Getting Started with Glot

Whether you manage a website, work on a multilingual product, or simply need to organize translations for your team, Glot makes the process straightforward and even enjoyable. This guide walks you through everything you need to know, from your very first visit to exporting a finished translation file.

No coding background? No problem. Glot was built for everyone, and this tutorial assumes zero technical knowledge. Let's dive in.

Step 1: Open the Editor

Head over to the Glot editor. That's it. There is no account to create, no software to install, and no credit card to enter. The editor runs entirely in your browser, which means your data stays on your device until you choose to share it.

When the editor loads, you will see a clean workspace ready for you to start. You can either upload an existing translation file or begin from scratch.

Step 2: Upload Your File

If you already have a translation file, getting it into Glot takes about two seconds. You have two options:

• Drag and drop your file directly onto the editor area.
• Click the upload button and select your file from your computer.

Glot supports the most common translation file formats, including:

• JSON files — the most popular format for web and mobile apps.
• Nested JSON — files where translations are organized into groups and subgroups.
• Flat JSON — simpler files where every translation sits at the same level.

Don't worry if you are not sure what format your file is in. Glot will automatically detect the structure and display it for you.

Step 3: Understand the Three View Modes

Once your file is loaded, Glot offers three different ways to look at your translations. You can switch between them at any time using the tabs near the top of the editor.

Visual Mode

This is the default view and the most beginner-friendly. Your translations are displayed as a tree structure, similar to folders on your computer. If your file has nested groups (like "homepage," "about page," "buttons"), each group appears as a collapsible section. Click to expand a group, and you will see the individual translation entries inside.

Visual mode is perfect when you want to browse your content and understand how it is organized. It gives you a clear picture of the overall structure at a glance.

Table Mode

Table mode lays out all your translations in a spreadsheet-like grid. Each row represents one translation key, and each column represents a language. This view is excellent for scanning your entire project quickly — you can immediately spot which translations are missing, which ones are too long, and where things look inconsistent.

If you have ever worked in Excel or Google Sheets, table mode will feel very familiar.

Code Mode

Code mode shows the raw file content exactly as it would appear in a text editor. Most non-technical users will not need this view, but it can be helpful if you want to copy and paste the raw content or verify the file format before exporting.

Step 4: Edit Your Content

Editing translations in Glot is as simple as clicking and typing. Here is what you can do:

• Click any text to start editing it. Your changes are saved automatically.
• Add new entries using the "Add" button. Give your entry a key name (like "welcome_message") and type in the translation.
• Drag to reorder entries if you want to reorganize your file. Just grab an item and move it where you want it.
• Delete entries you no longer need with the delete button on each row.

Every change you make can be undone. Hit Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to step back through your edits.

Step 5: Add a New Language

Need to translate your content into another language? Click the "Add Language" button and choose from the list of available languages. Glot supports dozens of languages, from Arabic to Vietnamese.

Once added, the new language column appears right next to your existing content. You will notice that the new column starts empty — and that is where the next step comes in handy.

Step 6: Use AI Translation

This is where Glot really shines. Instead of translating every line by hand, you can let AI handle the heavy lifting.

• Translate everything at once: Click the AI translate button to fill in all empty translations for a language in one go. This is ideal when you have just added a new language and want a complete first draft instantly.
• Translate individual items: Prefer more control? You can trigger AI translation on a single entry at a time. This is useful when you have updated one specific piece of text and want just that entry re-translated.

The AI translations are designed to be natural and context-aware. That said, we always recommend having a native speaker do a quick review. Machine translation has gotten incredibly good, but human nuance still matters.

Step 7: Run a Quality Check

Before you finish, Glot has a built-in quality checker that scans your entire project for common issues. Click the quality check button and Glot will flag things like:

• Missing translations — entries that exist in one language but are blank in another.
• Empty values — translation keys that have no content at all.
• Inconsistencies — potential problems that might cause issues in your app or website.

Think of it as a spell-checker, but for your translation files. Running a quality check before exporting saves you from discovering problems later.

Step 8: Export Your File

When you are happy with your translations, it is time to export. Glot offers multiple format options so you can get exactly what you need. Click the export button, choose your preferred format, and the file downloads to your computer.

If you are working with a developer, just send them the exported file. They will know exactly what to do with it.

Step 9: Share Your Work

Need someone else to review your translations? Glot lets you generate a shareable link. Click the share button, copy the link, and send it to your colleague, client, or translator. They can open the link and see your work in the same beautiful editor — no account needed on their end either.

This makes collaboration effortless. No more emailing spreadsheets back and forth or trying to merge conflicting changes.

Tips and Tricks

Once you are comfortable with the basics, here are some power-user tips to help you work even faster:

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z — Undo your last change.
• Ctrl+Shift+Z / Cmd+Shift+Z — Redo a change you just undid.
• Tab — Move to the next field when editing.
• Escape — Cancel the current edit.

Search and Filter

Working with a large file? Use the search bar to find specific translations instantly. You can search by key name or by the translation text itself. Filters also let you narrow down to only untranslated entries, making it easy to track what still needs attention.

Start Small

If this is your first time, try uploading a small file with just a handful of translations. Get familiar with the interface, try switching between view modes, and experiment with the AI translation. Once you feel confident, scale up to your full project.

What Makes Glot Different

There are many translation tools out there, so why choose Glot? Here are a few reasons people love it:

• No sign-up required. Start working immediately. Your data stays in your browser.
• Completely free to start. The core editor costs nothing. You only pay if you want premium AI features.
• Beautiful and fast. The editor was designed to be a joy to use, not just functional.
• Privacy-first. Your files are processed locally. We do not store your translation data on our servers.

Whether you are managing translations for a small personal project or a large enterprise application, Glot adapts to your workflow. Give it a try and see how much time you save.