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Guide

JSON Translation Tasks: Assign i18n Keys to Your Team

Managing i18n files in a team is painful. Developers extract strings, translators work in spreadsheets, someone copies values back into JSON files, and invariably keys get missed or overwritten. Glot's JSON Translation Tasks eliminate this chaos by letting you turn your i18n JSON directly into structured, reviewable translation tasks.

The Problem with Spreadsheet-Based Translation

The traditional workflow looks like this:

  1. Developer exports i18n keys to a spreadsheet
  2. Translator fills in values in the spreadsheet
  3. Developer manually copies values back to JSON files
  4. Someone notices a typo — back to step 2

This workflow is error-prone, has no review step, and loses the structure of your JSON files. Keys get renamed, nested structures get flattened wrong, and there's no audit trail of who translated what.

How JSON Tasks Work

With Glot's JSON task type, the workflow becomes:

Step 1: Create a JSON Task

In your team workspace, create a new task and select "JSON Keys" mode. Paste your i18n keys directly: 

{
  "home.hero_title": "Welcome to our platform",
  "home.hero_subtitle": "The best way to manage translations",
  "nav.pricing": "Pricing",
  "nav.docs": "Documentation"
}

Glot validates the JSON — it must be a flat object with string values only. You can include up to 500 keys per task. Assign a translator and a reviewer, select source and target languages, and submit.

Step 2: Translate Key by Key

The translator sees a clean three-column table:

  • Key — The i18n key path (e.g., home.hero_title)
  • Source — The original text in the source language
  • Translation — An input field for the translated value

No risk of accidentally editing keys or breaking JSON syntax. The translator focuses purely on the language, not the file format.

Step 3: Review Side by Side

When the translator submits for review, the reviewer sees the same table with all translations filled in. They can approve with one click, or reject with specific feedback. Rejected tasks go back to the translator with the reviewer's notes visible.

Step 4: Merge to Your Project

Once approved, click "Merge to Editor". Glot automatically:

  • Converts flat dot-notation keys back to nested JSON structure
  • Downloads as {targetLang}.json (e.g., ja.json)
  • Ready to drop into your project's locales/ directory

The flat key "home.hero_title" becomes {"home": {"hero_title": "..."}} — exactly the structure your i18n framework expects.

Best Practices

  • Keep tasks focused — One feature or page per task, not the entire app
  • Use glossaries — Attach a team glossary to ensure terminology consistency
  • Assign native speakers as reviewers — They catch nuances that non-native translators miss
  • Use the Kanban board — Visual tracking of all tasks across the team

Who Is This For?

  • Startups localizing their product into multiple languages with a small team
  • Agencies managing translation projects for multiple clients
  • Open source projects accepting community translation contributions
  • Enterprise teams with formal translation review requirements

Get Started

Create a team and try creating your first JSON translation task. Paste your i18n keys, assign your team, and experience a structured translation workflow.