Slug translations never save and editor doesn't give option to translate, despite correct settings

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

Problem:
The client is unable to manually translate slugs in WordPress using WPML. Specifically, changes to slugs in the Classic Editor revert to the translated title after saving, and the WPML Translation Editor does not show the slug as a translation option for posts that have already been translated.
Solution:
First, ensure that all plugins, especially WPML, are updated to the latest versions. The issue might be occurring due to outdated plugins. If the problem persists after updating:
1. For new content, ensure the WPML setting is on 'Translate' to include the slug in the translation. This setting should allow manual slug translation when creating new translations.
2. For existing content, change the title in the original language, save it, then open the WPML Translation Editor and manually translate the slug.
3. If the slug still does not save correctly, it might be necessary to check the specific characters used in the slug, as some might not be supported or could be causing issues.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, or if the solution seems outdated or irrelevant to your specific case, please visit the WPML support forum to open a new support ticket. We also 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.

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Tagged: ATE, Bug

This topic contains 23 replies, has 0 voices.

Last updated by Andreas W. 2 weeks, 1 day ago.

Assisted by: Andreas W..

Author	Posts
April 30, 2025 at 8:28 pm #16985232
barjD-2	<b>Background of the issue: </b> I am trying to translate slugs manually in WordPress using WPML. I want to change the characters in the slug manually in the Classic Editor and have the option to translate the slug in the WPML Translation Editor. I have set the WPML settings to "Translate (this will include the slug in the translation and not create it automatically from the title)". I followed these instructions: https://wpml.org/documentation/getting-started-guide/translating-page-slugs/#translate-page-post-url-slug. This works for any untranslated posts where I click on a "+" sign to create a new translation in the translation editor. However it does not work for posts that have already been translated. ALSO: it does not accept all translation characters in the slug, and changes the words completely. You can see a screencast of the issue here hidden link <b>Symptoms: </b> The slug does not appear as a translation option in the WPML Translation Editor. And, in the classic editor, any changes I make to the slug reverts back to the translated title, even after saving the post and saving the correct WPML setting. <b>Questions: </b> Why does the slug not appear as a translation option in the WPML Translation Editor? Why do changes to the slug revert back to the translated title despite saving the correct settings?
May 3, 2025 at 3:44 am #16991337
Andreas W. WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)	Hello, When changing an option it will usually take effect on newly created pages or posts. For existing pages or posts you need to make sure to edit and save the original content or title of the page before sending it again to translation. Please let me know in case this will not solve this issue. Best regards Andreas
May 5, 2025 at 11:02 pm #16998638
barjD-2	Hello, I tried the following: Go to post in original language (English). Delete a character in the English post title. Click to Save the English post. Put the character back into the title of the English post. Click to Save the English post. Click to edit the Punjabi (second language) while ensuring that WPML Translation Editor is selected. Edit translation segment for the post slug, ensuring it is different from the post title. Click to save the segment. Click to "Complete" the translation (it shows 100% complete) The post slug translation saved correctly in the WPML Translation Editor and a success message appears. Clicking to "Complete Translation" automatically, quickly takes me back to the English version of the page (original language). If I then navigate to the translated (Punjabi) post, the post is still taking the title of the post as its slug. If I navigate back to the WPML Translation editor, it shows the Punjabi slug is fully translated, and is correct. However, the post itself does not use the translated slug. Visiting the front end of the translated (Punjabi) post shows the 'wrong' slug in the URL (which is the title of the post). How can we get the post itself to use the translated slug, which is now successfully saved in the WPML Translation Editor? Please see screenshots to demonstrate the issue.
May 6, 2025 at 11:57 pm #17003917
Andreas W. WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)	Hello, I would like to request temporary access (wp-admin and FTP) to the website to investigate the issue further. You can find the required fields below the comments section when you log in to leave the next reply. The information you provide is private, meaning only you and I can see and access it. IMPORTANT Please be sure to back up your website and database before granting us access. If you can't see the "wp-admin / FTP" fields, your post and website credentials will be set to "PUBLIC." DO NOT publish the data unless you see the required wp-admin / FTP fields. I may need to install a plugin called "All In One WP Migration" to create a copy of the website so I can investigate the issue further. However, I would also be very grateful if you could provide a staging site or a copy of the website from your server for this purpose. If you have any questions about creating such a staging site, you can consult your hosting provider. Please note that WPML must also be registered on this staging site at https://wpml.org/account/websites/. If you are unable to provide such a copy of the website for testing, please let me know on this ticket. The private reply form looks like this: hidden link Click "I still need assistance" the next time you reply. Video: hidden link Please note that we are required to request this information individually on each ticket. We are not permitted to access any credentials that were not specifically submitted on this ticket using the private response form. Best regards, Andreas
