Editor

Set up the Editor

Editor setup | Smartcat Help Center User settings allow you to automate work in the Editor to improve the process of working with segments that have been translated previously. To open user settings click on the hamburger menu at the top-right corner. Your settings will work only for you and apply to all the projects you work with. You can change the settings at any time. View Options To work comfortably you can set up your own Editor view. Translation mode. Here you can choose how the translation will be rendered for your website visitors. Compact mode. Minimum menus and panels. Show segment borders. Each segment will be surrounded by a thin borderline for simpler text scanning. Alternate row colors. Every second row will have a dadker color. Automatically show source and target preview. The target preview will be displayed next to the translation if available.  Automatic Translation Insertion When working with a text, you can insert translation memory matches, AI translations, or original text into segments. But you can configure the system so that as you move to each new segment that is not yet translated, the best match from the TM, AI translation, or the source text is automatically inserted. Note that a translation will be applied only if the target field of the segment is empty when you place the cursor in it. Automatic insertion is set up by selecting rules. Check the boxes next to the rules which you want to apply. As you move to each new segment, the system executes the rules you selected one after another until one of them succeeds. If you want the system to copy the source of segments which contain only digits and non-alphabetic characters into the target (for example, arithmetic operators, the paragraph symbol and percentage symbol, etc.), enable the rule Copy the source text containing only numbers and non-alphabetic characters into target. You can specify that the system must confirm such segments right away. To configure the system for automatically inserting TM matches, enable the rule Insert translation memory matches no less than X% and specify starting from what match (in percentages) an entry of the translation memory should be inserted. You can also check the Confirm matches that are 100% and higher box to confirm a TM match after insertion. Even if you don't like the inserted translation, you will be able to correct it and confirm it again. If you use AI translation in your project, we suggest you enable the rule Insert AI Translation output. Then, the system will insert AI translation into segments for which no matches from the translation memory have been found, and this rule will be in effect on all projects for which AI translation is enabled. You can also use the Copy the source text to the target segment rule, so the system copies the original text into a segment that has neither TM match nor AI translation output. After configuring translation insertion, press the Save button. Auto-Propagation of Repetitions In most cases, repeated segments are translated in the same way, but, depending on the context, they may require different translations. To automate your work with repetitions, you can set up auto-propagation. Then, after you confirm a segment, the translation will be automatically copied to all its instances within the document. To enable the automatic insertion of translations into repeated segments, check the Auto-propagate repetitions box and specify is you want the repetitions to be propagated from the beginning of a text, or only from the current segment to the end of the document. The Propagate to segments with differences in case option allows you to auto-propagate repetitions when the text in the target differs from source by case. If you enable the Propagate to confirmed segments option, the translation will be copied into segments with repetitions even if they have already been confirmed. Otherwise, the system will insert translations only into unconfirmed segments. Use the Confirm auto-propagated segments option if you want the system to immediately confirm the propagated translations. Note that the auto-propagation settings will be applied to all of your projects and accounts. If you work in a corporate account, the manager can configure the auto-propagation settings for the project. In this case, you cannot change the settings. After configuring auto-propagation, press the Save button. You'll see an arrow icon to the left of each segment that is repeated within a document. If you want to exclude a segment from repetitions, click the arrow icon to its left. Thus, the target won't propagate to segments with the same source. Changes made to segments with the same source will not apply to the excluded segment. Segment Confirmation By default, the system moves the focus to the next segment when you confirm a segment. As an option, you can set to go to the next unconfirmed segment.

