Problem: The client is experiencing 404 errors on translated versions of their websites after a recent update. The issue appears randomly when navigating between pages, such as the homepage and product pages. The problem was suspected to be related to WPML or possibly due to a hacking or malware issue. Solution: We recommended the following troubleshooting steps: 1. Create a full site backup or a staging site. 2. Update any outdated plugins and themes. 3. Flush any cache memory. 4. Deactivate all plugins, including WPML, and activate a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty. 5. Reactivate the WPML plugins. 6. Gradually reactivate the theme and other plugins one by one to identify the problematic plugin or theme. After following these steps, the issue was resolved, indicating that neither WPML plugins nor WooCommerce were the cause. The client was advised to activate the parent theme, then the child theme, and finally the rest of the plugins one by one to pinpoint the exact cause.
If this solution does not resolve your issue, or if it seems outdated or irrelevant to your case, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix,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. If the problem persists, please open a new support ticket at WPML support forum.
