How do I keep translations up to date?

Learn how to handle source article updates and keep your translations current when articles change in Intercom.

When source articles are updated in Intercom, your translations may need updating too. Translate Desk helps you identify when updates are needed and makes it easy to keep translations current.

How Updates Are Detected

Translate Desk automatically detects when source articles change:

  1. Automatic syncing: Regular syncs check for changes to your articles
  2. Status updates: When changes are detected, article statuses are updated
  3. Notifications: Articles that need attention are highlighted in your dashboard

You don't need to manually check for updates. The system identifies when source articles change and marks translations that may need updating.

Understanding Update Statuses

When a source article is updated, translations move through these statuses:

Needs Sync

The source article was updated in Intercom, and Translate Desk needs to sync the changes.

What it means:

  • The source article in Intercom has been modified
  • Translate Desk hasn't synced the latest content yet
  • The article needs to be synced to see what changed

What to do:

  • Wait for automatic syncing to detect changes
  • Or manually sync to update the article content
  • Review what changed in the source article

Needs Translation

The source article was updated and synced, and translations need to be updated.

What it means:

  • The source article content has changed
  • Existing translations may be outdated
  • Translations should be reviewed and updated

What to do:

  • Review what changed in the source article
  • Determine if translations need updating
  • Re-translate if significant changes were made

Learn more about statuses in What do the translation statuses mean?.

When to Re-translate

Not every source update requires re-translation. Consider re-translating when:

Significant Content Changes

  • Major text updates: Substantial changes to article content
  • New sections added: New content that needs translation
  • Content removed: Important content that was removed
  • Structural changes: Changes to article structure or organization

Minor Changes That May Not Need Re-translation

  • Minor formatting: Small formatting adjustments
  • Link updates: URL changes that don't affect meaning
  • Image changes: Image updates that don't change content
  • Minor text edits: Small corrections or typos

You can review changes and decide whether re-translation is needed.

The Update Workflow

Here's the typical workflow when a source article is updated:

Step 1: Source Article Is Updated

You or a team member updates an article in Intercom.

Step 2: Automatic Sync Detects Changes

Translate Desk's automatic syncing detects the update during the next sync cycle.

Step 3: Status Is Updated

The article status changes to reflect that updates are needed:

  • Needs Sync: If the content hasn't been synced yet
  • Needs Translation: If the content has been synced and translations need updating

Step 4: You Review Changes

Review what changed in the source article to determine if translations need updating.

Step 5: You Decide on Re-translation

Decide whether re-translation is needed based on the changes:

  • Re-translate: If significant changes were made
  • Skip: If changes are minor and don't affect translations

Step 6: You Re-translate If Needed

If re-translation is needed:

  1. Select the article
  2. Click Translate
  3. Choose the languages that need updating
  4. Start the translation

The new translation replaces the old one, and the status updates to Ready to Push.

Step 7: You Push Updated Translations

Push the updated translations to Intercom when ready.

Reviewing Changes

Before deciding whether to re-translate, review what changed:

  1. Check the source article: View the updated article in Intercom
  2. Compare content: Compare the updated content with what you remember
  3. Identify significant changes: Look for major content changes that affect meaning
  4. Decide on action: Determine if re-translation is needed

If you're unsure whether changes are significant, it's usually better to re-translate to ensure accuracy.

Re-translating Articles

When you re-translate an article:

  1. Select the article: Choose the article that needs updating
  2. Click Translate: Open the translation dialog
  3. Choose languages: Select the languages that need updating
  4. Select options: Choose formality and glossary settings
  5. Start translation: Begin the translation process

The new translation replaces the previous one. The status updates to Ready to Push when translation is complete.

Credit Usage

Re-translating uses credits again, as it creates a new translation. One credit is used per article per language, just like the original translation.

Preserving Ready-to-Push Translations

Translate Desk preserves translations that are ready to push, even when source articles are updated. This means:

  • Your work is protected: Ready-to-push translations won't be overwritten during sync
  • You can push first: You can push existing translations before re-translating
  • You control timing: You decide when to re-translate after source updates

This ensures you don't lose work when source articles change.

Best Practices

  1. Review regularly: Check your dashboard regularly to see what needs attention
  2. Prioritize updates: Focus on articles with significant changes first
  3. Push before major updates: Push ready translations before making major source changes
  4. Review changes carefully: Take time to understand what changed before re-translating
  5. Keep translations current: Re-translate when significant changes are made
  6. Use consistent settings: Use the same formality and glossary settings when re-translating

Handling Multiple Updates

If multiple articles are updated:

  1. Review all updates: Check which articles were updated
  2. Prioritize by importance: Focus on important articles first
  3. Batch re-translations: Re-translate multiple articles at once if they all need updating
  4. Push in batches: Push updated translations together when ready

Learn more about bulk operations in How do I translate multiple articles at once?.

Monitoring Updates

Keep track of updates by:

  • Checking your dashboard: Review status counts regularly
  • Filtering by status: Use status filters to find articles that need attention
  • Reviewing sync status: Check which articles need syncing
  • Tracking changes: Monitor which articles are updated most frequently

This helps you stay on top of updates and keep translations current.

Next Steps

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