Google Category Mapping issue with WPML multilingual setup

  • Resolved PLUGENIUS

    (@plugenius)


    4 months, 1 week ago

    Hello,

    I am using Product Feed Manager for WooCommerce on a multilingual WooCommerce site managed with WPML, and I am experiencing an issue with Google Category Mapping in a multilingual context.

    Here is the problem in detail:

    When I assign Google Product Categories to product categories in one language, the mappings that were previously defined in another language are automatically removed. As a result, it is only possible to correctly map categories for one language at a time.

    Because of this behavior, in Google Merchant Center only the products of a single language receive the correct Google Product Categories. Products in the other languages end up with automatically assigned categories by Google, which are often incorrect and do not reflect the actual product classification.

    In short:

    • The category mapping does not appear to be language-specific.
    • Saving mappings in one language overwrites or deletes mappings from other languages.
    • This makes correct category attribution impossible on WPML multilingual shops.

    Could you please confirm:

    • Whether multilingual Google Category Mapping with WPML is officially supported?
    • If there is a recommended configuration or workaround to keep separate mappings per language?
    • Or if this is a known limitation or bug that might be addressed in a future update?

    Thank you in advance for your support.
    I will be happy to provide screenshots or additional technical details if needed.

    Best regards,
    Ivan

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Plugin Support Tamanna

    (@itamannaa)

    4 months, 1 week ago

    Hi @plugenius,

    Thanks for explaining this so clearly.

    We’ll need a bit of time on our end to test this setup with WPML and try to recreate the issue you’re seeing with Google Category Mapping across languages.

    Once we’ve completed our testing, we’ll get back to you with a clear update on whether this is a limitation, a bug, or something that can be configured differently.

    Thanks for your patience — I’ll follow up as soon as we have more information.

    Best Regards,
    – PFM Support Team

    Plugin Support Tamanna

    (@itamannaa)

    4 months, 1 week ago

    Hi Ivan (@plugenius),

    Thanks for your patience while we tested this thoroughly on our end. We really appreciate it.

    Now, let me explain how Google Category Mapping works in a multilingual setup with WPML and PFM:

    Let’s say your site has three languages configured via WPML:

    • English (default)
    • Bengali
    • Czech

    You’ve correctly created three separate Google Product Category mappings, one per language.

    Now here’s the key part:

    WPML stores and displays language-specific data based on the currently active site language.

    So for example:

    • If your site language is switched to Bengali (from here: https://prnt.sc/er6I0BEN4Rl2),
    • You will see only the Bengali category mappings populated in the Google Category Mapping UI.
    • The English and Czech mapping fields will appear empty in the interface.

    This can look like the mappings were removed, but they are not deleted. Why is this expected behavior:

    • Category mappings are language-specific
    • The UI only shows mappings for the currently active language
    • Switching languages changes which saved mapping is visible

    This is how WPML handles translated data across the admin panel, and Product Feed Manager follows that same logic. What really matters: the feed output

    Even though the UI only shows one language at a time:

    • When you generate a feed for a specific language,
    • PFM correctly applies the matching Google Product Category mapping for that language
    • The data sent to Google Merchant Center remains consistent and correct

    So:

    • English feeds use English mappings
    • Bengali feeds use Bengali mappings
    • Czech feeds use Czech mappings

    No mappings are overwritten at the feed level.

    If your actual feed data is corrupted, you can share screenshots of your feed output per language, and I’ll be happy to double-check everything with you.

    Thanks again for the clear explanation earlier; it helped a lot during testing.

    Best regards,
    – PFM Support Team

    Thread Starter PLUGENIUS

    (@plugenius)

    4 months, 1 week ago

    Hello Tamanna (@itamannaa),

    Thank you for your very clear and precise explanation. Some time ago, I followed this procedure exactly, but unfortunately the mappings I had memorised in one language were lost when I added mappings in another language. Now I have tried again and everything seems to be memorised correctly.

    It’s a pity that mappings for languages other than the active one are still visible, even if they don’t contain the corresponding categories. This creates a bit of confusion and gives the impression that something is not configured correctly.
    If I may add some feedback, this aspect could be improved to offer the user a more user-friendly interface.

    Now that I have finally been able to configure the mappings for each language, I will monitor the results in Google Merchant Centre. I am sure that everything will now be set up correctly in all languages.

    Thank you again for your valuable assistance and for your prompt and comprehensive responses. This is exactly what distinguishes functional and efficient plugins from others that are much less so. Congratulations.

    Kind regards,
    Ivan

    • This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by PLUGENIUS.
    Plugin Support Tamanna

    (@itamannaa)

    4 months, 1 week ago

    Hi Ivan (@plugenius),

    That’s very kind of you to say and honestly, it really means a lot. Knowing that the time and care we put into explaining things clearly actually helps our users is exactly what keeps us motivated. Your appreciation genuinely goes a long way, more than you might realize.

    And your feedback makes perfect sense. You’re absolutely right that seeing empty mappings for non-active languages can be confusing and give the impression that something’s off. I’ll definitely report this scenario to our product team and ask them to look into ways we can reduce that confusion and make the interface more intuitive in multilingual setups.

    For now, keeping an eye on your Google Merchant Center is a good call. If you notice anything odd or have questions as the feeds run, just reach out. We’ll jump in and help as quickly as possible.

    One small favor, if you don’t mind 🙂
    If you have a couple of minutes, leaving us a 5-star rating here would mean a lot to the team. It really helps us grow and continue improving the plugin and the support around it.

    Thanks again for the thoughtful feedback and kind words.

    Best regards,

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

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