Use hotkeys in the Editor

Editor hotkeys | Smartcat Help Center Discover all the Smartcat keyboard shortcuts for both Windows and macOS In this article, learn all the Smartcat shortcuts for Windows or macOS systems. As a result, you'll be able to edit text with faster and more conveniently. Windows keyboard shortcuts On your computer keyboard, use the following commands for an easier, faster workflow. Undo last action: Ctrl+Z Redo last action: Ctrl+Y Select/unselect segments: Ctrl+[left click] Insert the match with the given number from the CAT Panel to the target: Ctrl+[Number of the match in the CAT Panel] Navigate between the results in the CAT: Ctrl+[Up arrow or Down arrow] Confirm the current segment: Ctrl+Enter Insert a special character: Ctrl+Shift+I Concordance search: Ctrl+K Insert a new term to the glossary: Ctrl+E Jump to the segment number: Ctrl+G Change the case: Shift+F3 Insert tags in series: F8 Insert the tag with the given number in the target: Alt+[the tag number] Go to the next unconfirmed segment: F9 Copy source to target: Ctrl+Insert Add a line break (only available when translating SRT files): Ctrl+Q Find the next terminology error: F7 Navigate between the source and the target: Tab Go to the next segment: Enter or Down arrow key Go to the previous segment: Up arrow key Split the segment (cursor in the source cell): Ctrl+Shift+S Segment merging (multiple segments of the same paragraph selected): Ctrl+Shift+J Open your user preferences: Alt+Ctrl+S Revert the segment to the previous stage: Alt+Shift+Delete MacOS keyboard shortcuts On your macOS keyboard, use the following commands for an easier, faster workflow. Undo last action: Cmd+Z Redo last action: Shift+Cmd+Z Select/unselect segments: Cmd+[left click] Insert the match with the given number from the CAT Panel to the target: Ctrl+[Number of the match in the CAT Panel] Navigate between the results in the CAT: Ctrl+[Up arrow or Down arrow] Confirm the current segment: Cmd+Enter Insert a special character: Cmd+Shift+I Concordance search: Cmd+K Insert a new term to the glossary: Cmd+E Go to the segment number: Cmd+G Change the case: Shift+Fn+F3 Insert tags in series: Fn+F8 Insert the tag with the given number in the target: Option+[the tag number] Go to the next unconfirmed segment: Fn+F9 Copy source to target: Cmd+Shift+S Add a line break (for SRT files only): Fn+F8 Find the next terminology error: Fn+F7 Navigate between the source and the target: Tab Go to the next segment: Enter or Down arrow key Go to the previous segment: Up arrow key Split the segment (cursor in the source cell): Shift+Cmd+S Segment merging (multiple segments of the same paragraph selected): Shift+Cmd+J Open your user preferences: Option+Cmd+S Revert the segment to the previous stage: Shift+fn+Home

Preview source text

Source text preview | Smartcat Help Center The Source Preview feature offers a real-time preview of the original text to provide you deeper context. You can find the preview at the bottom or on the right of the editing area there you'll see how the source text looks in the original file. Drag the slider up to view more of your document. The Source preview is available for just some file formats. It also not to be confused with the Target preview features, available for subtitles and HTML files and allowing viewing the translations applied on top of the source videos or converted to HTML.

Explore the Smartcat Editor

Smartcat Editor overview | Smartcat Help Center Get a brief overview of the different editing features you can use on Smartcat Editor Smartcat Editor is Smartcat's proprietary computer-assisted translation (CAT) tool, available to all clients via their Smartcat workspace to review and edit their translations. It is designed to enable total translation quality and consistency and to collaborate with colleagues as well as external linguists. Understanding Smartcat Editor Smartcat Editor is made up of different elements and features to optimize the translation editing step. 1. Toolbar with search bar and the a wide range of editing commands. 2. The editing area that contains the source and target texts, the translation source, and the segment confirmation box 3. The CAT panel containing the translation memory, automatic translation, and glossary matches. 4. A series of tabs for communication, QA and revisions history. The screenshot below shows a sample English to French translation project after Smartcat Language AI has performed an automatic translation. Use shortcuts for faster, easier editing With Smartcat, you can use a wide range of keyboard shortcuts to make the editing process as efficient as possible. Working in the editing area In the editing area, you can see your source text on the left and its translation on the right. Both sides are split into segments. In the editing area you can do the following.View the translation source – AI translation or translation memorySee the notifications on any spelling or grammar errorsReview, correct and confirm specific segmentsSee the in-context preview of the target text (if the format is supported)Read comments – such as instructions or questions from a colleague or an external linguist – corresponding to a specific word, phrase or segmentSearch the source or target text for specific language entries The CAT Panel This displays matches from the translation memory, AI translation output, and glossary terms found for wordings or words within source segments. Here, you can also find information about the translation memory, its name, the exact source where the last update was made, the update history, and the AI translation engine used, if applicable. To insert a match, double-click it in the CAT panel. If you have several suggestions, press Ctrl plus the number of the suggestion in the CAT panel ( Ctrl+1, Ctrl+2, etc.). CAT Info The CAT info panel displays the differences between the new source segment and any matches found in the translation memory. It also performs concordance searches. Concordance search enables you to search for a term in the entirety of the translation memories associated with the project in the source or target text. Tabbed Area The tabs let you streamline collaboration and communication between your team members and perform quality assurance. In the tabbed area you can do the following.View translation suggestionsPerform concordance searchView revisions history, including information on the name of the user who modified the text, as well as the time and date of the actionSee the quality issues found in the translation during LQAView comments to the document and the specific segmentPreview the translation formatting

