| name | i18n-translate |
| description | Complete and maintain frontend i18n translations for this project. Covers finding missing translation keys, detecting untranslated entries, and adding translations for all supported locales (en, zh, fr, ja, ru, vi). Use for any task involving frontend locale files, missing translation keys, untranslated UI text, `t(...)` keys, `useTranslation()`, static i18n keys, button/label/ toast/dialog/placeholder/validation copy, or adding/fixing even a single i18n key. Use when review findings mention missing i18n, when new UI text needs translation, or when the user asks to add translations, fix i18n, or complete missing translations. Always load and follow this skill before translating, adding locale keys, or editing frontend i18n files. |
Frontend i18n Translation Workflow
Mandatory Preflight
- Read this entire
SKILL.md before any frontend i18n work, including one-key fixes.
- Before editing locale files, confirm the source text comes from a
t(...) key, en.json, existing UI copy, or an explicitly requested new UI string.
- Use the user conversation only to understand the task target. Do not copy conversation text, review wording, or task descriptions directly into locale values.
- Before translating each key, re-think the intended UI copy from the code and locale context instead of treating the surrounding chat as the translation source.
Hard Constraint: Locale Writes Go Through the Script
- You MUST NOT edit
web/default/src/i18n/locales/*.json directly with text-editing tools (StrReplace, Write, search-and-replace, manual JSON edits, etc.). This applies even to a single key.
- ALL locale writes MUST go through the
add-missing-keys.mjs script, followed by bun run i18n:sync. The script is the only sanctioned way to add or change locale values.
- Why this is mandatory, not optional:
- Hand-editing reliably drops one or more of the six locales (
en, zh, fr, ja, ru, vi), leaving keys missing in some languages.
- Hand-editing breaks the required alphabetical key order and introduces JSON syntax errors (trailing commas, mismatched quotes).
- The script writes all six files atomically with consistent sorting, so the locale set stays in sync by construction.
- The script does not do the translation for you. You still must reason out each locale's copy and populate the script's
newKeys object; the script only handles insertion, sorting, and writing. Do not skip the script just because the thinking happens regardless.
Scope Checklist
Before editing files, treat the task as covered by this skill if it involves:
i18n, translation, locale files, language packs, missing keys, or untranslated text
t('...'), useTranslation(), static-keys.ts, or locales/*.json
- UI copy in buttons, labels, toasts, dialogs, placeholders, validation messages, descriptions, or table/empty states
- A review finding about missing i18n keys
Do not skip this workflow because the fix is "just one key".
Overview
- Locale files:
web/default/src/i18n/locales/{en,zh,fr,ja,ru,vi}.json
- Format: flat JSON under
"translation" key, keys are English source strings
- Base locale:
en.json (most keys), fallback: zh (Chinese)
- Sync script:
bun run i18n:sync (from web/default/)
- All
t() calls must have corresponding keys in every locale file
Small Fix Path
For a single known missing key (still script-only, no direct JSON edits):
- Confirm the exact key at the call site and verify it is absent from all locale files.
- Add the key via
add-missing-keys.mjs, populating its newKeys object for every supported locale: en, zh, fr, ja, ru, vi. Even one key goes through the script; do not hand-edit the JSON.
- The script preserves the flat
"translation" object and keeps keys alphabetically sorted automatically.
- Run a targeted search for the key in code and locale files.
- Run
bun run i18n:sync to normalize file order. This step is mandatory, not optional.
Workflow
Step 1: Run sync and read report
cd web/default && bun run i18n:sync
Read web/default/src/i18n/locales/_reports/_sync-report.json to see per-locale status (missingCount, extrasCount, untranslatedCount).
