I can't see ACF link text in Advanced Translation Editor

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

Problem:
The client is unable to see the text of an ACF link field within the Advanced Translation Editor. This issue is not limited to a specific field but affects all link fields. The client has the ACF group setting configured to 'Same fields across languages' and expects the link text to be translatable automatically, as suggested by the WPML documentation.

Solution:
We have consulted with our ACF developers and confirmed that the 'Same fields across languages' option does not cover all scenarios, which is why the 'Expert' mode is available for clients to customize their ACF translation preferences. For the time being, to translate the ACF link fields, the client will need to switch to 'Expert' mode. Our developers are aware of this limitation, and it might be addressed in a future version of the ACFML plugin, but there is no confirmed timeline for this update.

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Tagged: Bug

This topic contains 7 replies, has 2 voices.

Last updated by Bruno Kos 1 year, 3 months ago.

Assisted by: Bruno Kos.

Author	Posts
December 28, 2023 at 8:21 am #15133794
aigarsM	I can't see ACF link text in Advanced Translation Editor here is the image of the link in the original langauge - hidden link The acf field name should be "hero_button" (it is nested in acf group "hero"), but here in Advanced Translation Editor we can't see the link text (even if type https) - hidden link Also its worth noting that this issue affects all links not just "hero_button", the "hero_button" was used just as an example. I read that by default the URL of link field is hidden, but it says nothing about hiding the text itself https://wpml.org/errata/urls-from-link-field-not-displayed-in-advanced-translation-editor/#:~:text=Workaround,with%20the%20Advanced%20Translation%20Editor. It also worth noting that i have configured auto translate to true and that my acf group setting for this page is set to “Same fields across languages” hidden link
December 28, 2023 at 11:52 am #15134519
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	I escalated this to our 2nd tier and will keep you posted.
January 4, 2024 at 3:03 pm #15151922
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	Now when I test the same thing again, I get the correct result: hidden link So hidden link shows "Test page German" below the comment box. In my previous test this has not worked this way as visible on screenshots. I don't know what has changed in the meantime. And the code for the ACF is also the same: // Custom link for testing $link_for_testing = get_field( 'link_for_testing' ); if ( $link_for_testing ) : echo '<a href="' . esc_url( $link_for_testing['url'] ) . '" target="' . esc_attr( $link_for_testing['target'] ) . '">' . esc_html( $link_for_testing['title'] ) . '</a>'; endif; Can you check the above and provide me your feedback?
January 5, 2024 at 6:32 am #15153238
aigarsM	Let's look at this link: hidden link On this page: hidden link After pressing 'Edit the German Translation' (hidden link) and going to the translation editor, we do not see the link's text ('Read More') (hidden link) How can we translate that? I couldn't check the auto-translation on your demo website because there are no credits, but I suspect that it would also fail to translate the link, as it currently does on my website.
January 5, 2024 at 7:44 am #15153284
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	It will work if you choose "Expert" for the field group. In this case anchor and text appear in the advanced translation editor and you can translate them hidden link
January 5, 2024 at 8:34 am #15153496
aigarsM	Yes, it would work then. However, I'm puzzled as to why the "Same fields across languages" option exists if it doesn't function properly. According to the documentation at https://wpml.org/documentation/related-projects/translate-sites-built-with-acf/?utm_source=plugin&utm_medium=gui&utm_campaign=acfml#using-same-fields-across-languages, it states: "Once you select the Same fields across languages translation option, you can translate the custom field values using either one of WPML’s translation modes: Translate Everything Automatically translates your site’s content as you add or edit it. You can then review the translations before publishing them to ensure they’re correct. Translate What You Choose lets you decide what content to translate, and who will translate it. Choose between translating the content yourself, assigning it to an individual translator, or hiring a professional translation agency. " The documentation suggests that everything, including links, can be translated automatically when the "Same fields across languages" option is selected. Given that I am unable to translate links automatically or manually, doesn't this seem like a bug that should be addressed and fixed? Also I would like to point out that WPML itself does not recommend choosing the "Expert" option hidden link
January 5, 2024 at 3:34 pm #15155412
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	I am checking this with our ACF devs, however "Same fields across languages" can't fit all the scenarios, that's why we have Expert mode where clients can tailor ACF translation preferences according to their needs. I will keep you posted!
January 11, 2024 at 7:35 am #15172365
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	Our developers confirmed that we will not change this for the moment and if you want to translate this, you need to use expert mode. Perhaps this scenario will be handled in the next version of ACFML, but I cannot confirm when and where will this be.
January 11, 2024 at 8:08 am #15172565
aigarsM	Thank you for the information. ""Same fields across languages" can't fit all the scenarios" - We are not discussing some convoluted ACF structure that doesn't work; we are talking about a regular ACF link field - a standard field available even in the free version of ACF. I feel that if the "Same fields across languages" option does not cover all ACF fields, then it should not be the "recommended" option and should come with disclaimers. It is also strange that the option labeled as "not recommended" is the only one that works and should be used.