FacetWP – WPML

Seamless Multilingual Integration with FacetWP and WPML

In today’s global digital landscape, having a multilingual website is more important than ever. When tackling multilingual setups, tools like FacetWP and WPML work hand in hand to produce a cohesive and user-friendly experience that caters to diverse audiences. By integrating FacetWP with WPML, website owners can enhance their site’s functionality, making it easier for users to filter and navigate content in their preferred language.

Understanding the Integration

Implementing multilingual features on your site comes with its set of challenges—ensuring that all elements display correctly and seamlessly across different languages is paramount. FacetWP, a powerful faceted search plugin, provides the ability to filter content dynamically, while WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin) manages translations adeptly. To ensure smooth operation, it’s crucial to follow specific setup guidelines.

Initial Setup Steps

Firstly, if you’re using WPML, download the Multilingual add-on for FacetWP as it plays a critical role in managing translations and dynamic strings. This add-on supports normal translations as well as dynamic elements like facet placeholder text. It’s also designed to work with specific permalink structures, supporting sub-sites (like fr.mysite.com) and sub-directories (like mysite.com/fr/).

To get started:

1. Configuration of Post Types and Taxonomies: Navigate to WPML > Settings > Multilingual Content Setup. This is where you’ll configure how your website handles post types and taxonomies. Make sure to set each of them to “only show translated items”—this is essential for maintaining clarity and preventing confusion in facets.

2. Translation Management: In this section, every element must have a translation. If translations are incomplete, consider using the bulk edit feature which allows you to create duplicates of items while translations are being handled. Avoid the option “use translation if available or fallback to default language,” as it may result in displaying posts in the wrong language context.

3. Translatable Custom Fields: If utilizing Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) with your facets, ensure that the custom fields are marked as translatable and that translations are applied for each content piece across all required languages.

Addressing Common Issues

Issues may sometimes arise during this integration, particularly concerning memory allocation, language settings, or content visibility. To uphold performance:

1. Increase WordPress Memory: WPML requires a minimum of 128M; however, 256M is ideal for optimal performance. You can check memory allocation through WPML > Support.

2. Cache Management: Utilize WPML’s troubleshooting section to clean up database caches. It’s advisable to take a backup before making any significant changes.

Using Polylang as an Alternative

If you prefer Polylang instead of WPML, the process is fairly similar. Activate the Multilingual add-on and ensure to follow the configuration wizard upon the first activation. This process assigns languages correctly. However, avoid using Polylang Pro’s shared slug feature, as it may interfere with facet operations and lead to results that don’t meet expectations.

Integration with SearchWP

For those who also use SearchWP alongside FacetWP, it’s important to install the relevant SearchWP integration extension. This guarantees that search results reflect the active language of the page, thus maintaining consistency between the facets and the displayed content.

Customizing Translations for UI Strings and Facet Labels

Text strings that appear within the UI can be translated easily using standard translation methods provided by the various plugins. However, for dynamic strings that are kept in the database, leveraging the facetwp_i18n filter hook is essential. This allows for customized translations of facet labels, which differ from choice labels and have specific roles within the user interface.

Handling Indexing Errors

If you encounter issues such as “The index table is empty” while utilizing Polylang or WPML without the Multilingual add-on installed, it’s a straightforward fix: installing the add-on and re-indexing should resolve the problem. Neglecting to do so may lead to filtering issues, especially if posts lack assigned language settings.

Troubleshooting Filtering Issues

It’s crucial to acknowledge that both WPML and Polylang rely on language settings to auto-query relevant posts. When the FacetWP Multilingual add-on is active, it anticipates that all posts will have designated languages. This reliance can lead to unexpected issues like empty facets. In particular, if you want to filter posts across languages, it would be wise to modify the facet’s AJAX refresh settings.

To handle these language parameters better, you may consider utilizing PHP code snippets in your theme’s functions.php file or employ a code snippets plugin to extend the FacetWP functionality without hindrance.

Consistent Language in Listings and Facets

If you notice that the languages of posts in listings or facets don’t correlate as expected, you can apply a filter to ensure consistent language usage. This involves modifying the language behavior based on the parameters FacetWP works with.

Managing Cron Indexing with WPML

When using WPML together with the Post Types Order plugin, there can be issues during the cron indexing process, particularly when “Auto Sort” features are enabled. If you face content disappearing from indexed rows or facet options, disabling the “Auto Sort” feature often resolves this issue, allowing for a more stable indexing process.

Conclusion

By effectively integrating FacetWP with WPML, users can enjoy a fluid and organized browsing experience tailored to their language preferences. Careful configuration of post types, taxonomies, and custom fields is essential for ensuring that facets provide accurate filtering across translated content.

Moreover, troubleshooting common issues such as memory allocation, indexing errors, and filtering inconsistencies can significantly enhance your site’s performance. Whether you choose WPML or Polylang, the ultimate objective is to create a website that resonates well with its audience, regardless of language barriers. Embrace the potential of a multilingual site and enhance user engagement today!