Understand gettext text domains and context

Gettext identifies software messages by more than their visible words. Selecting the correct text domain and preserving message context are essential when translating WordPress, theme, or plugin catalogs.

Text domain

A text domain groups messages owned by one product. Enter it under Translations → Software translations, then select Load strings.

• Use default for WordPress core.
• For a plugin, use its declared text domain, often visible in the plugin header or POT filename.
• For a theme, use the theme's declared text domain, not its display name.

The field suggests domains loaded during the current administration request, plus default. You can type a valid domain that is not suggested, but POM Translate still needs a discoverable POT, PO, or MO file for it.

After loading, review the displayed Domain type, source file, and translation file. A wrong domain can find no catalog or can open a different product's messages.

Message context

The same English word can require different translations depending on its purpose. Gettext context distinguishes those entries without changing the visible source.

For example, Post may be a noun in one entry and a verb in another. In the software editor, the Context column displays the text domain and any gettext context supplied by the catalog.

Translate each row according to that context. Do not assume two identical source strings should receive the same result when their contexts differ.

Plural forms

A catalog entry can provide singular and plural source forms. POM Translate displays the translation fields required by the target locale's plural rules and exports them together.

Complete every displayed plural form. Do not combine them into one field, reorder placeholders, or remove a quantity placeholder such as %d.

POM AI context

When software machine translation is available, POM Translate sends the explicit source locale, target locale, and software context with the source strings. The source locale can come from catalog headers and otherwise defaults to en_US; it is independent from the site's editorial base language.

Machine output remains a draft. Verify terminology, gettext context, all plural forms, printf placeholders such as %1$s, brace placeholders, and intentional HTML before export.

Next step

Follow the plugin catalog or theme catalog guide for loading, exporting, and installing the finished files.