Fine-Tune Translations with Manual Overrides

While Lingo.dev delivers context-aware AI translations, sometimes you need to make specific adjustments. Learn how to create permanent manual overrides that survive future translation runs.

The Override Preservation System

Lingo.dev intelligently preserves your manual edits to translation files with a simple rule:

Manual edits remain untouched unless the source text changes

This approach gives you the best of both worlds:

• Your custom translations stay intact
• Updates to source content still trigger appropriate retranslations

Making Permanent Overrides in 4 Steps

1. Open the target language file (e.g., es.json for Spanish)
2. Locate the translation you want to customize
3. Edit the value with your preferred wording
4. Save the file

That's it! Your changes will persist through future translation runs.

Real-World Example

// Original translation (es.json)
{
  "welcome_message": "Bienvenido a nuestra aplicación"
}

// Your customized version (es.json)
{
  "welcome_message": "¡Hola! Bienvenido a nuestra fantástica aplicación"
}

This personalized greeting will remain unchanged through all future translation runs, as long as the English source text stays the same.

When Overrides Are Reset

Your manual changes will only be replaced in two specific situations:

1. Source Text Changes: If you modify the original text in your source language file, Lingo.dev will generate a fresh translation
2. Force Flag Used: Running npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --force intentionally retranslates everything

Why This Matters

This override system creates the perfect balance between:

• Automation: Let AI handle the bulk of your translations
• Precision: Make targeted adjustments where needed
• Consistency: Ensure changes to source content are properly reflected
• Control: Maintain human oversight for critical messaging

With this approach, you can confidently make manual adjustments knowing they'll be preserved while still benefiting from Lingo.dev's powerful automation.