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
Log in Get started free
Projects

Workflow and translation lock

Decide whether translations need review, who may approve them, and freeze a project during a release.

2 min read · Updated October 2026

Project settings → Workflow controls how a translation goes from draft to approved. Changing these settings needs the manager role.

Review and approval #

SettingDefaultEffect
Require review before publishingOnA submitted translation becomes In review and a reviewer must approve it. When off, the Submit for review button reads Publish and a submitted translation is approved right away.
Allow self-reviewOffLets people approve translations they submitted themselves. Only relevant when review is required.
Notify reviewers on new submissionsOnSends an email to the project’s reviewers and managers when a translation is submitted.

Choose Save to apply the changes.

When review is required, the Review item appears in the navigation. See Review workflow.

Who gets the notification email #

Everyone who is a reviewer or manager of the project, directly or through a team, except the person who submitted. People can switch these emails off under Account settings → Notifications (“Review requested”). The email links to the review page for the branch and language.

Machine translation #

The Workflow page also lists three machine translation options. They are stored with the project, but no machine translations are produced yet.

Translation lock #

Freeze all translations blocks every change to translations in the project, for example during a release. Unlike the other settings, it takes effect immediately, without choosing Save.

While the project is frozen:

  • The editor shows “All translations in this project are frozen: they are read-only.”
  • Saving and submitting translations, creating keys and pushes from the CLI are refused for everyone.

A single branch can also be frozen.

Import behavior #

The options that control how files are imported, such as overwriting existing translations, are on the Import & export section. See Import and export.