Conduct concordance searches

Conducting concordance searches | Smartcat Help Center As you move from one segment to the next, the system offers you translation matches from the TM. However, you might be seeking the translation of a single word or phrase rather than the entire segment. In such cases, you can use the concordance search by searching the TM for matches containing the word or phrase. Select the word in the Source or Target field and press the button in the toolbar or Ctrl+K.  The word will be copied to the concordance search field, and the Concordance Search tab will display matches from translation memories applied to the project and containing the keyword. Alternatively, you can also type in the word in the Concordance Search tab, select Source or Target, and hit the Search button. One of the advantages of a tool like Smartcat where the data is centralized is that concordance searches will look in the entire TM, not its local subset. This results in more relevant matches. To find translations of a word or phrase in any available TMs that are not enabled on the project, use the Global Search tab under Linguistic assets in the main workspace. Then hit Global concordance and type in a keyword. To figure out a translation memory where the keyword is found, hit the downward arrow to the right of the keyword.

Add placeholders

Adding placeholders | Smartcat Help Center Placeholders are variables that are supposed to replace certain text content, for example: names, numbers, dates, images, etc. All placeholders must be copied to the translation, however in some cases you need to insert them manually. Inserting placeholders using hotkeys To insert a placeholder, click on the target text where the placeholder should be, and press Ctrl+Alt and the placeholder number: Ctrl+Alt+1, Ctrl+Alt+2, etc. Inserting placeholders using mouse To insert a placeholder, place your cursor in the target text where the placeholder should be, and then click on the placeholder icon in the Source. You can also press the button that will appear in your toolbar if the source segment contains a placeholder or Ctrl+Q. If a segment contains multiple placeholders, they will be inserted in the same order as they appear in the Source. Adding custom placeholders You can add your own placeholder formats on the Placeholders tab that can be accessed from the Settings menu. Use regular expressions to create placeholder formats in which variables will be imported from files in the following formats: CSV, INC, JSON, MQXLIFF, PHP, PO, RESX, SDLXLIFF, STRINGS, TJSON, TTX, XLF, XLIFF, XML\*. Placeholders are applied one after another starting from the uppermost but you are free to change the sequence. You can test placeholders using this tool. *Please note that placeholder settings are valid for the whole account, that is, for every project within. So if you need different placeholders for different projects, we strongly advise you against restarting markup or refreshing project files after you change your placeholder settings or their order. Adding placeholders when creating a project 1. Upload a file to a project and click its name in the Documents section. The Settings menu will appear on the right. 2. Click the Use placeholders to import variables checkbox. Note: you have to adjust the settings separately for each file. Once project creation is completed, placeholder markup will be applied to the selected files. Adding placeholders after creating a project Go to the project page and hit the Mark Up Placeholders button. This button also allows you to refresh placeholder markup after you add/remove placeholders or change their order in the settings*. *Please note that if placeholders were added to already confirmed segments after markup refresh, these segments will no longer be confirmed since a missing placeholder is a critical error. FAQ What are placeholders used for? Placeholders are rules that can be added to an account to protect text that should not be translated and that the users wants to protect from the Placeholders are rules that can be added to an account to protect text that should not be translated and that the users wants to protect from the translation team.

Find and replace text in the Editor

Text replacement in Editor | Smartcat Help Center You can search for specific text in the Editor using the filter in the toolbar. To find text within a document, select a word or a phrase in the source or translation and press Ctrl+F. The selected fragment will be copied to the search field, and the system will display only the segments containing this text. You can also enter the text into the search field manually as the toolbar also contains the text search and filter bar which can be expanded by pressing the 'pencil' icon in the upright corner of the toolbar. The left and right arrow buttons next to the Target field can be used to find next and previous occurrences of the word in the translation. To narrow down your search you can press the Add filters button and apply extra search criteria such as revision date, source text specifics, or the author of the revision. To replace the fragment, hit the Raplace button or Ctrl+H and fill in the Replace with field, then press Replace or Replace All. To update the search results, hit the Raplace button. In case you want to clear the filter and see all segments, hit the cross.

