Understanding Smartwords

Overview

Smartwords are Smartcat's universal currency for AI-powered translation services. They function as a shared pool of credits at the organization level that any team member can draw from to use AI features like AI translation, AI Actions, and Content Generation.

Understanding how Smartwords work helps you monitor usage, manage costs, and avoid unexpected depletion of your translation budget.

Key concepts and terminology

Prerequisites

• Active Smartcat account with Smartwords allocation

• Organization admin or workspace member access

• Understanding that Smartwords are shared across your entire organization

⚠️ Important: Smartwords are shared at the organization level. Any team member with access to your organization can consume from the shared pool.

How Smartwords are consumed

Smartwords are consumed when you use AI-powered features in Smartcat. The basic consumption rate is 1 Smartword per source word processed.

AI features that consume Smartwords:

• AI Translation

• AI Actions (rewrite, shorten, expand, etc.)

• AI Content Generation

• AI Assistant

• AI Dubbing

Special consumption rates:

• AI Dubbing: 10x Smartwords per word

How it works

Step 1 — Check your current balance

1. Look at the top navigation bar in Smartcat

2. Find the Smartwords counter (displays your current balance)

3. Click the counter to see detailed balance information and recent activity

Step 2 — Access the Smartwords Usage Report

1. Click the Smartwords counter in the top navigation

2. Select "View report" from the dropdown

3. Alternatively, go to Workspace → Smartwords from the main menu

Step 3 — Review your consumption breakdown

1. Select the time period you want to analyze

2. Review the consumption events listed in the report

3. Each row shows: date, action type, project name, user, and Smartwords consumed

4. Download a CSV export for detailed analysis if needed

Step 4 — Monitor usage patterns

1. Check consumption by user to see who is using Smartwords

2. Review consumption by project to identify high-usage projects

3. Look for unexpected consumption spikes or patterns

4. Set up regular monitoring to avoid balance depletion

Tracking and filtering your usage history

The Smartwords Usage Report gives you a full breakdown of consumption events across your organization. Use it to investigate unexpected balance drops, monitor team usage, or audit project costs.

To access your usage history:

1. Click the Smartwords counter in the top navigation bar.

2. Select View report from the dropdown, or go to Workspace → Smartwords.

3. The report loads with your most recent consumption events listed chronologically.

To filter your usage history:

1. Use the date range selector at the top of the report to narrow results to a specific period — for example, the past 7 days or a custom date range.

2. Use the User filter to see consumption by a specific team member.

3. Use the Project filter to isolate usage from a specific project.

4. Use the Action type filter to view only specific feature usage — for example, AI translation only, or AI Dubbing only.

To export your usage data:

1. Apply any filters you need to scope the export.

2. Click Download CSV at the top of the report.

3. The CSV includes all visible columns: date, action type, project name, user, and Smartwords consumed.

💡 Tip: If your balance dropped unexpectedly overnight, filter by date to the relevant period and check the User and Action type columns to identify the source quickly.

⚠️ Reminder: Smartwords are shared at the organization level. Consumption events from any team member will appear in the same report.

How Smartwords are calculated

Understanding exactly how Smartwords are calculated helps you anticipate costs before processing files and avoid unexpected balance depletion.

Base calculation

The standard rate is 1 Smartword per source word processed. For example, a 2,000-word document translated using AI translation consumes 2,000 Smartwords.

Special rates

Some content types and features use rates that differ from the base calculation:

Image translation — 1,000 SW flat rate
Translating text within images (via OCR) costs a flat rate of 1,000 Smartwords per image, regardless of the amount of text in the image. This flat rate reflects the additional processing required to detect, extract, and translate embedded text.

⚠️ Note: If a document contains multiple images with text, each image is charged separately at the 1,000 SW flat rate.

AI Dubbing — 10x multiplier
AI Dubbing also applies the 10x multiplier due to the additional processing required for voice synthesis and lip-sync alignment.

Course Editor (AI Course Creation) — Variable rates

The Course Editor uses different consumption rates based on content type:

• Text elements: 1 SW per generated word

• Video generation: 10 SW per word (based on script length)

• AI-generated images: 500 SW per image

Typical Course Estimates:

Microlearning Courses (10-60 minutes):

• 10 min course: ~3,500 SW

• 20 min course: ~7,000 SW

• 30 min course: ~10,500 SW

• 45 min course: ~17,000 SW

• 60 min course: ~24,000 SW

Pre-recorded Courses (longer content):

• 2 hours/week: ~24,000 SW

• 4 hours/week: ~56,000 SW

• 6 hours/week: ~96,000 SW

• 8 hours/week: ~136,000 SW

⚠️ Note: Estimates are based on balanced content mix (text, video, images). Actual consumption varies based on content complexity and generation choices.

Understanding your balance and allocation

Where to find your balance:

• Top navigation bar shows current balance

• Smartwords Usage Report shows detailed consumption history

• Organization admins can see allocation across multiple workspaces

Balance types:

• Trial balance: 15,000 Smartwords for corporate emails (14 days), 3,000 for non-corporate emails (7 days)

• Subscription balance: Included with your plan, expires at subscription renewal

• Pay-as-you-go balance: Additional Smartwords purchased separately, valid for one year

⚠️ Shared consumption: When your balance decreases unexpectedly, check if another team member used Smartwords from your shared organizational pool.

Allocation types: monthly, annual, and top-ups

Your Smartwords allocation depends on your subscription plan and any additional top-ups you have purchased. Understanding the differences helps you plan usage and avoid unexpected depletion.

