Troubleshooting

My translation isn't created

Check these in order:

1. Is that content type enabled? Each content type (Articles, Categories, Menu, Modules, Tags, Mail Templates) has its own "Translate ..." toggle, see the matching Configuration article.
2. Does the source item's language match your Source Language setting? The plugin only processes an item if its language matches the Source Language configured on the General tab, exactly as written there.
3. What's your Translation Method? With "Upon Saving", translation happens the instant you save a matching item. With "Batch", nothing happens automatically, use the Batch Translate button in the item list instead.
4. Is the driver configured? Check the Service & API tab: the correct Translation Service is selected and its API key is filled in, see "Configuration - Service & API".

I updated the source item, but the translation still shows the old text

Set Update Existing Translations to "Yes" for that content type. When it's "No", only new items get an initial translation, existing translated items are left untouched so you can edit them freely without the plugin overwriting your changes.

Updating a translation replaced my finished title and text with the English original

That is what "All fields" does: an update rebuilds the translation from the source item, so every field you did not tick under Translatable Fields is copied over in its original language. Set Fields to Update PRO version only to "Only the selected fields" for that content type. An update then writes nothing but the ticked fields and leaves the rest of the translation as it is, which is what you want when you are adding a meta description to a set of translations that is already finished.

Only some fields got translated

Each content type has its own Translatable Fields setting. Only the fields you select there are sent to the translation service, everything else is copied 1-to-1 from the source item without translation.

The Custom Instructions field doesn't seem to do anything

Custom Instructions PRO version only only apply to the AI-based drivers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Mistral, DeepSeek, xAI). It has no effect with Copy, Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, or DeepL, DeepL has its own separate Custom Instructions field on its configuration page.

My API key doesn't work

Make sure the Translation Service on the Service & API tab matches the key you pasted, that the key is copied in full without extra spaces or line breaks, and that the account behind it still has usage credit left with the provider.

Did you enter the key while running version 2.5.0? In that version the key fields accepted only the first 99 characters, so a longer key, such as an Anthropic key of 108 characters or an OpenAI project key, was cut off as you pasted it, without any warning. The stored key is then incomplete and the service rejects it. Version 2.6.0 raised the limit, but it cannot repair a key that was already stored short: update the plugin and paste your key again.

I get "Data too long for column 'title'" for one or two languages

The translation that came back does not fit in the field it has to be stored in. Joomla holds an article title in 255 characters. There are two causes:

• A long source title. Most languages produce a longer text than English, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese in particular, so a title that is already close to the limit tips over in those languages and not in others. Shortening the source title solves it.
• The AI service answered your text instead of translating it. A short title that reads like an instruction or a question, for example "Where is Mount Sinai?", is sometimes answered rather than translated, and you get a whole paragraph back. Update to version 2.7.0: the instruction sent to the AI services is stricter there, and a result that is far longer than its source is refused. The original text is then kept, the log records what happened, and running the translation again gives the service another chance. Dedicated translation services such as DeepL, Google and Microsoft never do this.

From version 2.6.0 a value that does not fit is shortened rather than dropped, so the translation is still created and a line naming the field and the language is written to the log.

A field kept its source text although the translation service works

From version 2.7.0 a result from an AI service that is far longer than the text that was sent is not stored, because it is an answer to the text rather than a translation of it. The field keeps its original text and the log names the language and both lengths. Run the translation again for that item.

My translation got an alias in Latin letters instead of its own script

With Unicode Aliases switched on in the Global Configuration, a Hebrew, Russian or Ukrainian translation should get an alias in its own characters. On Joomla 6 a new translation came out with a Latin alias instead. Version 2.7.0 makes the alias the way Joomla does for an item saved by hand. Existing translations keep the alias they have: empty the alias field of the translation and save it to have it rebuilt.

Saving the source item created a second translation instead of updating the first

This happened when the item already had translations in other languages: the new translation was stored without its association, so the next save did not find it and created another one. It affected menu items in every version and categories since Joomla 6.1, and is fixed in version 2.7.0. A translation that was left unlinked before that version has to be associated by hand once, or removed so the next save creates it again.

A tag I removed from the source article is gone from the translations too

That is intended from version 2.7.0. Before that, tags were only ever added, so a translation kept every tag the source article had ever carried. A tag is removed when it is a tag for all languages, a tag in the source language, or the translation of a tag in the source language. A tag that exists only in the language of the translation stays. If you add tags for all languages to a translation by hand and want to keep them, set Fields to Update PRO version only to "Only the selected fields" and leave Tags unticked.

The page times out during a large translation run

Every field of every language is sent to the translation service as its own request, so a batch of articles into several languages can take longer than your server or a proxy in front of it is willing to wait. If your site runs behind Cloudflare you will see error 524, which means Cloudflare stopped waiting after 100 seconds. On the Free, Pro and Business plans that limit cannot be raised.

Translate fewer languages and fewer items per run, and lower API Timeout on the Service & API tab so a single slow request cannot consume the whole budget. Note that the server usually keeps working after your browser has given up, so check whether the translations were created before you run the same batch again, otherwise you can end up with a second set.

A translation run ends in an error 500 but the translations are there

Update to version 2.7.0. Earlier versions could fail at the very end of a run with "mysqli object is already closed" after all the work had been saved, which is why reloading the page showed the translations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need the PRO version?

FREE covers the Copy, Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, OpenAI and Mistral drivers, plus translation of Articles (Title and Text) and Categories (Title and Description). PRO adds the DeepL, Google Gemini, Anthropic, xAI and DeepSeek drivers, translation of Menus, Modules, Tags and Mail Templates, the Dictionary feature, more translatable fields for Articles and Categories (Images, Link A/B/C text, Meta Description, Meta Keywords, Note, Tags, Custom Fields), Associated Tags and Associated Links, the Fields to Update setting, a custom publication state for new translations, and the YOOtheme Pro Builder integration.

What's the difference between "Upon Saving" and "Batch"?

"Upon Saving" translates automatically the moment you save an item that matches your Source Language. "Batch" turns that off and instead adds a Batch Translate button to the toolbar of the relevant list view, so you decide when translations run, useful if you're translating a large amount of existing content and want to control API usage.

Which AI models can I use?

Autolanguage supports the model list published by each provider at the time of your Joomla update. Pick your provider on the Service & API tab and choose a model from the dropdown that appears.

Can I add my own fixed translations for specific words?

Yes, with the Dictionary PRO version only feature. Add a source term, its translation, and optionally restrict it to one target language, the translation service then uses your term instead of translating it itself.

Does Autolanguage translate content that already existed before I installed it?

Not automatically. Existing items only get translated once you save them again, or by using Batch Translate mode to translate them on your own schedule.

Can I update only the tags of my existing translations?

Yes, from version 2.7.0 PRO version only. Set Fields to Update to "Only the selected fields" for articles, tick Tags under Translatable Fields and leave the other options unticked. Saving the source article then updates the tags of its translations and nothing else.

Will my custom fields be translated too?

For Articles and Categories PRO version only, yes, add Custom Fields to the Translatable Fields option. Only Text, Textarea and Editor field types are translated, other field types are copied 1-to-1.