Handling download URL issues on a multilingual WooCommerce site using TranslatePress can be challenging. For store owners selling digital goods, encountering broken links or damaged downloads in secondary languages can disrupt customer experience.
A user in the Business Bloomer Club recently reported a problem where the default email for a completed order included a damaged PDF link in the translated Hungarian version of the site. The issue boiled down to the added language slug (/hu/) in the download URL.
This raises important questions: How can you resolve URL conflicts in TranslatePress to ensure proper file downloads? Are there alternative solutions or workarounds to prevent the addition of the language slug in specific scenarios?
Below, we explore potential fixes for this issue, including troubleshooting the plugin and implementing custom rules to maintain functional download links across languages.
Identifying the Cause of URL Issues in TranslatePress
The main problem arises when TranslatePress modifies the URL structure for secondary languages. While this is expected behavior for regular site navigation, it can interfere with WooCommerce functionality, particularly for dynamic URLs like download links. In this case, the /hu/ language slug caused the PDF download to fail.
TranslatePress Documentation: Translate Only Specific Pages
TranslatePress offers an option to exclude specific pages or links from translation. By following the TranslatePress documentation, users can attempt to configure download URLs to remain untouched in secondary languages.
How to Try This:
- Add the dynamic URL pattern to the exclusion settings in TranslatePress.
- Test the URLs to ensure they bypass translation and maintain their original structure.
However, as the user pointed out, this solution didn’t work for them, potentially due to a misconfigured URL format or plugin limitations.
Using Redirects as a Workaround
When plugin settings fall short, a redirection rule can help resolve the issue. The idea is to strip the language slug (/hu/) from the URL for download links while keeping it intact for the rest of the site.
Implementing a Redirect in a WordPress Plugin
The user suggested using the Redirection plugin or adding a rule in the .htaccess file. Here’s how to set it up:
- Using the Redirection Plugin:
- Create a new redirect rule where URLs containing
/hu/?download_file=are rewritten to remove/hu/. - For example:
Source URL: /hu/\?download_file=(.*) Target URL: /?download_file=$1
- Create a new redirect rule where URLs containing
- Adding an
.htaccessRule:- Insert a rule to redirect any matching URL back to its base format:
RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/hu/\?download_file=(.*)$ RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /?$1 [L,R=301]
- Insert a rule to redirect any matching URL back to its base format:
Seeking Support from TranslatePress
If neither plugin configuration nor redirection solves the issue, reaching out to TranslatePress support is a logical next step. They can confirm whether the issue is a bug or a limitation of the plugin.
Conclusion
Dynamic download URLs in WooCommerce can create unexpected challenges in multilingual setups. For the best user experience, it’s critical to address issues like broken links caused by language slugs.
While TranslatePress provides tools to manage this, sometimes additional customization—like redirection rules or .htaccess modifications—is necessary. If you’re still stuck, contacting TranslatePress support can provide further insights or fixes tailored to your site’s setup.
