Lingo.dev Docs

Appearance

Command Line Interface ​

Translate your project with a few simple commands using Lingo.dev's powerful CLI tool.

Quick Start ​

1. Authenticate ​

Before using any commands, authenticate with your Lingo.dev account:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest auth

For detailed authentication options, see the Authentication Guide.

Essential Commands ​

Translate Your Project ​

The i18n command is the core of Lingo.dev's functionality:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest i18n

This single command:

  1. Scans your source files for content
  2. Identifies new or modified text
  3. Translates only what's changed
  4. Updates your translation files
  5. Maintains the lockfile for tracking

Command Options ​

OptionDescriptionExample
--locale <code>Target specific language--locale fr
--bucket <type>Process specific file types--bucket json
--frozenVerify translations without updating--frozen
--forceRetranslate everything--force

Common Workflows ​

Target a Specific Language ​

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

Process Only Certain File Types ​

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

Verify Translations in CI/CD ​

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --frozen

Refresh All Translations ​

Useful after changing AI context settings:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --force

Combine Options for Precision ​

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

Configuration Management ​

View Your Current Setup ​

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest show config

Check Available Languages ​

View source languages:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest show locale sources

View target languages:

bash
npx lingo.dev@latest show locale targets

Best Practices ​

  1. Version Control: Always commit your i18n.lock file to track translation changes

  2. CI Integration: Add translation verification to your pipeline:

    bash
    npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --frozen

  3. After Context Changes: Refresh translations when you modify AI settings:

    bash
    npx lingo.dev@latest i18n --force

  4. Automation: Integrate with your build process for seamless localization

  5. Bucket Usage: The --bucket flag targets entire file types (json, markdown, etc.)

  6. File Exclusion: Use the exclude array in i18n.json rather than CLI filtering

With these commands, you can efficiently manage translations across your entire project, keeping your localized content in sync with development.