Inaccurate Internal link count and orphaned content report with WPML

[amboutwe]

• [x] I've read and understood the contribution guidelines.
• [x] I've searched for any related issues and avoided creating a duplicate issue.

Please give us a description of what happened

WPML shows posts that have internal links (absolute links) in them as orphaned.

Note: Previously reported here but didn't have enough information to reproduce.

To Reproduce

Step-by-step reproduction instructions

Starting with a vanilla installation:

1. Install and activate Yoast SEO (free)
2. Run SEO data optimization
3. Install, activate and setup WPML with the OTGS Installer (options below)
4. Ignore request to install or activate WPML SEO. (This happens with or without the WPML SEO add-on.)
5. Go to Admin >Posts
6. Create a new post in an additional language. I selected Italian.
7. Add title and one sentence that links to the default Hello World post
8. Publish post
9. Go to Admin >Posts
10. See the outgoing and incoming counts are correct
11. Create translation of default Hello World post in same language as the new post above.
12. Translate each line by adding the translation in the bottom box and clicking the checkmark above the box
13. Click 'Complete'
14. Go to Admin >Posts
15. Select 'All Languages'
16. Edit the new post created above
17. Add a link to the translated post.
18. Go to Admin >Posts
19. Select 'All Languages'
20. See wrong counts for incoming. Both are for the default language post instead of 1 for the default and one for the translation.

WPML options

After plugin activation,

1. Click 'Register WPML'
2. Click 'Get a key for this site'
3. Login (creds are in LastPass)
4. Choose 'Development site'
5. Click continue (twice)
6. Copy key and past in local site
7. Click 'Register'
8. Select the following to install: WPML Multilingual CMS, String Translation, WPML SEO
9. Click Download (do not check 'Activate after download')
10. Once installed is shown for selected plugins, go to Admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins
11. Deactivate OTGS installer
12. Activate WPML Multilingual CMS
13. Click 'Configure WPML'
14. Choose a default language. I selected English.
15. Add additional languages. I selected Italian and Spanish.
16. Click 'Continue'
17. Choose URL format. I selected Language name added as a parameter.
18. Enter Site key if you didn't earlier.
19. Click 'Continue'
20. Select 'Translate What You Choose'
21. Click 'Continue'
22. Check 'Only myself'.
23. Click 'Continue'
24. Select 'No, don't send this information and skip compatibility alerts'
25. Click 'Continue'
26. Click 'Skip' (Improve your site’s translations using helpful plugins)
27. Click 'Finish'

Expected results

Accurate link counts

Actual results

Inaccurate link counts

Workaround

In some cases, resetting the SEO data optimization (specifically the internal link counter) will correct the counts but this would have to be done after every content change (add, edit, or delete).

Screenshots, screen recording, code snippet

Taken on different test environments with similar steps but linking at different points or to different posts.

Technical info

Used versions

• Device you are using: Desktop
• Operating system: Win 11
• PHP version: N/A
• WordPress version: 6.3.1
• WordPress Theme: Twenty Twenty-Three v1.2
• Yoast SEO version: 21.1
• Relevant plugins in case of a bug: WPML v4.6.6

[amboutwe]

Please inform the customer of conversation # 1054377 when this conversation has been closed.

[suascat]

Please inform the customer of conversation # 1092064 when this conversation has been closed.