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Documentation to help you use the POEditor localization platform effectively

How to add terms to a localization project

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Project owners and administrators can add terms to a localization project at POEditor. They can import them to the project from a file or add them manually. They can also use the integrations with code hosting platforms, the WordPress plugin (when localizing a WP plugin or site) or the API.

Importing terms in the project page

In the project page, click on Import to upload strings from any of the supported localization file formats.

Import terms (Project page) - POEditor localization management platform

There are a number of Advanced Options you can choose at the import step. They are described here.

If your terms are keys/string IDs, like it's the case for Android or iOS localization files, you will also want to check the box to Also import translations to... the language in your project which you also use as source language in your software. Setting this language as Default Reference Language will show the translations in the source language on the left column, in the translation page, instead of the labels.

Manually adding terms in the Terms page

If you want to add terms manually, one by one, go to the project page and click on Terms.

View or Add Terms Button (Project page) - POEditor Localization Platform

You can manually add a term here by clicking on the + button at the top of the page, typing it and pressing Save.

Add Term (Terms) - POEditor Localization Platform

To open the Add Terms form, you can also click on the + key (the keyboard shortcut to add a new term), when your focus is not in a text box.

Adding terms from GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab or Azure Repos

Before adding terms, you need to connect your POEditor account with your code hosting platform of choice (in Account Settings) and a language in your localization project. Then, link this language with the file in your repo containing your software's source language.

To add terms, click on the Get terms button corresponding to the language linked to that file. You don't have to click on the Get terms button for each language, unless you have different terms in the files linked to the languages at POEditor, and want to bring them all under the same project.

Bitbucket integration options - POEditor app localization tool

If your terms are labels (keys/string IDs), you will also want to import translations, checking the box next to the language, select at the bottom of the page to Import translations from GitHub/Bitbucket/GitLab/Azure DevOps and press Go. Then, set this language as Default Reference Language in the project's Settings.

Adding terms from WordPress

Before being able to add terms, you need to install the POEditor translation management plugin to your WP instance, so you can connect your POEditor account. Then, create a project and add a language to it. Link the local WordPress file to the language you've created, then press the Export button next to it to send the terms from WordPress to your POEditor project.

WordPress translation management plugin - POEditor localization platform

A more detailed guide to setting up WordPress localization project is available here.

Adding terms via API

To add terms with the API, use the terms/add method.

What gets updated when a new term import is made

The plural forms are updated whenever a new terms import is made to a localization project. If no plurals exist in the file, the ones in the project are deleted.

The reference attribute also gets updated (except for when the import is made from a Key-Value JSON file). If there are no comments for a term in the project, the first comment that term has in the file gets imported to the project. Any new terms imported to the localization project are added at the end of the terms list.

To keep track of the imported strings, mark them with a tag. Tagging strings allows you to filter them during translation and on export.

Additional help

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