How do I set up translation guidelines?
3 मिनट पठनशुरुआती
Translation guidelines tell the AI how to translate your content — the tone, style, and specific rules to follow. Think of them as a style guide for your translations.
Setting up guidelines
- Go to your project → AI Context tab → Guidelines
- Write your guidelines in the text area
- Click Save
Guidelines are included in every AI translation request as part of the system prompt.
What to include
Tone and style
- Use informal "you" (e.g., Turkish: "sen" not "siz")
- Keep sentences short and direct
- Use active voice
- Maintain a friendly, professional tone
Product-specific rules
- Never translate the product name "Better i18n"
- "Dashboard" should remain "Dashboard" in all languages
- "Workspace" translates as "Çalışma Alanı" in Turkish
Formatting rules
- Preserve markdown formatting in translations
- Keep code snippets and variable names in English
- Maintain the same punctuation style as the source
Audience context
- Target audience: software developers
- Content type: product UI strings and documentation
- Reading level: technical but accessible
Example guidelines
Here's a complete example:
You are translating UI strings for a developer tool called "Better i18n".
Tone: Professional but friendly. Use informal address (tu/tú/sen).
Audience: Software developers who speak English as a second language.
Rules:
- Never translate: "Better i18n", "CDN", "API", "SDK", "CLI", "JSON"
- Keep technical terms in English when no standard translation exists
- Use the glossary for consistent terminology
- Match the length of the source text as closely as possible (UI space constraints)
- Preserve all markdown, HTML tags, and placeholders like {name} or {{count}}
Guidelines vs. glossary
| Feature | Guidelines | Glossary |
|---|---|---|
| What | General rules and style | Specific term translations |
| Scope | Applies to all translations | Per-term enforcement |
| Format | Free-text instructions | Structured term → translation pairs |
| Best for | Tone, style, exceptions | Consistent terminology |
Use both together for best results.