Frequently Asked Questions

What folks usually want to know about the POEditor localization platform

POEditor

What do I need to do to start using the POEditor translation platform?
Just to create an account (no credit card is required for this). Then you can create as many projects as you like and start importing your strings to be localized. You can localize up to 1000 strings for free. For more strings, you can subscribe to one of our paid plans.
Can we buy a version of your software to host on our own servers?
Our software doesn't have copies for commercial purposes. You can use it as a service and benefit from its constant improvement and support.
What are "strings"?
Terms and translations are considered "strings". A project's total number of strings is the sum of its terms and translations. The total number of strings in your account is the sum of the strings in all the projects hosted on your account.
What are Open Source projects?
Open Source software localization projects. You can manage their translation without using up strings from your POEditor account. Your software is eligible for an unlimited free localization project if it is OSI approved. You can find out how to make the request here.

Translations

Is my work saved automatically?
Yes, POEditor does not have any "Save" button in the translation page, all your work is saved instantly.
Can I search for words in my terms and translations lists?
You can use the search bar in the translation page of any language to search for whatever sequences of characters you like. The search looks in the terms, translations and context and reference attributes and is case insensitive.
Why do some terms have multiple translation tabs?
Some languages have more than one plural form, depending on the number of the objects counted. If plurals are enabled for a term in such a language, POEditor provides different translation tabs for each of the plural forms.
Why does the color of my translation change?
The color of your translation changes to red when you exceed the length of the string you are translating.
How can I know when my translations are too long?
A translation will turn red if it exceeds the length of the initial term. You will also see a bubble notification when the translation exceeds double the term length.
What's with that History link that appears next to (some) of my terms?
That link is there to let you consult previous translations for each term, if there are any that are at least one hour old. The History link only appears if there's at least one translation stored in the History database.
What does "fuzzy" refer to?
A translation is usually marked as "fuzzy" if it requires further revision.
What does this symbol ␣ signify?
The ␣ symbol is used to remind the translator of a white space in the initial term.
Does the program support right to left text direction?
Yes, for the languages that use RTL text, the POEditor translation platform automatically changes the direction of the text.
Does POEditor have an autocorrect function?
No, there is no autocorrect in POEditor.
What is "Translation Memory"?
The Translation Memory is a feature available to paid accounts that memorizes all the translations added to the projects hosted on that account (including deleted translations) so that they can be used again.
Who has access to the Translation Memory?
Users with a paid subscription on the localization platform POEditor can access the Translation Memory on their own account, and can also grant access to this feature to their contributors and admins in their Account Settings.
What are "TM Suggestions"?
Translation Memory Suggestions are translation suggestions based on the translations recorded in the Translation Memory of a user with a paid subscription. The suggestions are shown in the translation pages of the localization projects owned by this paying user, provided that they enabled this feature in Account Settings
Can I join other public projects on POEditor?
You can join any public project via its public join page. If the public localization project is moderated, you’ll need to be approved as contributor by an admin or by the owner. Note that we don’t centralize these public localization projects.
I want to ignore/mark on import the untranslatable terms in an Android XML file. How can I do this?
Non-translatable strings are automatically marked in your localization projects when you import terms with a translatable="false" flag from an Android XML file.
POEditor is adding quotes to my Android strings on export. Why?
There are several reasons why POEditor has this behavior, but the main one is that quoted strings in Android localization files are safer when special characters appear. Normally, both versions (quoted or unquoted) should work in an Android app.
Can I use HTML in my Android strings?
Yes, you can use HTML but we recommend wrapping it in CDATA because we encode HTML tags on export.
I made changes in POEditor but can't see them in the app / on the site the strings belong to.
Please note that we're not involved in the management of the localization projects hosted on our platform. If you're a contributor, you should contact an admin or the localization project owner for answers to such questions.

Account

What is the AT 10 000 characters limit set for?
Those 10 000 characters are for the Automatic Translation (AT) feature. They are complimentary characters we give you to test this feature. You can purchase more characters from Account Settings Profile, following the I need more link.
I purchased an AT package but still can't add strings to my project.
AT characters and strings are not the same thing. AT characters are used as credit for the Automatic Translation feature (which in its turn uses the machine translation APIs from Google, Microsoft or DeepL, all paid 3rd party services). Strings is the metric we use for POEditor subscriptions. If you want to be able to add more strings to your project, you'll need to purchase a subscription with a higher string limit.
I purchased an AT package but my colleagues can't see the AT characters. Why?
Your contributors/admins can't use the AT characters directly from your account, but you can send some to them on this page.
How can I upgrade my plan?
Go to Billing and press the Upgrade button to get the next POEditor plan, or go to the Pricing page to check out the other plans.
How can I translate my open source software project for free?
If you have a project with an OSI-approved license that you want to localize for free, go to the project's Settings and file a request for an Open Source Project.
How do I edit my personal info?
When logged in, click on your username in the top menu and then on Account Settings. Press the Edit Profile button and a form will appear where you can edit all your info.
How do I change my email address?
To change the email address for your account, follow this link (you have to be logged in).
I don't have a password. How do I get one?
You can set a password on your account using this form: https://poeditor.com/login/recovery.
How do I remove my account?
When logged in, click on your username in the top menu and then on Account Settings. Press the Edit Profile button and look for the link that says "Want to remove your account?". Type in your password and you will receive by email a link which will remove your account when accessed.
I updated my account but still can't add strings to a project. Why is that?
The localization project is probably hosted on another account. Its owner can move it as described here. If you prefer to move the subscription, please contact us at info@poeditor.com.

