Manual
Overview Getting Started Core concepts Quick Start Guide Create an account and sign in Projects Create and manage projects Project settings Languages Workflow and translation lock Translation Keys Key names and groups ICU messages and placeholders Translating The translation editor Keyboard shortcuts Review & Reports Review workflow Reports Branches & Merging Branch workflows: create, merge, and delete The Branches page Translation Memory How translation memory works Glossary The glossary Import & Export Import and export files File formats Integrations GitHub GitLab CI and CLI settings Webhooks Teams & Access Roles and permissions Teams Inviting people Project access Account & Organization Account settings Organization settings Billing & Plans Plans and limits
CLI
Overview Set up the CLI Commands File formats Use the CLI in CI
API
Overview Authentication: API keys and session tokens Endpoints Pull translations for your build
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Getting Started

Quick Start Guide

Create a project, add your first keys, translate, review and export, all from the web app.

2 min read · Updated October 2026

This guide takes you from a new account to your first exported translation file, using only the web app. If you work from a code repository, you can also use the CLI or connect GitHub or GitLab.

New to the terms? Read Core concepts first.

1. Create your project #

After you sign up, you land on Projects. Choose New project and fill in:

  • Project name: for example Mobile App.
  • Description: optional.
  • Source language: the language your texts are written in.
  • Target languages: the languages you translate into. Optional, you can add them later.

Choose Create project. You become the manager of the project, and it starts with a protected main branch.

2. Add keys #

Open the project’s Editor and choose New key. Fill in:

  • Key name: for example checkout.discount_label. Use dots to group keys.
  • Source text: optional. A key without source text cannot be translated yet.

You can also bring in existing texts: import a file (JSON, YAML, XLIFF, Gettext and more) or push them from your repository with the CLI.

3. Translate #

In the editor, pick the target language at the top, select a key in the list on the left, type the translation and choose Submit for review. Save draft keeps your work without sending it to a reviewer.

Read more in The translation editor.

4. Review #

By default a translation must be approved before it counts as translated. Open Review, look at each submitted translation and choose Approve or Request changes.

Note

By default people cannot approve their own translations. If you are the only person in the project, turn on Allow self-review under Project settings → Workflow, or turn off Require review before publishing so that submitting publishes straight away. See Workflow.

5. Invite your team #

Invite colleagues under Organization settings → Members, then give them access to the project under Project settings → Members, or through a team. See Inviting people.

6. Get the translations out #

Open Project settings → Import & export, choose a format, a branch and the languages, and choose Download. To fetch translations automatically from a build, use the CLI or the API.

What’s next #