Add images as visual context

Adding images for context | Smartcat Help Center Giving a linguist as much context as possible is especially important when localizing games and apps and in cases, segments might contain only a word or two, so the context is harder to grasp and the same text within repetitions might have to be translated differently depending on the position in the user interface. Therefore, without additional information, the linguist cannot tell whether the text belongs to a button, a tooltip, the name of a column in a table, and so on. This is why there is a feature in Smartcat that allows linguists to attach screenshots and images to segments. Adding an image 1. Select a segment in the Editor, then press the button with the camera icon on the toolbar. 2. Upload the file or add a link to the image in the dialog box*. *If you don't see the button on the toolbar, let us know, and we will enable the feature for you. Alternatives 1. You can add either a link to an image stored in an external location in the comment to a segment (.jpg or.png). 2. You can or add links to images to the source file. This method works for special localization formats, such as.resx, .po and .strings. To upload a screenshot, you need to add a link to the image in the comment to the line in the source file. When uploading the file, Smartcat automatically recognizes all the images and uploads them. Viewing added images Segments to which screenshots have been attached are marked with the camera icon. Click on it to see the screenshot.

Understand tags

Effective use of tags | Smartcat Help Center Get a better understanding of Smartcat Editor tags and both automatic and manual tagging Tags are used on the Smartcat platform to maintain the formatting or internal code – like index entries or cross-references – of your original document. If the original file that you uploaded for translation contains any tags – such as markup, links, or formatting – they are transferred to the Smartcat Editor, the platform's CAT tool. Note that tags are important to ensure the correct formatting of the document. To keep the formatting of the source document, the tags should be placed in the same order they are placed in the source text. Automatically applied tags in translation segments There are instances when Smartcat automatically creates tags for your translations to improve your workflow. Here are the three primary types of automatic tag. 1. Segment copiesAutomatic tags are generated when a segment is a repetition – an exact copy – of another segment that has already been translated within your translation project.2. Automatic engine auto-tag supportCertain automatic translation engine support tag auto-insertion. For instance, Google Neural translation engine inserts its translated output into specific segments.3. Context matchesA segment has a context match in a translation memory applied to the project, and the match is inserted.The below image provides an example of what tags look like on the Smartcat Editor user interface: the five-sided orange shapes with numbers inside them. An example of a tag highlighted in red inside Smartcat Editor Adding tags manually Sometimes you may need to add or delete tags manually. You can also delete a tag in the same manner as any other symbol. If the translation is missing a tag that is present in the source text you can add it quickly and easily yourself. Follow these instructions to do so:Place the cursor in the translation text where you want to place a tag or select the target phrase with your cursorUse the keyboard shortcut of Alt + tag number Alternatively you can place the cursor in the translation where you need to put a tag or select the target phrase and click on the tag icon in the source text. Note: If a segment contains multiple tags, they will be inserted in the same order as they appear in the source.

Insert special characters

Inserting special characters | Smartcat Help Center If you need to type a character that is not on the keyboard, click on the translation text and press Ω, or Ctrl+Shift+I. In the window that opens, select a character and press Insert . The characters in bold can be inserted using the hotkeys, so you don’t have to open the menu. Hover the pointer over a character to find out the combination. Custom special characters You can add up to 40 characters you use most frequently to the window for quick access. To do this, press the big Add special characters button, copy the characters you want to add into the clipboard, paste them in the corresponding field one by one or in a sequence and then hit Add. You can find more special charecters at this website.