May 7, 2025 at 3:04 pm #17007372
Andreas W. WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)	I was able to recreate the issue on a new test site and it seems only to occur when the Genesis Theme is used. I will need some more time for testing and will then get back to you.
May 7, 2025 at 11:50 pm #17009145
Andreas W. WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)	My apologies, but am having issues with recreating the issue and I can sadly no longer log into your website. Could you please give a try to recreate the issue on this test site? One-Click-Login: hidden link
May 8, 2025 at 1:12 am #17009324
barjD-2	Hello, This site has no formatting on it. On the back end I am getting the message: "Please Activate a Genesis Child Theme: We've noticed you are using the Genesis Framework parent theme alone. We strongly recommend you run a Genesis child theme with it (we even have a free theme you can use). For more information, see our article at hidden link" None of the content is there as it is on my site. Nothing has changed with the development site. However, I did delete the WPML registration key because I was having trouble activating on it on our live site. I am not sure if this would have affected your login credentials on the development site I set up for you, which was a copy of the site I was working on.
May 8, 2025 at 1:21 am #17009333
barjD-2	I had given the same access to our site to another supporter per this thread: https://wpml.org/forums/topic/wp-post-query-blocks-read-more-text-is-not-translatable-in-advanced-translation-editor-doesn/ The other supporter was notified that you would be accessing the site too. I am not sure if perhaps that other person changed the login details? Since I can't see existing password for the WP login, I can't check to see if the password was changed. I can only reset it. But I am worried if I do that, then the other supporter won't be able to access it. Should we ask if it was changed?
May 9, 2025 at 4:14 am #17014353
Andreas W. WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)	I ran another test on your staging site. It seems WPML will only translate the slug when translated for the first time and after that the slug is no longer altered. The issue persists on your staging site testing only with your Child Theme and WPML. I can not confirm such behavior on a new test site running only WPML. --- I will keep trying to recreate this issue using the Genesis Theme and contact you again once I am done with this task.
May 10, 2025 at 2:58 am #17018366
Andreas W. WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)	This issue only appears to occur when using Punjabi letters inside the URL. I can confirm this in a minimal setup testing only with WPML. It further seems to be an issue, that only occurs if you use the Advanced Translation Editor. Using the Classic Translation Editor the slug translation will work. I have escalated this issue to the ATE Team and I will keep you updated once I receive their feedback.
September 4, 2025 at 7:54 am #17373475
Andreas W. WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)	Hello, My apologies for the huge delay in getting back to you in regards to the reported issue, but somehow I lost track of this escalated ticket. Based on Second Tier Support and our developers, we were able to confirm an issue initially, but editing the original slug and then updating the translations solved the issue on all our tests. Could you please give this a try and confirm if you still need assistance on this matter? Best regards Andreas
September 9, 2025 at 4:23 am #17385356
barjD-2	Hello, could you confirm that your tests worked with: A Genesis theme, with an active Genesis child theme Punjabi characters in the slug When using the Advanced Translation Editor Thank you
September 9, 2025 at 3:15 pm #17387742
Andreas W. WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)	One of our developers tested this on: hidden link
September 16, 2025 at 10:58 pm #17407916
barjD-2	This is not working for me on all posts, only some. The slug appears translated at first, but either immediately, upon refreshing, or after a few minutes, it goes back to take the title as the slug, and not the translation. This happens even after using the WPML translation editor and getting the success message that the translation is "saved and complete" This post does not seem to save the new slug: hidden link This post did save the new slug: hidden link The slug appears translated in the WPML Translation editor (ATE). However, on the front end and in the classic editor, the slug is not translated using the desired characters. It defaults to the page title. I have attempted deleting a character in the title of the translated page, changing the slug and clicking save. This does not change anything. The translated slug will not appear.
September 17, 2025 at 1:28 am #17408030
Andreas W. WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)	Could you please provide me again with admin access, so that I can take another look at the issue? The private reply is enabled again.