Have to retranslate site because WPML isn't working and I want complimentary credits

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

Problem:
After moving the site to a public domain and updating WPML settings to ignore the old domain, the client found that not all links were automatically updated to the new domain. Some links still displayed untranslated slugs, and using the Translate Link Targets tool did not resolve the issue. The client also faced a high consumption of translation credits.
Solution:
If you're experiencing similar issues with untranslated slugs after a domain change, we recommend manually editing the slugs in your second language. You can do this by accessing the page settings in your WPML editor and adjusting the slug directly. Additionally, avoid overwriting automatic translations as this can lead to unnecessary credit charges. Instead, use the translation memory to re-translate only the necessary parts, such as the slugs. To manage this, switch to 'Translate some' mode from WPML > Settings, cancel any unnecessary jobs from WPML > Translation Management > Jobs, and then proceed to adjust the slugs either in the WPML editor or manually.

Please note that this solution might be outdated or not applicable to your specific case. If these steps do not resolve your issue, 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 the problem persists, please open a new support ticket at WPML support forum for further assistance.

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Tagged: ATE

This topic contains 2 replies, has 1 voice.

Last updated by Dražen 1 week, 4 days ago.

Assisted by: Dražen.

Author	Posts
January 17, 2025 at 12:07 pm #16605956
chazE	Background of the issue: I just moved the site to the public domain last night, afterward WPML asked about the domain change and I told it to ignore the old site on the old domain and continue translating on this domain. It said it would automatically update all the links and of course it didn't. If you look through my tickets you'll see WPML not transferring/translating links to translated pages is a common issue I've had, like many others. Some links updated, many didn't. I can't manually go through the entire site and check hundreds of links. I found that retranslating and overwriting existing translations seemed to fix the issue (partially). This means I have to translate the entire site. And even then, when looking at the few pages it did translate using my last credits, it replaced the domain with the new one, but some of the links are incorrect (e.g. site.com/es/slug-still-in-english). And this has happened before (see other tickets) and I've already wasted A LOT of credits just fixing URLs that didn't translate. And the Translate Link Targets tool is useless, it doesn't do anything. You can see examples of links with the old root here: hidden link (search for "nuestro equipo"). And links with English slugs here: hidden link (search for "resolver disputas laborales"). It's set to translate automatically, all the pages are published, etc. Everything is set up correctly. I've wasted a lot of credits (-> actual money) and a lot of time with fixing stuff caused by WPML not working correctly. To retranslate the remaining content it says I need 285648 more credits. I DO NOT want to pay for that so I would like to get that amount for free. Thank you! Symptoms: WPML isn't updating links correctly after a domain change. Some links updated, many didn't. Some translated pages have incorrect links, such as slugs still in English, other have the old root. Questions: I want complimentary credits to retranslate the site.
January 17, 2025 at 2:17 pm #16606494
chazE	ok, something else happened with WPML in the meantime, i have no idea how or what, it looks like there are no more spanish links pointing to the old domain. they just updated, i have no idea. which is good. but now there are some pages with untranslated slugs, i ran the site through a broken link checker and it looks like there might only be 3 w/ multiple instances across the site (a total of 16 broken links). the issue is just on spanish pages. these are the 3 links which now have english slugs: hidden link is hidden link hidden link is hidden link hidden link is hidden link the automatic translation was already started, it took all my credits and i just need it to finish so it can correct these slugs. it now says it needs 243608 credits. i don't know why it says it needs fewer credits now (i didn't add any).
January 21, 2025 at 8:27 am #16616719
Dražen Supporter Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+01:00)	Hello, thanks for getting back. I am afraid we can not give any free credits since we also pay for them, but we can help with the issue you have and will be always glad to help in our support. If the issue is only with these 3 pages and the slugs, you can simply edit the page in your 2nd language manually and adjust the slug of the page on how you wish or edit the automatic translation and change the translation of slug to what you want. Also, you should not overwrite automatic translation since that will charge for a new translation, while you already have a translation of this page saved in your translation memory. Since I see you still have a translation in ES, I would advise switching to Translate some mode from WPML > Settings, canceling the jobs from WPML > Translation Management > Jobs and then just re-translate slugs inside WPML editor or manually adjusting them in 2nd language. Hope this helps. Regards, Drazen