Monthly vs. annual allocations

Smartcat subscription plans include a Smartwords allocation that refreshes on a recurring basis:

• Monthly plans receive a Smartwords allocation that renews each month on your billing date. Unused Smartwords from the current period do not carry over — they expire at the end of each billing cycle.

• Annual plans receive a Smartwords allocation at the start of the subscription year. The full annual amount is available immediately and does not refresh monthly — you draw from the same pool throughout the year.

⚠️ Expiration: Subscription Smartwords — whether monthly or annual — expire at renewal. If you do not use your full allocation before your subscription renews, unused Smartwords are forfeited.

Top-ups

If you exhaust your subscription allocation before your renewal date, you can purchase additional Smartwords as a pay-as-you-go top-up:

1. Go to Workspace → Smartwords.

2. Select the pay-as-you-go option.

3. Choose the amount and complete payment.

4. Your balance updates immediately for card payments.

💡 Top-up validity: Unlike subscription Smartwords, pay-as-you-go top-ups are valid for one year from the date of purchase and are not tied to your subscription renewal cycle. If you upgrade your subscription plan, any unused Smartwords from your previous plan carry over.

What happens when you run out of Smartwords

If your Smartwords balance reaches zero:

• AI-powered features — including AI translation, AI Actions, AI Content Generation, and AI Dubbing — will be unavailable until your balance is restored.

• OCR processing requires a minimum Smartwords balance to initiate. If your balance is too low, OCR jobs will not start.

• Your projects and files remain accessible — only AI features are affected.

To restore access immediately, purchase a pay-as-you-go top-up or contact Smartcat Sales to discuss a plan upgrade.

Managing your subscription and top-ups

To add more Smartwords:

1. Pay-as-you-go top-up:

2. Go to Workspace → Smartwords

3. Select the pay-as-you-go option

4. Choose amount and complete payment

5. Balance updates immediately for card payments

6. Subscription upgrade:

7. Contact Smartcat Sales team

8. Unused Smartwords from previous plan carry over

9. Bulk packages:

10. Contact Sales for large volume pricing

11. Available through account dashboard

⚠️ Expiration: Subscription Smartwords expire at renewal. Pay-as-you-go Smartwords are valid for one year from purchase.

Tips for efficient Smartwords usage

Reduce consumption:

• Use Translation Memory to avoid re-translating identical content

• Review AI settings before processing large files

• Consider file format impact (XLIFF preserves segment IDs, Word files don't)

Monitor proactively:

• Set up multiple workspaces for departmental tracking

• Check usage reports regularly

• Maintain a buffer for OCR processing (requires minimum balance)

• Monitor team member usage patterns

Troubleshooting

Problem: Balance decreased overnight with no active projects

Solution: Check the usage report for scheduled projects, integrations running automatically, or other team members' activity. Contact support if no matching consumption events appear.

Problem: File re-upload charged full amount again

Solution: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files don't have unique segment IDs, so all content is re-processed. Use XLIFF or other formats with unique IDs to avoid this.

Problem: Balance shows "N/A" or incorrect amount

Solution: Data sync issues between systems. Check both the main counter and usage report. Contact support if discrepancies persist.

Problem: I have TM matches but I'm still being charged full Smartwords

FAQ

Q: Do unused Smartwords carry over to the next subscription period?

A: No, subscription Smartwords expire at renewal. Only pay-as-you-go Smartwords (valid for one year) carry over.

Q: Can I see which team member used Smartwords?

A: Yes, the Smartwords Usage Report shows consumption by user. Go to Workspace → Smartwords and review the detailed breakdown.

Q: Are Smartwords refundable if consumed by mistake?

A: Smartwords are generally non-refundable once consumed. Contact support for configuration errors, but refunds are not guaranteed.

Q: Why was I charged more than my file's word count?

A: Common reasons include multiple MT engines enabled (each charges separately), OCR estimation, heavy code formatting, or file re-uploads re-processing all segments.

Q: How do monthly and annual Smartwords allocations differ?

A: Monthly plans receive a Smartwords allocation that renews each month on your billing date — unused Smartwords from the current period expire at renewal and do not carry over. Annual plans receive their full allocation at the start of the subscription year, available to draw from throughout the year. In both cases, subscription Smartwords expire at renewal. Only pay-as-you-go top-ups carry over, as they are valid for one year from the date of purchase regardless of your billing cycle.

Q: What happens when I run out of Smartwords?

A: When your Smartwords balance reaches zero, AI-powered features — including AI translation, AI Actions, AI Content Generation, and AI Dubbing — become unavailable until your balance is restored. Your projects and files remain accessible; only AI features are affected. To restore access immediately, purchase a pay-as-you-go top-up from Workspace → Smartwords, or contact Smartcat Sales to discuss a plan upgrade. Note that OCR processing also requires a minimum Smartwords balance to initiate — if your balance is too low, OCR jobs will not start.

Q: Will re-running a project charge Smartwords twice for the same content?

A: No. Smartwords are charged per translation action, not per word of source text, and content that already has a saved (non-empty) translation on the segment is not re-processed or re-charged when you run the project again.

For example, if you set up a project, AI-translated the content, and later click Save & Run again, this does not charge Smartwords a second time for segments that already have translated text sitting in them. Save & Run only consumes Smartwords for segments that still need translation.

The detail that actually determines whether a segment is treated as "already translated" is whether it has non-empty translated text, not whether it has been confirmed.

Tip: If you want to avoid any risk of re-charge on a future run, resolving critical QA errors on translated segments (rather than confirming them) is what actually matters. Confirmation itself doesn't affect Smartwords consumption, though it's still good practice for saving translations to your TM for reuse elsewhere.