Using the multi-documents work mode in Editor

How to use the multi-documents work mode in Smartcat Editor Managing translations across multiple documents in diverse languages can be complex. The Editor's multi-documents work mode simplifies this process, allowing you to efficiently handle projects with various language iterations. Accessing Multi-Documents Mode in Your Project Navigate to Any Document in Your Project Open a document within your project.Scroll to the end of the document.Look for the "Open all Documents" button at the end of the document.Click this button to access the multi-documents mode options. Selecting your preferred mode Choose the option that best suits your needs: Open all language versions for the current document (for managing translations across different languages of the same document).Open all documents for a specific language (to focus on documents in a particular language).Open all documents in all languages (for a comprehensive view of your project scope). Interface changes in multi-Documents mode Once in multi-documents mode, the editor's interface will display: The total number of active documents (e.g., (2) indicating two documents).The cumulative word count of all documents in your project.A header indicating the specific document from which the displayed segments belong. Bulk operations and enhanced functionality In multi-documents mode, take advantage of powerful features: Filters, Search, and Replace Functions: Use filters and perform searches across all documents simultaneously.Compare translations across different documents to ensure consistency. Apply the replace feature to update translations universally across all project documents with ease.

Filter segments in the Editor

Segment filtering for productivity | Smartcat Help Center In the Editor, you can filter segments by various criteria. Available filters Segment status / Key.This filter lets you locate segments at a specific workflow stage (translation, post-editing, all) or translation stage (no translation/confirmed/unconfirmed), and exclude locked segments if needed.  Segment revisions. This filter tab allows finding segments by the revision dates, workflow stages, and specific authors.  Source text. This tab lets you filter segments by their content, and include or exclude repetitions. Learn more about repetitions. You can also use this filter to show or hide segments that contain only numbers. In this case you will see segments with at least one number and one text character. Comments. Use the With comments checkbox to find segments with comments. Errors. This filter helps to find segments with detected or ignored errors.  Note that segments with critical errors cannot be confirmed before the errors are corrected. So if you apply the Confirmed filter in parallel, segments with critical errors will not be displayed. The Ignored option is only available for freelancers. Source of last input. This option lets you filter segments by their translation source (MT, updated from file, manual input) and the match percentage for translation memory matches. Learn more about TM matches.  Note that the source used in this filter is the most recent insertion. For example, if first a fuzzy match from the translation memory was inserted into a segment, and then replaced by a 102% match, the segment will be filtered as a 102% match. Files with keys related to software localization projects have a filter for searching source segments by Segment ID Adding and removing filters To filter segments, click Add filters in the search bar of the toolbar and select a combination of search parameters from the drop-down menu.You can combine different filtering parameters and simultaneously search and replace text in the filtered segments. Filtering results are updated in real time as you configure filters. To reset filters and display all segments, simply close the segment-filtering window.

Join and split segments in the Editor

Segment joining and splitting | Smartcat Help Center Learn how to join and split segments quickly and easily in Smartcat Editor When you upload your file(s) for translation, Smartcat automatically splits the source text into segments of sentences. But what if you want to split or join these segments even further? In Smartcat, this is super easy to do. How to join segments in Smartcat Editor To merge segments simply follow these instructions. Press and hold Shift or Ctrl on your keyboardSelect the segments that you want to merge with your mouse or keypadClick on the following icon, as shown in the screenshot below: Alternatively, you can use the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+J The segments you selected will now be joined in the same segment. How to split a segment in two in Smartcat Editor To split a segment into two parts do the following. Place your cursor precisely where you want to split the source text sentenceClick on the following icon, as shown in the screenshot below: Alternatively, you can use the shortcut, Ctrl+Shift+S The split will occur at precisely the point where you indicated. Now you should know how to quickly and easily join and split segments in Smartcat.

