Use the original text as a starting point
The Translate contents table displays the source and target side by side, but it does not provide a general Copy original button. Copy source text manually only when keeping the same wording is an intentional editorial decision.
Leaving a translation empty is not equivalent to saving a copy.
Choose between fallback and an explicit copy
| Choice | Stored target value | Status after manual save | Later source change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leave the target empty | None | Pending | Frontend continues to use the current source |
| Paste the source and save | A target translation equal to source | Human | The copied row is invalidated when that source row changes |
Use fallback when untranslated source text is temporarily acceptable. Use an explicit copy when the target-language version has been reviewed and should deliberately retain the same brand name, acronym, legal identifier, product model, or other invariant wording.
Copy one row safely
- Open Translations → Translate contents.
- select the target locale;
- narrow the table to the object;
- copy the exact Original Text value;
- paste it into the corresponding translation textarea;
- preserve all protected tokens;
- edit only the words that should differ;
- select Save translations.
The manual non-empty save sets Human status, even when the target matches the source exactly. Change it to Reviewed only after verification.
Protect placeholders during copying
Copy the full extracted value when it contains markers:
Welcome to %1%POM%/1%.Do not copy only the visible words and omit %1% or %/1%. POM Translate validates required placeholders before storing the row.
The markers are not intended to appear on the public page; they restore inline structure during rendering.
Do not use copying to hide missing coverage
An explicit copy raises the post editor’s translated percentage because the value is non-empty. Therefore, copying every source row can produce 100% without translating the page.
Use this technique only for rows that genuinely remain the same. For mixed-language launches, keep untranslated rows Pending so filters and progress summaries still identify the outstanding work.
Review shared terms
Before retaining source wording, decide whether the value is:
- a protected brand or registered name;
- a model, SKU, or code;
- a person or company name;
- a technical term normally borrowed in the target locale;
- source-language prose that still needs translation.
Check capitalization, pluralization, punctuation, and surrounding grammar. An unchanged noun can still require a translated article or sentence structure.
Remove an accidental explicit copy
Clear the target textarea and save. The row becomes Pending, and frontend rendering returns to source fallback.
Do not use Delete selected translations unless you intend to remove all selected locale values; it is a bulk operation and does not distinguish accidental copies.
Continue with Handle incomplete translations to plan deliberate fallback.