12. Best Practices and Tips
(Proven habits used by the top 1 % of WPML sites in 2025)
1
Always use a staging/sub-site first
Never add a new language on a live site. Clone → test → push live.
2
Keep WPML, WordPress, theme, and plugins updated
WPML releases compatibility fixes every 2–3 weeks.
3
Use a child theme
Prevents losing custom switchers or code when parent theme updates.
4
Enable “Duplicate media”
WPML → Media → ON (so images/alt text can be different per language).
5
Translate slugs (URLs)
WPML → Languages → ON + translate manually in the editor for better local SEO.
6
Save permalinks twice after any language change
Settings → Permalinks → Save → Save again (prevents 404s).
7
Clear all caches after translation changes
Plugin cache + server cache + Cloudflare → everything.
8
Use Advanced Translation Editor only
Faster, has translation memory, glossary, and machine-translation integration.
9
Set custom fields correctly once and forget
Multilingual Content Setup → set every ACF/Toolset field to Translate/Copy/Don’t translate.
10
Backup before adding a new language
Use UpdraftPlus, Duplicator, or your host’s tool – takes 2 minutes.
11
Use Rank Math instead of Yoast (2025)
Native WPML integration, no glue plugin needed, lighter and faster.
12
Test on real mobile devices
Some switcher styles break on iOS/Android – always check.
13
Never translate via .po/.mo files anymore
String Translation interface is faster and doesn’t break on updates.
14
Turn off browser language redirect
WPML → Languages → OFF (prevents SEO confusion and returning-visitor frustration).
Golden Rule for 2025 Treat each language as a completely separate website in Google’s eyes: → separate sitemap submitted → separate SEO titles/metas → separate backlinks when possible → separate analytics view (Google Analytics 4 + language filter)
Follow these 14 habits and your multilingual site will run perfectly for years with almost zero maintenance.
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