What is Glossary?
Glossary helps you control how important words/terms and short phrases are handled in your translations.
Use it for things like product names, brand names, feature names, technical terms, and other wording that should stay consistent across your site.
If SiteTran finds a glossary term inside a phrase, it uses that glossary entry as guidance while translating, both for your invited translators, and for AI translations.
Before you start
- Glossary is best for words and short phrases, not full sentences.
- Each glossary entry can include an optional context note.
- You can choose whether a term should be translated or kept exactly as it is.
- If a term should be translated, make sure you also add its translations in your target languages.
How Glossary works
Each glossary term has three main parts:
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Glossary Term | The source word or phrase you want SiteTran to recognize. |
| Glossary Context | An optional note that explains the meaning or intended use of the term. |
| Translate This Term | Decides whether the term should be translated, or kept in the original language. |
Additional "Translate This Term" information:
| Setting | What SiteTran does | Good examples |
|---|---|---|
| Translate This Term = Yes | SiteTran will use a translated version of the term. | Checkout, Free Trial, Dashboard |
| Translate This Term = No | SiteTran will keep the original source term as-is. | SiteTran, API, SKU, product codes |
If you are not sure which to choose, use this rule: if the term should stay exactly the same in every language, turn "Translate This Term" off.
How to add a glossary term
- Open your site’s Glossary page.
- Click Add New Term.
- Enter the source term.
- Add a short context note.
- Choose whether the term should be translated.
- Save the term.
If the term should be translated, add its target-language translations as part of your normal translation work, in the translator interface, under the "Glossary" page.
If the term should stay unchanged, set Translate This Term to No.
When to use context
Context is optional, but we recommend you always use it to include more information and help explain when a term could mean more than one thing.
For example, if your term is “Apple,” the context can clarify whether you mean the company or the fruit.
Keep context short and practical. One clear sentence is usually enough.
How to import many glossary terms at once
If you already have a glossary list, you can import it by CSV instead of adding terms one by one.
You can read the full CSV format and import rules here: Glossary Import.
When to use Translation Rules instead
Glossary is for controlling specific terms.
Translation Rules are better when you want to control how translation behaves more broadly.
For example, use Glossary for a term like “Free Trial.” Use Translation Rules for instructions like “keep anything inside curly braces unchanged” or “use a formal tone in French.”
If you want to learn more, see Translation Rules.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Do not use Glossary for long sentences or full writing instructions.
- Do not leave a term set to translate if you actually want it to stay unchanged.
- Do not forget to add target-language translations for terms that should be translated (in the translator interface).
Good to know
Glossary is one of the easiest ways to improve translation consistency across your site.
You do not need to add every possible term. Start with the words that matter most to your brand, product, or user experience, and build from there.