[Resolved] Which editor should I use to edit a translation after importing it from XLIFF?

I uploaded my XLIFF file, which provides a translation from english to italian for a specific page.

After what, my page is translated, which I can see from the frontend.
The content appears translated.

At least partly, since there are still a couple of segments to translate, as stated from the translation job screen right after uploading the XLIFF file ("In progress").

However, from the ATE, the translation is empty. ALL the segments are basically empty

How comes?

After all the tests and feedback I provided you with, while checking everything I could to make sure I could safely switch to the 5 years old (or so) *new* editor, please don't tell I need to switch back to CTE.

Thanks

Son any external translation process relies on CTE, right?

OK, and is it still fully compatible with all WPML features in 2025?

Because I've already been told it was not the way to go anymore for a while, and that I really, really should move to ATE. Can you please make that clear?

Thank you.

Hi,

Ok, thanks for these details.

To provide you with some context, we built 4 languages, somehow manually, with WPML, during the previous years. We're now willing to rebuild our whole content properly, to furher streamline our translation processes, and be able to add more languages much more efficiently.

Automated Translation is not an option for us, and we need industry-specialized translators. Which we happened to find with a single translation company, which covers the languages we need. So we're willing to work with them.

Unfortunately, they won't work with the ATE for 2 reasons:
- Their translators often need to work offline
- They want to work with their CAT tool, which takes advantage of XLIFF files to simplify many aspects of their work.

So I'm trying to understand what are our choices today.

From what I understand:
- You guys push the Advanced Translation Editor and don't plan it to support XLIFF
- You obviously have no further plan for the Classic Translation Editor, not even to support the already XLIFF v2.0 format
https://wpml.org/forums/topic/xliff-2-0/
// Made public in 2014, and is ISO certified since 2017 - which makes it quite a standard nowadays!).
So, between the lines, I understand that WPML wants to distance itself from the widely used standard XLIFF format.
Am I wrong?

This would leave us with 2 choices:
- Remaining on the Classic Translation Editor, to be able to work with XLIFF (v1.2 or below), and the company of our choice
- Moving to the Advanced Translation Editor, and not being able to work with XLIFF files anymore, and translators who want to work with XLIFF files, with their CAT and internal methods (while based on a standard format).
- I assume it's a very bad idea to think of switching back and forth between both editors versions, isn't it?

Refering to the WPML > Settings > translation editor selector, the functions we miss with the CTE are:
- Glossary Support
- Automatic Translation
- Free automatic translation quota
- Spell Checker
- Safe HTML editing
- Translation Memory

Plus, you guys affirm: "We maintain WPML’s Classic Translation Editor as part of WPML for backward compatibility. You should only use it if you’ve started with the Classic Editor and are concerned about losing the translation history."

Obviously, history is not the only reason.

Are their any other functions we'd miss?
Any performances, compatibilty issues, risk, service discontinuation to expect from remaining with the CTE to work with XLIFF files?

Sorry, that's many questions, but you'll understand it's a important choice for us.

Thanks for providing with accurate answers.

Best regards

OK.

So as to sum it up:

- I must remain with the Classic Translation Editor to be able to work with XLIFF files.

- You don't add features to the CTE anymore, but the features it misses compared to the ATE being oriented to do what others do with XLIFF files with CAT softwares or tools, I shouldn't miss anything

- There's no known issues regarding working XLIFF files with CTE

No discontinuation to expect regarding CTE?

Thanks

Thanks for this addition.

But as explained earlier, these translators work remote, and need to be able to work offline.

On top of that, their CAT tool help them to estimate their work accurately before contracting with the client, and offers job translation specific tools, such as a glossary that help to make their work consistant.

I know that's WPML the ATE offers, but they have their habits, and will stick to it.