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Targeted Translation Updates ​

Control exactly what gets translated with Lingo.dev's precision targeting options.

Benefits of Selective Translation ​

Selectively updating translations offers several advantages:

  1. Speed: Focus on priority content when time is limited
  2. Precision: Fine-tune specific sections without affecting others
  3. Testing: Experiment with AI context changes on a limited scope

Available Targeting Options ​

Lingo.dev provides five powerful flags for selective translation:

  • --force: Retranslate everything in scope, ignoring the lockfile
  • --bucket: Target a specific file type bucket
  • --locale: Focus on a specific language
  • --key: Update a single translation key
  • --file: Target specific files within your buckets

Command Reference ​

Complete Retranslation with --force ​

Force a complete retranslation of all content:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --force

Best used when:

  • You've significantly changed AI context settings
  • The lockfile might be corrupted
  • You need a fresh start for all translations

Note: This option requires more processing time and API usage.

Target File Types with --bucket ​

Focus on a specific file type category:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --bucket json

Best used when:

  • You've updated content in a specific area of your app
  • Testing AI context changes for particular content types
  • Different parts of your app have varying update frequencies

Focus on Languages with --locale ​

Target a specific language for translation:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --locale fr

Best used when:

  • Launching in a new market
  • Reviewing translations for a specific language
  • Different languages have different priority levels

Pinpoint Updates with --key ​

Target a single translation key:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --key welcome.title

Best used when:

  • You've changed just one string
  • Testing AI context on a specific translation
  • Fixing a single translation quickly

For nested keys, use dot notation:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --key header.navigation.about

File-Specific Updates with --file ​

Target specific files in your translation buckets:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --file blog.[locale].json

Best used when:

  • You've updated content in specific files
  • Testing AI context changes on particular files
  • Different files have different update priorities

Target multiple files using patterns:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --file articles/

Or list files individually:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --file landing.[locale].json --file pricing.[locale].json

Note: This flag only works with files already defined in your buckets.

Combining Options for Maximum Control ​

Combine multiple flags for precise targeting:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --force --bucket json --locale de

This command retranslates all JSON content, but only for German.

Best Practices ​

  1. Use --force strategically: Reserve for major context changes or when you need a fresh start
  2. Integrate --bucket with CI/CD: Automatically update translations for changed areas
  3. Leverage --locale for market launches: Focus efforts on languages for new target markets
  4. Always commit your lockfile: Keep your team in sync after cherry-picking updates

By mastering these targeting options, you gain precise control over your translation workflow, saving time and resources while maintaining quality across your localized content.