Step 2: Find missing keys (used in code but not in locale files)
Create and run web/default/scripts/find-missing-keys.mjs:
import fs from 'node:fs/promises'
import path from 'node:path'
const LOCALES_DIR = path.resolve('src/i18n/locales')
const SRC_DIR = path.resolve('src')
const en = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(path.join(LOCALES_DIR, 'en.json'), 'utf8'))
const enKeys = new Set(Object.keys(en.translation))
const tCallRegex = /\bt\(\s*['"`]([^'"`\n]+?)['"`]\s*[,)]/g
const tCallMultilineRegex = /\bt\(\s*['"`]([^'"`]+?)['"`]\s*\)/g
async function walkDir(dir) {
const files = []
const entries = await fs.readdir(dir, { withFileTypes: true })
for (const entry of entries) {
const fullPath = path.join(dir, entry.name)
if (entry.isDirectory()) {
if (['node_modules', '.git', 'locales', '_reports', '_extras'].includes(entry.name)) continue
files.push(...(await walkDir(fullPath)))
} else if (/\.(tsx?|jsx?)$/.test(entry.name)) {
files.push(fullPath)
}
}
return files
}
const files = await walkDir(SRC_DIR)
const missingKeys = new Map()
for (const file of files) {
const content = await fs.readFile(file, 'utf8')
const relPath = path.relative(SRC_DIR, file)
for (const regex of [tCallRegex, tCallMultilineRegex]) {
regex.lastIndex = 0
let match
while ((match = regex.exec(content)) !== null) {
const key = match[1]
if (key.startsWith('{{') || key.includes('${')) continue
if (!enKeys.has(key)) {
if (!missingKeys.has(key)) missingKeys.set(key, [])
missingKeys.get(key).push(relPath)
}
}
}
}
if (missingKeys.size === 0) {
console.log('All t() keys found in en.json!')
} else {
console.log(`Found ${missingKeys.size} missing keys:\n`)
for (const [key, files] of [...missingKeys.entries()].sort(([a], [b]) => a.localeCompare(b))) {
console.log(` "${key}"`)
for (const f of [...new Set(files)]) console.log(` -> ${f}`)
}
}
Step 3: Find untranslated entries (value equals English)
Create and run web/default/scripts/find-untranslated.mjs:
import fs from 'node:fs/promises'
import path from 'node:path'
const LOCALES_DIR = path.resolve('src/i18n/locales')
const en = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(path.join(LOCALES_DIR, 'en.json'), 'utf8'))
const enTrans = en.translation
const skipPatterns = [
/^https?:\/\//, /^smtp\./, /^socks5:/, /^name@/, /^noreply@/,
/^org-/, /^price_/, /^whsec_/, /^edit_this$/, /^my-status$/,
/^_copy$/, /^gpt-/, /^checkout\./, /^footer\./, /^\[?\{/,
/^"default/, /^\/status\//, /^\/your\//, /^example\.com/,
/^AZURE_/, /^AccessKey/, /^OAuth/, /^Client /, /^Webhook URL/,
/^API URL$/, /^Well-Known/, /^Worker URL$/, /^Uptime Kuma/,
/^New API/, /^Baidu V2$/, /^Zhipu V4$/, /^Quota:$/,
]
const brandNames = new Set([
'AIGC2D','Anthropic','API2GPT','Claude','Cloudflare','Cohere','DeepSeek',
'Discord','DoubaoVideo','FastGPT','Gemini','GitHub','Jimeng','JustSong',
'LingYiWanWu','LinuxDO','Midjourney','MidjourneyPlus','MiniMax','Mistral',
'MokaAI','Moonshot','NewAPI','OhMyGPT','Ollama','OpenAI','OpenAIMax',
'OpenRouter','Passkey','Perplexity','QuantumNous','Replicate','SiliconFlow',
'Stripe','Submodel','SunoAPI','Telegram','Tencent','Vertex AI','VolcEngine',
'WeChat','Xinference','Xunfei','AI Proxy','One API',
])
const locales = ['fr', 'ja', 'ru', 'zh', 'vi']
for (const locale of locales) {
const locFile = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(path.join(LOCALES_DIR, `${locale}.json`), 'utf8'))
const locTrans = locFile.translation
const untranslated = {}
for (const [key, enVal] of Object.entries(enTrans)) {
const locVal = locTrans[key]
if (locVal === undefined || locVal !== enVal) continue
if (brandNames.has(key)) continue
if (skipPatterns.some(p => p.test(key))) continue
if (typeof enVal === 'string' && enVal.length < 4) continue
if (/[a-zA-Z]{3,}/.test(String(enVal))) untranslated[key] = enVal
}
const count = Object.keys(untranslated).length
if (count > 0) {
console.log(`\n=== ${locale} (${count} untranslated) ===`)
for (const [k, v] of Object.entries(untranslated))
console.log(` ${JSON.stringify(k)}: ${JSON.stringify(v)}`)
} else {
console.log(`\n=== ${locale}: all translated ===`)
}
}
Step 4: Add translations
