Knowledge Base

Documentation to help you use the POEditor localization platform effectively

How to use POEditor as a contributor

Contributor

Are you a translator working with POEditor? Here you can find out how you can perform all sorts of tasks in a localization project with your contributor role.

How to add translations to a language

To start translating in a project, access a language in your Dashboard to go to that language's translation page.

Then, just type the translations corresponding to the source texts in the left column in the empty boxes on the right. Your work is saved automatically, so don't go looking for any Save button.

How to add translations to a localization project - POEditor

How to import translations from a file

To add translations from a file to a language in the localization project, use the Import functionality. If you check the box to overwrite old translations, all the translations in the project will be updated with those in the file. Otherwise, only the empty translation fields will be filled in.

How to import translations to a localization project - POEditor

How to use machine translation

To fill in all the empty translation boxes in the language at hand with machine translations, you can use the Automatic Translation feature. If you cannot see this feature, it means that it was not enabled in the localization project's settings, and you will need to get in touch with an admin or with the project owner to enable it if you want to use it.

How to do quality checks

POEditor helps you do quality checks in real time by showing you visual notifications while you translate. We tell you when you miss placeholders, newlines and whitespaces, and when your translation exceeds the length of the original string.

Missing placeholder - POEditor localization management platform

You can also preview HTML and Markdown to make sure you get the syntax right.

How to signal that strings need to be revised

To make it easy for your team to see the translations that require being revised, just hit the F button (Fuzzy). All project members with access to the language will be able to filter the fuzzy translations using the Order and the Show menus.

Translation marked as Fuzzy - POEditor translation management platform

How to filter translations

Using the Order and Show menus, you can choose the way you want the strings to be displayed in the Translations page.

How to filter strings in a translation page - POEditor localization platform

How to add comments on strings

If you have something to say to your team regarding a translation, hit the speech bubble-shaped button next to the translation box. It will open the comment section corresponding to the string at hand, where you can type in your comment or view the comments made by other team members.

Comments (Translation page) - POEditor localization platform

The comment button will be marked with green if the last comment was left by an admin or the project owner, and orange if a contributor last posted a comment.

How to proofread translations

Proofreading rights are granted to contributors by the project owner or by admins in the project's Settings page. To mark a string as Proofread, just hit the check button. In any language, Proofread and Not proofread can be used as filters.

Proofread translation - POEditor localization management platform

How to view your translation progress

By clicking on the Stats button in the language page, you’ll be able to see your contribution to the localization process: Words, characters (Chars), Translations (number of translated strings) and Percentage of completion. If you’re working on a software localization project with labels as terms and a set Default Reference Language, you will also be able to see Reference Words (Ref. Words) and Reference Chars (Ref. Chars).

Contributor Stats - POEditor translation management system

How to change the Reference Language

This feature only appears if the project owner or an admin has granted you Read access to all the languages in the project's settings. With it, you can choose as source language to be displayed on the left side of the translation page any of the project's existing languages.

Set reference language - POEditor translation management software

How to consult previous translation versions

To view previous translation versions, you need to hover over the string to be translated and click on the History link. This link will not appear if the string was never translated with POEditor.

History link

How to use the Translation Memory

You can use the Translation Memory feature to recycle existing translation that exactly match your source string in two ways.

One way is to load translations in bulk from the TM, as shown below.

Translation Memory searched - POEditor translation management system

The other way is to use Translation Memory Suggestions for individual strings.

Translation Memory suggestion - POEditor translation management system

If you can't see any of these features, it means the project owner hasn't enabled them in their Account Settings.

How to notify the project owner

If needed, you can send a notification to the project owner. Click on the link displayed right below the projects's name to go to a form where you can write a message for the localization project owner. They will receive it on email.

How to notify the localization project owner - POEditor

How to export translations to a file

To download the strings to your computer in one of the supported file formats, use the Export functionality. In Advanced Options, you can filter specific groups of strings and edit the filename.

Download translations to file - POEditor translation platform

Additional help

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