Import glossary terms from a CSV
You can use Glossary Import to add many glossary terms at once, update existing terms, or upload glossary translations for your site languages.
The basic idea is simple: upload a CSV file, verify it, review anything that needs attention, and then import it.
Before you start
- Your file must be a CSV.
- Each glossary term should appear only once in the file.
- If you want to import target translations, the language must already be added to your site.
- If you leave an optional cell blank, it means leave the current value unchanged.
Important: blank optional cells do not clear existing data. They simply tell the importer not to change that part of the term.
CSV columns
Your CSV needs one required column:
- glossary_term = the term itself
You can also add these optional columns:
- glossary_context = a note that explains how the term is used
- is_translate_term = whether the term should be translated when it appears in content
- target_term_[language_code] = a glossary translation for one site language, such as target_term_fr for "French", or target_term_es-MX for "Spanish (Mexico)".
For is_translate_term, use Y, N.
Example CSV for new terms
This is a simple example showing new glossary terms and target translations:
| glossary_term | glossary_context | is_translate_term | target_term_fr | target_term_es |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checkout | Online payment flow where a customer completes a purchase | Y | Paiement | Pago |
| Cart | Ecommerce shopping cart containing selected products | Y | Panier | Carrito |
| Dashboard | Main admin screen a user sees after signing in | Y | Tableau de bord | Panel de control |
| Sign up | Button or page where a new user creates an account | Y | S’inscrire | Registrarse |
| Free trial | Marketing phrase for a limited-time trial before payment | Y | Essai gratuit | Prueba gratuita |
| SiteTran | Brand name; should stay exactly the same in every language | N | SiteTran | SiteTran |
| API | Technical abbreviation; usually kept as-is | N | API | API |
| HTML | Technical term used in developer documentation | N | HTML | HTML |
Example CSV for updating existing terms
If a glossary term already exists, importing it again will update that term.
In this example, blank optional cells mean do not change that field:
| glossary_term | glossary_context | is_translate_term | target_term_fr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkout | Paiement | ||
| Dashboard | Main admin screen a user sees after signing in | ||
| SiteTran | N | ||
| Language switcher | Dropdown or selector that lets visitors choose a website language | Y | Sélecteur de langue |
What this does:
- Checkout: only updates the French target term
- Dashboard: only updates the context
- SiteTran: only updates the translate setting, so it stays untranslated
- Language switcher: updates the context, translate setting, and French target term
How to import your file
- Open your site’s Glossary page.
- Click Import CSV.
- Select your CSV file.
- Click Verify CSV.
- Review the summary, invalid rows, duplicate terms, and any conflicts.
- If needed, fix your CSV and upload it again.
- When everything looks right, click Import Terms.
What the verify step checks
Before anything is imported, Sitetran checks your file and shows you what will happen.
- Invalid rows must be fixed before import.
- Duplicate terms in the same CSV are skipped.
- Unchanged rows are skipped.
- Conflicts can be reviewed before importing.
If the importer finds a conflict, it means your CSV is trying to change a value that already exists. You can choose whether to use the imported value or keep the existing one.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Do not repeat the same glossary_term multiple times in one file.
- Do not use language columns for languages that are not enabled on your site yet.
- Do not add unsupported column headers.
- Do not expect blank optional cells to erase existing values.
Good to know
- You can import up to 1000 rows at a time.
- If a row does not actually change anything, SiteTran will skip it.
If your file will not import
If verification shows invalid rows, fix those rows in your CSV and upload the file again.
If you see a language-related error, make sure that language has already been added to your site before importing target terms for it.
If you are unsure why a row failed, the verify screen will show the row number and the reason so you can correct the file quickly.