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Why Can't I Translate This? Common TranslatePress Issues and How to Fix Them

74 threads Sep 9, 2025 Plugin → Translate multilingual sites – translatepress

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If you're using the 'Translate Multilingual sites – TranslatePress' plugin, you might occasionally run into a situation where certain text, buttons, or images just won't translate. This is a common frustration, but often, the solutions are straightforward. This guide walks through the most frequent translation roadblocks and how to resolve them.

Common Translation Issues and Their Solutions

1. The String is Not Detectable by the Translation Editor

The Problem: You click the translation pencil, but the text you want to translate doesn't appear in the editing form, or you can't find it in the list of strings.

Why It Happens: This often occurs with content generated by other plugins or themes that use non-standard methods to output text. The strings might be loaded dynamically via JavaScript or AJAX.

How to Fix It:

  • Use the String List: In the Translation Editor, use the "String List" dropdown menu. Start typing the name of the string you're looking for; it should appear as a suggestion for you to select and translate.
  • Enable Regular Strings Tab: Navigate to TranslatePress → Settings → Advanced → Debug. Check the option "Show regular strings tab in String Translation". This might make the string appear in the backend String Translation interface.
  • Troubleshoot Dynamic Content: In the same Advanced settings, under the "Troubleshooting" section, try enabling "Fix missing dynamic content" or "Disable dynamic translation" one at a time to see if it resolves the detection issue.

2. Content is Greyed Out or Won't Change in the Default Language

The Problem: You are trying to modify content while viewing your site's default language, but the option is unavailable.

Why It Happens: The plugin is designed to translate from your site's default language into additional languages. You cannot use TranslatePress to edit the original, default language content itself.

How to Fix It:

  • All site content should be created and edited directly in your default language using the standard WordPress editor. TranslatePress is only for creating translations of that original content.

3. HTML Tags (Like H5) Appear in the Translated Text

The Problem: Your translated text shows extra HTML code, for example, "CASA BONITAH5>".

Why It Happens: This is typically a conflict with how your theme wraps titles in HTML container tags.

How to Fix It:

  • Go to TranslatePress → Settings → Advanced → Debug.
  • Enable the option "Disable post container tags for post title".
  • If the issue persists, manually edit the incorrect translation in the Translation Editor to remove the extra characters.

4. Links or Interactive Elements Break in Translated Languages

The Problem: Buttons, menu links, or phone number links that work in the default language stop working or lead to a "page not found" error in a translated language.

Why It Happens: The link URL might be hardcoded to the default language's slug structure. When the language changes, the slug changes, breaking the link.

How to Fix It:

  • Where possible, use relative paths or just the page slug when adding links, avoiding the full default language URL.
  • For more complex scenarios, consider using the Conditional Shortcode Based On Language to display different content or links for each language. This is often the best solution for elements like images, complex buttons, or custom plugin output that doesn't translate well.

5. General Troubleshooting for Strange Behavior

If you are experiencing bugs, glitches, or other unpredictable behavior (e.g., images disappearing, menus not working), a conflict test is the most reliable first step.

How to Perform a Conflict Test:

  1. Switch Themes: Temporarily activate a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.
  2. Disable Plugins: Deactivate all other plugins except for TranslatePress.
  3. Test: Check if the problem is resolved.
  4. Identify the Culprit: If the issue is gone, reactivate your theme and plugins one by one, checking after each, to find which one is causing the conflict.
Always perform this test on a staging site first to avoid disrupting your live website.

When All Else Fails

Some content, such as text embedded within images or content loaded via external XML files, cannot be translated directly by the plugin. In these cases, the recommended approach is to use the conditional shortcode to display a different, pre-translated version of the element for each language.

By methodically working through these common issues, you can resolve most translation challenges and get your multilingual site working smoothly.

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