Background of the issue:
I initially created the site with content in German. After installing and configuring the WPML plugin, my goal was to translate the existing German content into English. The original content was already written in German.
Symptoms:
After completing the translation setup, the existing content appeared in English instead of German, and WPML attempted to retranslate it into German. This automatic process consumed my available translation credits, and I was unable to complete it.
Questions:
How can I correctly configure the translation workflow from German to English?
How can I ensure that all existing content is properly translated?
What steps should I take to prevent WPML from consuming translation credits incorrectly?
I'm still checking your issue. To proceed, I need you to please update WPML Multilingual CMS to its latest version, and activate WPML String Translation. Don't forget to make a full website backup before updating and activating your plugins. Let me know when you're done.
Before I start managing the content manually, I want to confirm the following:
Should I delete all the German content that was created through translation?
Also, for the content that was originally written in German but is currently assigned to English, should I move it back to the German version? Then, in the next step, it will be translated properly into English. Is that correct?
Please confirm so that the upcoming translation process can proceed smoothly and without any confusion.
Should I delete all the German content that was created through translation?
I can't answer that 100% certain, but I believe so. You will need to check the pages insividually to see which version (EN or DE), is the one you're keeping.
[...] content that was originally written in German but is currently assigned to English, should I move it back to the German version? Then, in the next step, it will be translated properly into English. Is that correct?
Yes, the content must be all in German so it can be later translated into English.
