Multilingual websites are awesome. They help you connect with people across the globe. But what happens when your trusted plugin suddenly breaks your site, right after a PHP update? Welcome to the chaos caused by a recent WPML update on PHP 8.3.
TL;DR:
The latest WPML update didn’t play nice with PHP 8.3. It broke the WordPress dashboard, locking users out of WP-Admin. We rolled back, ran some compatibility checks, and fixed the mess. Don’t worry — multilingual content is safe again.
What Happened?
The issue started when WordPress sites running PHP 8.3 installed the newest version of WPML (the WordPress Multilingual Plugin). Everything seemed fine… until you tried to log into WP-Admin.
Poof! White screen. Error messages. A complete dashboard meltdown. 😱
Developers started reporting fatal errors linked to function_deprecated() and undefined array keys inside WPML files. It became clear, fast, that this wasn’t user error.
Why Did This Happen?
Here’s the thing: PHP 8.3 brought several changes. It’s faster, smarter, and cleaner — but also less forgiving. Functions that used to be silently deprecated in older PHP versions now throw visible warnings or fatal errors.
WPML, like many large plugins, has tons of code. If even a few functions became incompatible with 8.3, they could crash the entire dashboard. And they did.
Main causes identified:
- Deprecated PHP functions in WPML’s core modules
- New strict types causing fatal errors
- Legacy code that hasn’t been touched in a while
The Site Lockout
With the admin dashboard down, users couldn’t access their pages, menus, or plugin areas. This meant no way to roll back WPML using the dashboard. Not fun.
So, what did people do?
They had to jump into File Manager or FTP to manually disable the plugin. That alone caused heart palpitations in site owners who’d never seen a file tree before.
Emergency Rollback: The Rescue Plan
Thankfully, rolling back WPML wasn’t too complicated — if you knew what to do.
Here’s how we fixed it:
- Logged into cPanel or server via SFTP
- Went to the
/wp-content/plugins/folder - Renamed
sitepress-multilingual-cms/(e.g., tositepress-multilingual-cms-disabled) - This disabled WPML and brought WP-Admin back online
- Downloaded and installed an older, stable WPML version (compatible with PHP 8.3)
Once installed, everything returned to normal. Sort of. Yes, the dashboard worked. But how safe was this setup now?
The Compatibility Audit: A Deeper Dive
With WPML rolled back and PHP 8.3 still running, it was time for a real audit.
We went through every plugin and theme component looking for red flags. Compatibility with PHP 8.3 was not something most plugins had fully tested yet — including WPML.
We used:
- Query Monitor (a WordPress plugin for spotting slow queries and PHP errors)
- PHP error logs on the server
- WP_DEBUG switch in
wp-config.php
The audit helped uncover more minor issues — not just in WPML but also in Advanced Custom Fields and even some themes using old functions. Nothing catastrophic. But it was clear: PHP 8.3 wasn’t just a version bump. It needed care.
What WPML Did Next
The WPML team was quick to respond. Within a few days, they acknowledged the problem, released a patch, and began edging toward 100% compatibility with PHP 8.3.
Not every plugin dev is this fast, so kudos to them. The updated version fixed the fatal errors and brought functionality back.
Still, some users chose to stick with PHP 8.2 for now, just to stay safe while all plugins catch up.
Lessons Learned (The Fun Part)
Let’s face it. We all hate plugin conflicts, but they teach us so much. Here’s the wisdom we gained from this disaster.
Top lessons:
- Always back up before updating anything. Always.
- Test on a staging site if possible (no really, do it!)
- Check PHP compatibility before updating major versions
- Keep track of what’s running — themes, plugins, custom code
- Don’t update PHP on day one of a new release
How to Prevent This in the Future
If you want your multilingual site safe and sound, do the following:
1. Use a Staging Site
Before you switch PHP versions, try everything out in a clone of your live site. Host it somewhere safe and noisy (logs, debug mode — show everything!).
2. Monitor Plugin Updates
Follow major plugin devs like WPML on Twitter or via newsletters. They usually announce compatibility updates and known bugs.
3. Wait for the Green Light
Just because PHP 8.3 is the hottest new thing doesn’t mean it’s ready for YOUR site. Wait until your themes and core plugins specifically mention support.
4. Automate Your Testing
If you’re a developer managing multiple sites, set up automated testing tools with each PHP version. Let robots break the site before your clients do.
Conclusion: Multilingual is Back, Baby
After a wild ride through cryptic errors, FTP panic, and late-night debugging, the multilingual WordPress world is stable again. WPML fixed their code. PHP 8.3 was tamed. And site owners got a reminder that updates are serious business.
So next time a plugin update is just one click away, pause for a moment… and maybe test it first 😉