Publish and update translations

POM Translate does not create a translated post with its own publication status. The canonical WordPress object determines whether all language routes are public, private, draft, pending, or trashed.

Saving a translation and publishing a post are separate actions, but there is only one post lifecycle.

Understand the lifecycle

By default:

A supported integration can filter the eligible statuses, but these are the standard product defaults.

Prepare before public launch

Because a normal draft cannot hold the default translation rows, use one of these workflows:

• build and review on staging, then deploy the complete state;
• privately publish the canonical object, translate it, review while authorized, then switch it to published;
• publish only when source fallback on incomplete target routes is acceptable.

There is no core switch to publish French while keeping Spanish or English unavailable for the same object. Use translation exclusions or navigation planning where a locale should not be offered.

Save translations

Under Translations → Translate contents, Save translations makes changed non-empty rows available to rendering immediately. It does not:

• change the WordPress post status;
• mark the row Reviewed;
• localize the slug;
• purge every external page cache;
• generate missing rows for an unsaved source.

After saving, confirm the notice and test the explicit target route.

Update an existing translation

1. Filter the table to the object and locale.
2. edit only the required rows;
3. retain protected tokens;
4. save;
5. reload the target route;
6. clear affected full-page or CDN caches;
7. mark approved rows Reviewed.

The post editor percentage updates from non-empty values after the data is reloaded.

Change publication status carefully

Moving a translated published object to draft or pending is not a harmless way to hide it temporarily. On save, POM Translate removes that object’s post strings, meta strings, and content skeleton. Returning it to published regenerates source rows, but former target text should not be assumed to return.

Use staging, maintenance controls, or private visibility when the translations must be preserved during review.

Retire one locale without unpublishing the object

Do not change the canonical post status when only one locale must be withdrawn. Instead:

• use a supported per-locale translation exclusion;
• remove the locale from selectors or launch navigation where appropriate;
• redirect a retired localized URL intentionally;
• keep the source object lifecycle unchanged.

Plan this against the exclusions and URL chapters before changing a published site.

Verify publication

Confirm:

• the canonical object has the intended WordPress status;
• each offered locale resolves the same object;
• target rows contain reviewed values;
• pending rows fall back only where accepted;
• the slug and navigation are ready;
• private content is not exposed to signed-out visitors;
• caches reflect the latest saved values;
• archive and single views agree.

Read What happens when original content changes before editing a live source object.