When the same sentence appears more than once, you only need to translate it once. Propagation copies your translation to every repeated segment, so identical source texts get the same translation and your work stays consistent.
How Propagation Works
Repeated segments are segments with the same source text. When you propagate a translation, the Editor copies it to every repeated segment in the job, project, or document set you have open, not only in the current document. Locked segments are never changed. A repeated segment that already has the same translation is left as it is.
You can propagate in two ways:
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Automatically: turn on Auto-propagate on save, and the Editor propagates each time you save, whether manually or through auto-save.
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By hand: place the cursor in a target cell, then select Edit > Propagate translation, press Alt+Shift+V, or use Propagate translation in the quick toolbar's More tools menu.
After you propagate by hand, a message tells you how many translations were filled or replaced. In the grid, the segment toolbar shows a Propagation or Repetition indicator on affected segments. See Segment Toolbar.
Propagation cannot be undone. Before you propagate by hand, check your Propagate translations setting, especially if it is set to Overwrite existing.
Propagation Settings
Open Preferences > General. The settings are in the Manual and automatic propagation to repeated segments section. The Applies to column shows whether each setting affects automatic propagation (on save), manual propagation (when you propagate yourself), or both.
|
Setting |
Description |
Applies to |
Default |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Propagate translations |
Keep existing fills only repeated segments that have no translation yet. Overwrite existing also replaces translations that differ. |
Both |
Keep existing |
|
Propagate the translation status with the text |
When on, the translation's status (Neutral, Confirmed, or Error) is copied to every repeated segment that receives the new text, if you are allowed to set that status. When off, a Confirmed translation goes back to Neutral when propagation changes its text. |
Both |
Off |
|
Auto-propagate on save |
When on, the Editor propagates translations each time you save. |
Automatic only |
Off |
|
Skip auto-propagation from erroneous translations |
When on, a translation with Error status is not propagated when you save. To propagate it anyway, use manual propagation. Available only when Auto-propagate on save is on. |
Automatic only |
Off |
Example Scenarios
|
Use Case |
How To |
|---|---|
|
Fill only the repeated segments that are still empty |
Keep Propagate translations set to Keep existing. This is the default. |
|
Replace older translations in repeated segments |
Select Overwrite existing, then propagate by hand or save with Auto-propagate on save on. |
|
Propagate automatically every time you save |
Turn on Auto-propagate on save. |
|
Propagate automatically, but not from translations with errors |
Turn on Auto-propagate on save and Skip auto-propagation from erroneous translations. |
|
Keep repeated segments Confirmed when you propagate a confirmed translation |
Turn on Propagate the translation status with the text. |
Learn More
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Preferences: Where the propagation settings live, with your other Editor settings.
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Edit Menu: Propagate translation and the other editing commands, with their shortcuts.
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Toolbars: What the Repetition and Propagation indicators on the segment toolbar mean.