Home›Support›English Support›[Resolved] When I finished modifying the Strings, the translation result on the webpage was reversed.
[Resolved] When I finished modifying the Strings, the translation result on the webpage was reversed.
This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: The client was trying to translate the footer content from Chinese to English using WPML, but after correcting the source and target language settings in Strings, the page did not update. Solution: We recommended the following steps to resolve the issue: 1. Delete the existing widget translation from WPML >> String Translation page. 2. Add the following XML in WPML >> Settings > Custom XML Configuration section:
3. Re-save the Widgets from Appearance >> Widgets page. 4. Go to the WPML >> String Translation page, search for the widget strings, add the translation, and it should now show the correct translation at the frontend. Additionally, ensure to choose the default language using the admin language switcher when editing the widgets from the Appearance >> Widgets page.
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Background of the issue:
I am trying to translate the content in the footer of my site from Chinese to English using WPML. Initially, the original language setting was incorrect, causing the footer to be translated into English when I switched to the Chinese webpage, and vice versa. I have since corrected the source and target language settings in Strings.
Symptoms:
After correctly setting the source and target languages in Strings, my page did not update.
Questions:
Why is the page not updating after correcting the language settings in Strings?
How can I ensure the footer content is translated correctly from Chinese to English?
Thank you for contacting WPML Support. Sorry for the delay due to high workload and the reply time will be shorter from now. To take a closer look at footer translation issue, please provide temporary access (WP-Admin and FTP Login info) to your site (preferably staging site), so that I can look into your setup and debug the issue.
Your next answer will be private, meaning only you and I can access it.
=== Please backup your database and website ===
✙ I would additionally need your permission to deactivate and reactivate Plugins and the Theme and to change configurations on the site. This is also a reason the backup is essential.
May I know the current progress in resolving the issue?
I’m not trying to rush; I’m simply concerned about the current status.
Could you also let me know what caused the problem and how it can be resolved?
Is there anything I can learn to prevent similar issues in the future and fix them myself if they occur?
Additionally, I checked the backend settings. How can I configure the backend to display all languages?
This would allow me to view the translation progress directly without switching languages when adding new pages.
Thanks for providing backend access to your site. I’m currently debugging the issue and will get back to you with an update soon.
Regarding your question about displaying all languages in the backend, WPML doesn’t have a built-in feature to keep the "All languages" option selected when switching backend pages. By default, pages open in the site’s default language, but you can manually switch to a different language or "All languages" using the admin language switcher.
I appreciate your cooperation and patience. I’ll update you as soon as I have more details.
I’ve tried to update the Widget strings from Appearance >> Widgets page but they were not reflecting at frontend, so I followed the below steps:
1. Deleted the existing widget translation from WPML >> String Translation page.
2. Added the below XML in WPML >> Settings > Custom XML Configuration section:
3. Re-saved the Widgets from Appearance >> Widgets page.
4. Went to the WPML >> String Translation page, searched for the widget strings, added translation, and now it shows correct translation at frontend.
To avoid this type of issue in future, please make sure to choose the default language using the admin language switcher when you edit the widgets from Appearance >> Widgets page as you can see in the attached screenshot.
Please let me know if this resolves the issue or if you need further assistance with this issue.
Thank you very much to Noman’s technical support! The issue has been resolved!
However, I still have a question.
When I switch the admin language to English, the preview of the first widget I see in Appearance >> Widgets seems incorrect, and when I click on the widget to edit it, the content’s language is still in Chinese. The previews of the other three widgets are in English, but when clicked, the content still shows in Chinese.
In this situation, should I proceed with translation in String Translation? I understand that sometimes the WordPress backend preview doesn’t display the correct information.
To ensure smooth translation during future updates, I would like to ask a more detailed question regarding the steps you provided:
In the future, if I want to change the content of the widgets, should I first make the changes in Chinese (setting the admin language to Chinese), then go to WPML >> String Translation for English translation?
Is this approach more accurate than translating directly in Appearance >> Widgets?
1. Updating the default (Chinese) language widget content::
- Go to the Appearance >> Widgets page
- Make sure the default (Chinese) language is selected from the admin language switcher.
- Update the content and press the save button.
2. Updating the widget translation:
- Go to the WPML >> String Translation page.
- Search for your widget strings.
- Add/Update the translation.
Let me know if this resolves your concern or if you need further assistance.