Projects

Who are the contributors?
These are the users assigned to specific languages in a localization project in order to translate the strings in those languages. They are assigned by the project owner or by a project administrator.
How many contributors can I add to one software localization project?
There is no limit on the number of contributors per project.
How can I translate a project if I don't have any contributors to assign to its languages?
There are other translation options you can choose from, including to order human translation services and machine translation.
How can I control a contributor's access to my project?
In the Contributors page, the owner of the project and the admins can Approve, Block or Remove contributors. More information on how to manage contributors is available here.
Can several contributors work on localizing the same language?
Yes. We don't limit the number of contributors you can add to a language. And we have a Realtime Translation System in place, which lets users know if there are others connected to the same language or translating the same string at the same time.
Do contributors receive notifications from POEditor if I make changes in my project?
Users are not notified automatically. We describe here how you can notify contributors.
Can I communicate with my contributors on POEditor?
You can use the comment section to communicate with contributors or send them notifications.
What are the functions of an administrator?
An administrator can do about everything the owner of a localization project can do, with some exceptions. Note that you can only add admins to speficific localization projects and not to your entire POEditor account.
What localization files can I use with the translation platform POEditor?
You can import strings from the localization file formats listed here.
How do I import my terms and translations to a POEditor localization project?
You can import terms and translations in multiple ways: in the user interface, using the API or using an integration with a code hosting service. If you're working with WordPress, you can also use this plugin.
POEditor is not adding new terms to my project on import. What gives?
Please make sure that you're using the Import functionality in the main project page and not the one in a translation page. Note that you have to be an admin or the owner of the localization project to be able to import terms (contributors can't do this).
Can I import files from my GitHub/Bitbucket/GitLab/Azure DevOps account?
You can. We are integrated with all these code hosting services.
How can I update a list of terms in a POEditor project?
You can manually add/remove terms in any project's Terms page or in bulk using the Import functionality (available in the UI, with the API and the code hosting service integrations).
My excel worksheet doesn't import correctly. What do I do?
Your Excel file will be imported correctly if the data it contains is in the following format: term, translation (optional), context (optional), reference (optional), comment (optional). Note that it is not possible to import several languages at the same time, each language file needs to be in the aforementioned format and imported individually.
How can I delete all the translations from one language?
You can delete all the translations from a language in a POEditor project using Flush All Translations feature in its corresponding translation language page.
Is there a way I can find out the number of words of my translations?
If you're a contributor, you can find this information in the Stats page (look for the statistics button at the top of the translation page). Admins and the project owner have this information available for the entire project in the project's Stats section. They can also see how many words are left to be translated in a language as described here.
Where is the export functionality/how do I export?
You can export the translations in a language using the Export button at the top of any language's translation page.
What is "Reference Language" helpful for?
Setting a reference language helps your localization process by allowing you to see translations from another language used in the localization project. The texts in the reference language appear above each original term.
Is there any way to make the Reference Language permanent?
The Reference Language remains the same while you are logged on to the POEditor translation platform for the same session. If you log out or change the browser, you have to choose your Reference Language again.
Can I set one of my languages as a Default Reference Language for all the contributors in one project?
Yes, you can set one of your translated languages as Default Reference Language for all contributors if you edit your project settings as such.
Where is the "Automatic Translation" function's information taken from?
Automatic translations are made with either the translation engine from Google, or the one from Microsoft, depending on your choice.
Why aren't Automatic Translation characters free of charge?
Because the Automatic Translation feature works with the translation engine provided by (either) Google or Microsoft (your choice), and they charge the automatic translations you perform by the character. The first 10 000 AT characters are on us, so you can test their services before you start paying for them.
How can I get more Automatic Translation characters?
When logged in, click on your username in the top menu and then on Account Settings. Then follow the I need more link next to the number of Automatic Translation Characters Left. Choose the package that suits you best.
I can't find Belgian Dutch (nl-be), isn't it in the language list?
It's there. Just look for Flemish.
How can I change the ownership of a project?
If you are the owner of the localization project (the user hosting the project), go to the project's settings and use the Request Project Transfer link at the bottom of the page.

Still got question marks lying around?

Feel free to contact us using our Contact page or at info@poeditor.com and we'll get back to you ASAP.

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