Good morning,
as you suggested I've completed the import with full info.
Seems that there's a problem with translated products, specifically with taxonomies when the sidebar's widget is loaded. The hierarchy of the translated products is not kept. Nevertheless I can confirm in the backoffice that hierarchies are properly translated and synced.
Maybe I should send a link to login into the backoffice?
Thanks,
Chris
I am not sure what do you mean by taxonomies in sidebar? Can you share URL where I can see this?
Have you tried to sync them from WooCommerce > WooCommerce Multilingual > Categories and once done, click on the "Synchronize Categories" button to sync.
If you navigate to the Shop page, or any product category in the front end, you can see that:
1. The Category widget on the left sidebar is mismatched between the two languages.
2. The Brand widget on the left sidebar is not shown for the translated content.
All taxonomies and attributes are matched, synced and hierarchized correctly.
The link has been sent in the aforementioned private reply above.