This script is the ONLY sanctioned way to write locale values. You MUST NOT bypass it by hand-filling the JSON files. Create web/default/scripts/add-missing-keys.mjs with this exact structure:
import fs from 'node:fs/promises'
import path from 'node:path'
const LOCALES_DIR = path.resolve('src/i18n/locales')
function stableStringify(obj) {
return JSON.stringify(obj, null, 2) + '\n'
}
const newKeys = {
en: { },
zh: { },
fr: { },
ja: { },
ru: { },
vi: { },
}
async function main() {
let totalAdded = 0
for (const [locale, trans] of Object.entries(newKeys)) {
const filePath = path.join(LOCALES_DIR, `${locale}.json`)
const json = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(filePath, 'utf8'))
let count = 0
for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(trans)) {
if (!Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(json.translation, key)) {
json.translation[key] = value
count++
} else if (json.translation[key] !== value) {
json.translation[key] = value
count++
}
}
if (count > 0) {
json.translation = Object.fromEntries(
Object.entries(json.translation).sort(([a], [b]) => a.localeCompare(b))
)
await fs.writeFile(filePath, stableStringify(json), 'utf8')
}
console.log(`${locale}: ${count} translations applied`)
totalAdded += count
}
console.log(`\nTotal: ${totalAdded} translations applied`)
}
main().catch((err) => { console.error(err); process.exitCode = 1 })
Populate the newKeys object with actual translations for each locale.
Step 5: Verify and clean up
cd web/default
node scripts/add-missing-keys.mjs
node scripts/find-missing-keys.mjs
bun run i18n:sync
Delete temporary scripts after completion.
Translation Guidelines
Source Text Rules
- Reconsider every key's UI meaning before translating: component location, user action, placeholder variables, button/label/toast/dialog/validation context, and whether the copy is a noun, command, status, or full sentence.
- Prefer the English key or
en value as the source text. Use the call site only to clarify meaning, tone, and constraints.
- Do not copy chat messages, review comments, issue descriptions, or task wording as translation text.
- If the source text is unclear, inspect the code and locale files first. Ask the user for exact source copy only when the intended UI text remains ambiguous.
Length and Layout Awareness
- Consider whether translated text may overflow the UI before choosing final wording, especially for buttons, table headers, menu items, labels, toasts, dialog titles, tabs, badges, and empty states.
- For languages that often expand relative to English, especially French, Russian, and Vietnamese, prefer natural but compact wording.
- Do not sacrifice meaning just to shorten text. When the call site has limited space, choose the shortest clear translation that preserves the UI intent.
- For interpolated variables, counts, model names, provider names, quotas, and dates, consider the longest realistic rendered text, not only the translation string itself.
| Language | Code | Notes |
|---|
| English | en | Base locale, key = value |
| Chinese | zh | Fallback locale, must be complete |
| French | fr | Many English cognates are valid (e.g., "Configuration") |
| Japanese | ja | Use katakana for technical loanwords |
| Russian | ru | Use formal register |
| Vietnamese | vi | Use standard Vietnamese |
Keep as English (do not translate):
- Brand/product names (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, etc.)
- URLs and email placeholders
- Technical identifiers (JSON keys, API paths, model names)
- Code-like strings (gpt-3.5-turbo, price_xxx, etc.)
Always translate:
- UI labels, button text, error messages, descriptions
- Time units (hours, minutes, months, years)
- Action words (Move, Show, Delete, etc.)
Key Rules
- All scripts run from
web/default/ directory
- Use
node scripts/xxx.mjs (ESM format with top-level await)
- Sort keys alphabetically when writing locale files
- Always run
bun run i18n:sync as the final step
- Delete temporary scripts after completion
- The
{{variable}} placeholders in keys must be preserved in all translations
- NEVER edit
locales/*.json directly. Any non-script write to a locale file (StrReplace, Write, manual JSON edit) is non-compliant, including single-key fixes.