Review and edit AI translations in Smartcat Editor

Post-edit AI translation | Smartcat Help Center Learn how to quickly verify, edit and confirm AI translated content in the Smartcat Editor. You have just translated a document, web page, video, PDF or other piece of content using Smartcat's AI automatic translation , which usually takes seconds or a few minutes at most. Now, you want to verify the resulting translation and make edits to ensure its quality, that it adheres to your brand voice, style, and terminology. Smartcat AI saves and learns from your edits Thankfully, AI translation is good at learning about your content and already starts at about 80% accuracy, depending on the language pair. Then, it further learns from your edits in what we can adaptive learning loops. You never need to edit or fix the same segment of text twice to ensure its accuracy, as it's all saved in your central record of content. Translations are correctly applied to all future content. You can choose to change the correct translation at any time if you or your company have decided that a different message or turn of phrase is needed. How to post edit AI translation in the Smartcat Editor The first step is of course to translate your content with Smartcat AI. If you have translated a document and landed on the screen below, click on “Open Editor”. You can also reach the Editor by clicking on the file in the Files section of your project, as seen here: You can also see in this view that it has been pre-translated by Smartcat AI. How to edit an automatic translation in the Smartcat Editor Next, you'll go to the Smartcat Editor, which shows both languages in two parallel columns, the source text on the left and the corresponding AI translation on the right showed in so-called “strings” or segments. It's not done sentence by sentence as this doesn't always ensure that the original format is kept when you go to export it afterward. To make the edits, you simply type right into the text box for the translation of each segment. Once you are done with your correction, you can check the box on the right side of the segment to show that it has been done, i.e. this confirms that this segment has been both post-edited and confirmed for accuracy. If you forget to confirm each segment you have post-edited, you can confirm them all at once by clicking on the icon on the top left corner and then selecting “confirm all segments.” Stage Progress You can follow the progress of your post-editing on the top right, which will indicate how much of the file you have indeed completed. You'll also see if the initial AI translation was complete. Quality assurance You will see a small yellow warning sign if you have any spelling or grammar mistakes to pay attention to: This will help you keep quality high. This will also be shown in the quality section of the sidebar as well as in the file preview: Editor features There are so many great features, shortcuts, and tools to be found in the Smartcat Editor that can help you in your post-editing. Go to unconfirmed segment Click the following icon or F9 to go the next uncomfirmed segment that needs to be post-edited, verified or checked. You can then confirm it once you are satisfied with the translation. Go to specific segment number You can go to a specific segment by number. This is useful if you and your team are collaborating and discussing one segment in particular. All segments are numbered. Redo / undo translation The next icon is your typical undo and redo buttons. Copy source text into translation segment You can copy the source text to the translation. Sometimes you need this if you want to keep the source language in the translation as well, like with specific terms for example. Clear translation in target text segment You can also clear the translation, i.e. the target language segment if you want to completely re-do the translation. Replace terms The replace option is your typical replace option if you want to replace a term with another all at once. AI Actions for fast editing AI actions – You can edit translations with one click of the button using AI actions. These are prompts that will edit the target text instantaneously. You have rephrase, shorten, translate with GPT, fix punctuation, and fix grammar. You can also create your prompts if you have a Unite or Enterprise subscription plan. Add a special character You can add a special character, like a symbol. Add character count limit You can also select the segment max length, which can be crucial for copy on websites and in designs to make sure they don't go over the allotted space. Revert to a previous stage in the workflow If you want to revert the segment to a previous stage, meaning to AI translated, post-edited, proofread, etc. click on this next icon. That will signal that it needs to be re-done. Add new term to custom dictionary You can create a custom dictionary for each file and store this within your linguistic assets. Search a term Concordance search means that you can find terms that might fit this particular word to ensure that it fits your brand voice and terminology. Preview for extra context As you post-edit the translation, you can also see a preview of it in the Smartcat Editor. This can come in handy to understand the context of the translation. You can see previews of your documents, presentations, PDFs, videos, designs, websites, and more. Never translate blindly, use the preview for specific results! What to do when you are done post-editing an AI translation When you are done with the post-editing, you can two things:Export the resulting file, i.e. the translation. You can export the resulting file with confirmed edits or with uncomfirmed edits. Downloading it here is great if you want to simply upload a file for translation and download it again to be used immediately. You can also click “Done.” This will notify your project manager that you are done post-editing. They can then have the text re-checked by internal reviewers for example. Clicking “Done” will also ensure that any continuously localization workflow setups know that the translation is complete and can be pulled into the integrated platform(s) automatically. For example, this is the case with Smartcat integrations like WordPress, Salsify, Google Docs, Google spreadsheet, and more. And that concludes how you post-edit translations and use the Smartcat Editor! FAQ Does Smartcat import Word headers and footers? Header and footers are imported as separate segments and it seems that they are placed at the beginning of the file. There could be situations where the headers and footers are made up of automated references like for example, chapter name or page number or file name. These would be replaced by tags in the editor, and might not even been displayed at all if the segment does not contain any translatable text. The is true with table of contents or other Word fields. But they are generated based on content from the file itself so no translation is needed.