If WPML automatic translation stops, read the job's displayed state before resubmitting the content. A billing pause, a processing error, and a completed translation awaiting publication require different actions. Repeatedly creating new jobs can make the original failure harder to understand.
When the dashboard itself fails before a job state appears
A blank or failing Translation Dashboard is not an explicit billing pause. Capture the affected action and corresponding server error before changing account settings or duplicating a translation job. Word counting, translated-term lists and the Translations screen can exercise different request paths.
Use the WPML dashboard memory and timeout diagnostic when the screen fails to load or calculate a selection. Return to the job-state workflow below only once the relevant state can be read reliably. Keep billing decisions with the authorized account owner.
A completed job with the wrong page needs an ownership check
If processing completed but a translated URL shows a draft or unrelated page, do not create another paid translation job. Compare the source post, intended translation and served record using the WPML translated URL ownership ledger.
The job state and public routing are different evidence. Preserve both before changing slugs or relationships. A billing fix cannot correct a separate draft taking over an established translated URL, and deleting the draft may discard useful work without explaining the cause.
Check for an explicit billing pause
WPML 5.2 introduces clearer billing-related pauses for automatic translation, including a reason and a route to billing settings. Its announcement says paused work can resume after the billing block is resolved. Verify your installed version and the actual message instead of assuming every stalled job has this cause.
Installed plugin functionality and a connected paid service are separate dependencies. An editor may continue working while automatic translation is unavailable. Likewise, a valid plugin license does not by itself prove that the correct translation account, site registration, and service billing state are in place.
Preserve one job before changing anything
Choose one affected page and record its content ID, source language, target language, job identifier if shown, current state, and the time you observed it. Capture a sanitized screenshot of the message. Avoid including billing details, account tokens, or confidential page text in a shared support record.
Check whether the translation is still processing, explicitly paused, failed, or already finished but waiting for a later publishing step. Open the intended translated destination separately. A stale public page can be a publication or cache issue even when the translation job itself succeeded.
Evidence to collect before retrying a paused automatic-translation job. Synthetic explanatory visual.
Identify who can resolve the account problem
If the message names billing, ask the business's authorized account owner to inspect that account. Do not replace a payment method, buy credits, or transfer site ownership merely because you have WordPress administrator access. Financial and account-ownership changes need the appropriate person's decision.
For agency-built sites, establish whether the connected translation service belongs to the agency or the business. A site migration or handover can leave the installation connected to an account different from the one staff expect. Document ownership without copying secrets into the WordPress troubleshooting ticket.
| Observed state |
Next step |
| Explicit billing pause |
Authorized account owner resolves the stated block |
| Processing without a billing message |
Inspect elapsed time and the product's job diagnostics |
| Failed job with a specific error |
Preserve that error and follow its supported recovery path |
| Completed job, old public text |
Check translated destination, publication and cache |
The plugin license expiry guide explains why update entitlement and hosted service behavior should not be treated as the same thing. Use the policy for the actual product rather than a general rule about WordPress licenses.
Watch an existing job resume
After the authorized owner resolves the stated block, return to the original job record. Check whether it resumes through the supported workflow. Do not immediately duplicate all paused jobs. Record the state transition and verify one completed page before considering broader recovery actions.
Review the translated content in context, including links, headings, and any text with business significance. Automatic completion is not editorial approval. Follow the site's normal review process before publishing translated pricing, terms, or customer commitments.
If the job remains paused despite a healthy account state, collect versions, the sanitized message, job ID, and observation times for vendor support. If there is no billing message, investigate the actual processing problem rather than changing account settings speculatively.
Close the incident with a verified destination
Confirm that the intended language URL contains the approved translation and that source content remains unchanged. Check a second affected language only after the first path is understood. Record any jobs still paused so the team does not assume the entire queue recovered from one success.
For WordPress-side publication, integration, or cache faults, HandL WP can trace the affected translation path. Billing decisions remain with the account owner. A concise handoff distinguishes the original pause, the action taken by that owner, and the evidence that the existing job resumed without duplicate work.
Reference and review date
Primary technical reference. Sources checked October 30, 2026. The proposed procedures and original diagrams are explanatory test aids, not claims of customer testing or measured improvements.
Editorial update November 1, 2026: diagnostic distinctions and related guidance reviewed. Existing publication date and illustrative assets retained.
Editorial update November 4, 2026: diagnostic distinctions and related guidance reviewed. Existing publication date and illustrative assets retained.