> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.open.cx/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Translations

> Translate your Help Center into every language you support with AI — manual edits are protected from re-translation.

OpenCX translates Help Center articles, category names, and descriptions automatically into every language you enable. Manual edits are tracked so the AI never overwrites your polish.

<Warning>
  The **primary language** is fixed at the moment you create the Help Center and can't be changed later. Pick the language most of your authors write in — everything else translates from it.
</Warning>

## Set up languages

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Languages settings">
    Go to [**Help Center → Settings → Languages**](https://platform.open.cx/help-center). The primary language is shown at the top, read-only.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable additional languages">
    Toggle on each language you want translated. Translation jobs queue immediately for all existing articles and categories.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for translations to finish">
    Jobs run in the background. Article rows show per-language status (Not started, In progress, Translated, Manual). First batch can take minutes to hours depending on how many articles you have.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## When translations run

Translations are triggered by changes in the primary language.

* **New article published** — a translation job queues for every enabled language.
* **Article updated and republished** — translations regenerate for every language except those marked manual.
* **New language enabled** — jobs queue for every existing article and category.
* **Manual re-translate** — click **Re-translate from source** on any stale translation to force a fresh run.

Jobs are debounced — editing the same article twice in quick succession runs one translation pass, not two.

## Translation glossary

The glossary keeps terminology consistent across languages. Every translation prompt includes your glossary, so product names, acronyms, and branded phrases come out the way you intend.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Translations settings">
    Go to [**Help Center → Settings → Translations**](https://platform.open.cx/help-center).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a glossary entry">
    Click **+ Add term**.

    | Field                | What to write                                                                                                                                        |
    | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **Term**             | The word or phrase in your primary language. Max 200 characters.                                                                                     |
    | **Translation note** | A short instruction for the translator — e.g. "Keep as 'Dashboard' in every language" or "Translate literally, don't localize". Max 1000 characters. |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Glossary entries apply on the next translation job. To backfill, run **Re-translate from source** on the articles you care about.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Protect manual translations

When you edit a translated article or category by hand, OpenCX marks it as **Manual**. Auto-translation will never overwrite a manual entry — even on republish or source change.

* **Clear the Manual flag** — click **Revert to AI translation** on the translation to let the next auto-translate job run again.
* **Force a re-translate** — use **Re-translate from source** to overwrite a manual translation explicitly. The confirmation dialog calls out the manual flag so you don't lose edits by accident.

<Note>
  Manual translations don't block source updates. You can keep editing the English article; only the translation you marked manual stays frozen.
</Note>

## Good to know

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Per-language publish state" icon="toggle-on">
    Each translation publishes independently. You can ship the English update today and wait on the French translation tomorrow — neither blocks the other.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Translated articles also train the AI" icon="brain">
    The AI retrieves content in the language the conversation is happening in. Publishing the French translation adds that language to the training index for French conversations.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Category names translate too" icon="folder-tree">
    Enable a new language and category names and descriptions translate alongside articles. Glossary rules apply here the same way.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Stale translation banner" icon="triangle-exclamation">
    If you update the source language and the translation hasn't caught up, the translation shows a **stale** banner in the editor. Click **Re-translate from source** to sync it.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Related Documentation

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Articles" icon="file-lines" href="/help-center/articles">
    Write the primary-language content translations derive from.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Categories" icon="folder-tree" href="/help-center/categories">
    Categories translate automatically alongside articles.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Content rules" icon="shield-check" href="/help-center/content-validation">
    Rules can target translations independently from the main article.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Help Center overview" icon="book-open" href="/help-center/overview">
    Everything the Help Center does.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>