Background of the issue:
I am trying to make the content visible after uploading translations using WebToffee. I have been using the troubleshooting options recommended by the WPML support team, but it desyncs the existing translations. I suspect there might be compatibility issues with my theme.
Symptoms:
The sync for tables breaks randomly, making some attributes not visible. Examples include: /en/tv-franko-32-81cm-ftv-32sh1300-android-hd/ and /televizori-lg-50-126cm-50ut81009lb-adkg-4k-uhd/.
Questions:
Do you have any recommendations I can follow to fix the desynchronization issue?
Are there known compatibility issues between WPML and my theme?
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You wrote: "The sync for tables breaks randomly, making some attributes not visible. Examples include: /en/tv-franko-32-81cm-ftv-32sh1300-android-hd/ and /televizori-lg-50-126cm-50ut81009lb-adkg-4k-uhd/."
I've just checked this product: hidden link. Please see the attached screenshot, tv-franko-32-81cm-ftv-32sh1300-android-hd.jpg. Please explain to me what is not syncing, because I'm unsure if I'm seeing this problem.
You also wrote: "Another very strange behavior is it creates double values in the translated language, along with the values from the original language:
/en/apple-iphone-16-pro-max-256gb-black-titanium-2/
this is all over the place, and it happens later, not immediately after uploading and only on global attributes."
I can see this problem when I visit the product page: hidden link. Also, when I edit the English product with the WordPress editor, I can see that it is doubled. Please see the attached screenshot, doubled-attributes.jpg.
Additionally, you wrote: "I have been using the troubleshooting options recommended by the WPML support team, but it desyncs the existing translations."
Can you please tell me which troubleshooting options you have been using?
Have you tried the WooCommerce Multilingual & Multicurrency troubleshooting section here? hidden link
Please also try the WPML's general troubleshooting section.
1. Take a backup of the DB of your site.
2. Go to WPML -> Support -> Troubleshooting (link)
3. Once on the troubleshooting screen, press the following buttons and check if it helps. Press each button at a time and wait for the process to complete.
- 'Synchronize posts taxonomies' for 'Products'
- 'Clear the cache in WPML'
- 'Remove ghost entries from the translation tables'
- 'Fix element_type collation'
- 'Fix WPML tables collation'
- 'Set language information'
- 'Fix terms count'
- 'Fix post type assignment for translations'
- 'Cleanup and optimize string tables'
- 'Clear invalid strings'
*** Please make a backup of your database before using this.***
You also had doubts about whether your theme is compatible. I see something weird about your theme. Is it the Woodmart theme or the Metromart theme? Please see the video I recorded.
The desynchronization has solved by itself without any actions from my side, but it took a day. To reproduce it, please change a single global attribute in any product in main language, then check the translation.
Regarding the double attributes, first when you import a translation with Webtoffee, everything is fine, the attributes are not doubled. A while later (several hours) doubling start to appear. Does it have something to do with WPML>Settings>Post Types Translation>"Translatable
use translation if available or fallback to default language" option?
Regarding troubleshooting. No, I haven't tried the one in Woocommerce, thank you for the hint. It looks like something I need, I will try it out. I indeed used the general troubleshooting in WMPL>Support: the previous recommendation from WPML's team is attached. There is no visible option to "'Clear invalid strings'" in there. There is only "Check for string issues" in the bottom of the troubleshooting page, and it opens a huge list of "unused or wrong translation data" which is not true. It is acutaly used strings, because I tried deleting them all and many translated strings were gone, and almost instantly got regenerated for further translation. You basically can's go lower than 1k strings there, they are being re-populated faster than you will manage to delete them.
The theme is Woodmart. It lets you white label it and call the child theme whatever you want. No custom modification is done, the option to rename is built-in (theme settings>white label).
I will try out the Woocommerce troubleshooting and get back to you with additional info.
the option: "Products: Synchronize post taxonomies" removed the doubled attributes, but it also cleared some of the attributes that were not doubled.
As an example, please see:
/en/tv-philips-42-106cm-42oled818-12-android-4k-uhd/
/televizori-philips-42-106cm-42oled818-12-android-4k-uhd/
It's definitely CRON, but nothing except WMPL is triggering that. The improper fix from the general troubleshooter confirms that. I am wondering if that happens because of the "WPML>Settings>Post Types Translation>Translatable
use translation if available or fallback to default language" option is enabled for the attributes.
If you are also unsure, I will switch that to "Translatable
only show translated items" and wait for the CRON to fill in the missing data.
I am also attaching a screenshot of missing attribute values on the products page after running the products troubleshooter, in case it is modified by the CRON job before you have a chance to see it.
As I told you in the previous message you can reproduce it by changing a single global attribute in any product in main language and then checking the translation.
I confirm I can see missing attributes on the English translation of this product: hidden link.
You wrote:
I am wondering if that happens because of the "WPML>Settings>Post Types Translation>Translatable
use translation if available or fallback to default language" option is enabled for the attributes.
If you are also unsure, I will switch that to "Translatable
only show translated items" and wait for the CRON to fill in the missing data.
Yes, please switch to "Translatable only show translated items" and ensure that products and attributes are translated. The following guide may help you understand those different options.
If that doesn't help, let's proceed with the following.
We suspect a collision with the theme or another plugin might cause this problem. If possible, set up your site in a minimal environment by switching to a default WordPress theme, such as TwentyTwenty-Four, and activating only WPML and WooCommerce.
First, check if the problem persists when only the theme is switched to TwentyTwenty-Four (for example). If the issue persists, deactivate all plugins EXCEPT WPML and its add-ons, as well as WooCommerce, but without any extensions. Then, please check if the problem persists. If the issue persists, start by activating the plugins individually and check when the issue returns. Then, report to me which plugin was the culprit. (By reviewing the list of plugins you are using, I suspect the Product Utilities Suite plugin to be the culprit.)
**** Important! Please make a full site backup (files and DB) before you proceed with those steps****
*** If your site is live, you might want to try those procedures in a staging environment or a snapshot of your site on your local server or another server. ***
Below are my findings based on exploring the options:
1. WPML Woocommerce troubleshooting doesn't fix anything at all for me.
2. WPML general troubleshooter fixes the duplication of attributes
3. WPML general troubleshooter causes the imported (using Webtoffee) translations for "Global attributes" to disappear.
I think there is no collision between the theme or any other plugin. The issue is that WPML translation via e.ATE and via importing exist in two different "realms". eATE translation is stable, while imported values for global attributes tend to break once a small thing is changed.
I will try to manage that, by eventually translating the text values in taxonomies using the taxonomy translation. But there are a couple of questions I would still like to address, if you don't mind:
Question 1:
In WPML > Settings > Taxonomies Translation > [attributes] there are 3 options:
1. Translatable only show translated items
2. Translatable use translation if available or fallback to default language
3. Not translatable
The most preferred for me is the 2nd (fallback), but after the troubleshooter is run, untranslated values are becoming blank, even for numeric values, which doesn't feel right. Why do you think it happens and is there a way to force apply the fallback option.
Question 2:
While using e.ATE I am being prompted to translate the same fields over and over again. Doesn't it supposed to save translations to offer values before I approve them?
