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Elementor users - please update WPML to the latest version to maintain compatibility. More details here - https://wpml.org/changelog/2024/12/wpml-4-6-15-critical-update-for-elementor-sites/
Background of the issue:
I recently purchased WPML three days ago, and I find it to be an excellent tool. I am currently utilizing the Themerex theme for my WordPress website. I have begun the process of translating my website. Although the theme is originally in English, I have set the default language to Arabic, which necessitates that all content is displayed from right to left (RTL). With WPML, I intend to incorporate both Syriac and English languages. At present, I have successfully added the Syriac language ( RTL language same as Arabic), which is also expected to follow the right-to-left format, similar to Arabic
Symptoms:
upon translating my content, the direction has unexpectedly flipped, and it is now displaying from left to right (LTR). I navigated to my dashboard and accessed. I navigated to my dashboard and accessed Settings > General > site default language. it says "When WPML is activated, the site language should be changed in the WPML Site Languages section." I am uncertain about the steps to take in order to resolve this issue.
Questions:
How can I ensure that the Syriac language displays in RTL format?
What steps should I take in the WPML Site Languages section to resolve the language direction issue?
Thanks for contacting WPML forums support. First of all, sorry for the late reply; it was due to a higher workload.
Before your ticket is assigned to one of my colleagues, please allow me to walk you through some initial debugging steps. This will help speed up the support process.
WPML doesn't create separate CSS files for each language. It just uses the theme files.
In order to fix the issue, you might need to create a custom CSS file for the Syriac language.
Also, please try the following steps:
1- Go to WPML-> Languages-> Edit Languages
2- Map the Syriac as the closest RTL language
3- Click Save
4- Clear your site's cache
5- Check the Syriac home page on the front end
Something else i want to add. WPML creates duplicates of the pages or posts that I translate, allowing me to modify each page in its respective independently without affecting the default. I have the capability to modify the content of the page(ex, homepage); however, I am unable to make changes or adjustments to the header. WPML did not duplicate my header. Each time I select "Edit header," I am redirected back to the Arabic version (Default language of the website). The header should also be duplicated, allowing for adjustments without affecting the others languages. but its not happening.
I am currently using the GraceChurch Theme from ThemeRex.
FYI, I have accessed WPML > Settings > > the "Post Types Translation" making sure "header" is there and its Translatable; however, I was unable to locate it.
Thanks
New threads created by Marcel and linked to this one are listed below:
The RTL direction is not enabled, this must be some sort of setting in WPML and page is translated but no RTL is enabled.
As my colleague Osama mentioned, this behavior is not controlled by WPML. The theme itself manages RTL support. I recommend reaching out to the theme authors to confirm if RTL is supported, as I couldn’t find any information regarding this on their website.
For reference, a theme needs to be specifically prepared for RTL languages as described here: Right-to-Left Language Support.
For your second question, I’ve created a separate ticket.
The theme is supporting with RTL languages. My primary website language is Arabic (RTL), and it functions perfectly( you can check the site by yourself). However, after added the Syriac language using WPML, which also utilizes an RTL direction, the text direction has unexpectedly reversed, resulting in a left-to-right (LTR) display. so the issue with WPML setting/configuration...
As you can see, the output does not include the dir="rtl" attribute. Did you map the custom language to the closest RTL language, as Osama described?
If so, could you please test this in an isolated staging environment with no other plugins active, using the following scenarios:
Create a new page using only your theme, without Elementor.
Create a new page with Elementor enabled.
Are you able to reproduce the issue in both cases? Creating a new page ensures that no specific templates are loaded where the default LTR direction might be enforced instead of RTL. It seems something is not correctly setting the RTL direction.
