Issue with ACF Repeater Translation Sync in WPML with Classic Editor

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

Problem:
You are experiencing issues with WPML and ACF repeater fields in a multilingual setup using WordPress Classic Editor. Specifically, when you delete a row or change the order of rows in the default language, the translated versions become misaligned. You are looking for a way to prevent repeater row shifting/desync when editing the default language, maintain translation support only for one subfield while keeping other fields copied or fixed, and avoid full manual reordering and re-entry across all languages.
Solution:
This issue is related to a known problem currently under investigation by our developers. You can find more details here: https://wpml.org/errata/advanced-custom-fields-multilingual-reordering-repeater-fields-makes-the-translations-unsynchronised/
When using the WordPress Editor to create translations, ensure all ACF Fields are set to "Copy once". This setting ensures that fields are only copied once and then become editable in the translated content. Additionally, set "ACF Field Groups" at WPML > Settings > Post Type Translation to "Not translatable". More details on setting up ACF fields with WPML can be found here: https://wpml.org/documentation/related-projects/translate-sites-built-with-acf/recommended-custom-fields-translation-preferences-for-acf-and-wpml/

If this solution does not apply to your case, or if it seems outdated, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have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 issues persist, please open a new support ticket at our support forum.

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Tagged: Known issue

This topic contains 3 replies, has 0 voices.

Last updated by Andreas W. 1 month ago.

Assisted by: Andreas W..

Author	Posts
May 10, 2025 at 7:06 am #17018532
Vedran	Background of the issue: I am experiencing a recurring issue with WPML and ACF repeater fields in a multilingual setup using WordPress Classic Editor. My setup includes WPML Multilingual CMS with 8 active languages, ACF Pro with a repeater field named 'location', and Advanced Custom Fields Multilingual. The repeater is used within a custom post type 'see_and_do', and each row represents a physical location. The repeater has 9 subfields, most set to Copy, except 'additional_info' which is set to Translate. I want to maintain sync between the default language and translations without breaking translations when rows are changed in number or order. Link to a page where the issue can be seen: hidden link Symptoms: When I delete a row or change the order of rows in the default language (Croatian), the translated versions become misaligned. Content from 'additional_info' in row 9 appears in row 8, row 8 moves to row 7, and so on, making the translations unusable. Questions: How can I prevent repeater row shifting/desync when editing the default language? How can I maintain translation support only for one subfield (additional_info), while keeping other fields copied or fixed? How can I avoid full manual reordering and re-entry across all languages? Are there any best practices or upcoming fixes for repeater sync with Classic Editor?
May 10, 2025 at 2:50 pm #17019168
Andreas W. WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)	Hello, This seems to be related to the following known issue for which our developers are still working on a solution: https://wpml.org/errata/advanced-custom-fields-multilingual-reordering-repeater-fields-makes-the-translations-unsynchronised/ --- If you use the WordPress Editor to create the translation, the fields should be set to "Copy once". Alternatively, you can use the field group setting "Different fields across languages" which will set up all the fields automatically. Also, please make sure to set "ACF Field Groups" at WPML > Settings > Post Type Translation to "Not translatable". Best regards Andreas
May 13, 2025 at 8:09 am #17025782
Vedran	Hello, do you mean the field marked as 'TRANSLATE' to be set as 'COPY ONCE' or all fields to be set as 'COPY ONCE'? The fields marked as 'COPY' work for me, their content is correct. How should the Repater itself be set? Will the changes I make according to your instructions keep the content I've already entered correct? I have hundreds of entries in those repeaters! Best regards Vedran
May 13, 2025 at 1:07 pm #17027823
Andreas W. WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)	When using the WordPress Editor for translating the ACF Fields, all fields should be set to "Copy once". This way the fields are only copied once and after that are editable on the translated content. Setting the field to "Translate" will only have the effect that they will appear on the WPML Translation Editor. There is no use case for setting fields to "Translate" when using the WordPress Editor. Setting these fields to "Copy" would copy the original value each time you create a translation. More details: https://wpml.org/documentation/related-projects/translate-sites-built-with-acf/recommended-custom-fields-translation-preferences-for-acf-and-wpml/