Frequently asked questions
Everything about AI document translation, SDL Trados compatibility, pricing, and how your data is handled.
What file formats does Linigu Translator support?
SDL Trados packages (.sdlppx, .sdlrpx, .sdlxliff) and everyday documents: Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), PowerPoint (.pptx), PDF — including scanned PDFs —, images (JPG, PNG, TIFF, WebP, BMP), plain text and CSV. Drop any of these into the upload box on the homepage and we detect the type automatically.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Everything runs in your browser — no plugins, no desktop software, no SDL Trados Studio license required to translate an sdlxliff.
Which languages are supported?
118 languages and variants — from German, English, French, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese to regional variants like Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Latin America), Chinese (Traditional) and Serbian (Latin). Popular languages are listed first in the language selector.
Will my document's formatting be preserved after translation?
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files are edited in place — the same fonts, table styles, and slide layouts come back untouched, just with translated text. PDF is best-effort: page layout, images, and positioning are preserved, but replacement text is drawn in a standard font rather than the document's original one, since PDF fonts usually can't be reused directly.
Can I see the layout before I pay for a translation?
Yes. As soon as a document is read, a preview window opens: the original next to a format preview in which every word is replaced by XXXXX — the layout your translation will land in — together with the word count and the estimated price. Nothing is billed until you click Translate.
Can I translate a document myself?
Yes. After uploading, choose “Translate it yourself”: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files, scans and photos open in the online editor — original and translation side by side, segment by segment, like a CAT tool such as SDL Trados. Typing your own translation is free; AI can translate single segments or all of them for $0.005 per word. When you are done, download the file in its original format with the layout kept.
Can I review and correct the AI translation before I download it?
Yes. After an AI translation, click “Review in editor”. Every AI segment opens as a draft next to its source, so you can check, correct and confirm it segment by segment, then download the corrected file in its original format. Editing is free.
Can I translate scanned PDFs?
Yes. Pages without a text layer — scanned PDFs, photos and image files (JPG, PNG, TIFF, WebP, BMP) — are read with OCR in 99 languages, translated and written back into the page, so the layout of the scan is kept. The format preview shows the recognised text blocks before you pay, and up to 50 scanned pages per file are recognised. For scans in languages outside Western Europe, choose the source language. How OCR translation works.
What is translation memory and how does it save me money?
Translation memory (TM) is a store of sentence pairs from previous translations. Upload a parallel text or an SDL translation memory and any 100% exact match is applied instantly — no AI call, no charge. Only genuinely new text reaches the model.
What is a termbase and why does it matter?
A termbase (glossary) defines preferred and forbidden translations for specific terms — product names, technical vocabulary, brand language. Uploading one injects those rules into every AI prompt so terminology stays consistent from the first page to the last.
Which AI model does the translation?
Document translation uses Gemini 2.5 Flash by default, and automatically upgrades to Gemini 2.5 Pro when you turn on AI proofreading. SDL Trados translation uses Gemini 2.5 Pro throughout.
Can I get a human to review the translation?
The online service is AI translation with optional AI proofreading. If you need human review, email us at info@linigu.com.
Is Linigu Translator compatible with SDL Trados Studio?
Yes. Upload an sdlppx, sdlrpx, or sdlxliff and translate it in a full segment editor — source and target side by side, exactly like Studio. Inline tags (x, g, bx, ex) are preserved character-for-character, and segment statuses (Translated, Approved, Locked, Draft) are respected. Export a return package or sdlxliff that Studio accepts without a warning.
Does it read my translation memory and termbase files?
Yes — sdltm files are read for exact and fuzzy matching, and sdltb termbases are enforced in every AI prompt, the same as Trados Studio's own matching.
Can segments with tags be translated?
Yes. Segments that contain inline tags are translated with the tags kept in the right place, so formatting such as bold text or links survives the round trip to Trados Studio.
Does the editor show Trados tracked changes?
Yes. Tracked changes in an SDLXLIFF are shown like in Trados Studio: deleted text is struck through, inserted text is underlined. Deleted text is not counted as part of the translation.
What is the QA Checker and what does it check?
The QA Checker is a rule-based quality check for translations: SDL Trados files (SDLRPX, SDLPPX, SDLXLIFF), bilingual Word files, an original and its translation as two Word files, and PDF or scanned translations. Optionally with translation memories and termbases, it reports punctuation mismatches, tag errors, forbidden and missing terms, inconsistent translations, non-breaking space errors, numbers, placeholders, spelling, double spaces and more. Open the QA Checker.
Is the QA Checker using AI?
No. Every QA check is a fixed, deterministic rule that runs on our server. Your text, translation memory and termbase are never sent to an AI model or any third party.
Which files can I use with the QA Checker?
One file: SDLRPX, SDLPPX, SDLXLIFF or a bilingual Word table (Trados bilingual review, memoQ, Phrase or your own two-column table). Two files: an original and its translation as Word, PDF or scans/photos (JPG, PNG, TIFF) — paragraphs are paired automatically and scans are read with OCR. Translation memories: SDLTM and TMX. Termbases: SDLTB, TBX, XLSX and CSV (source, target, status). Packages already contain their own TM and termbase.
Can I check a Word translation against its original?
Yes. Choose Two files and upload the original and the translation as Word files. Their paragraphs are paired automatically, also when the translator split, merged or left out a paragraph, and every check runs on each pair. Correct errors in the report and download the corrected Word file. A bilingual Word table works too: choose One file. Step-by-step guide.
Can I check a PDF or scanned translation?
Yes. Upload the translated PDF, scan or photo next to the original (Word, PDF or a scan). Pages without a text layer are read with OCR, and the checks find wrong numbers, forbidden terms, missing sentences and punctuation errors. A PDF cannot be edited in the report: export the issues to Excel or CSV and fix the document the PDF was made from. Read more.
How does the QA Checker handle forbidden terms?
Termbase entries marked forbidden or deprecated are reported as errors when they appear in the translation. If a source term occurs but none of its approved translations does, it is reported as a warning; inflected forms are recognised, but please verify.
Can I fix errors directly in the QA report?
Yes. Click Edit on any target in the QA report or in the search results, correct it and press Ctrl+Enter. For Trados files, tags stay protected, the segment is saved as approved and you download the corrected SDLXLIFF or SDLRPX return package. For Word translations the correction is written into the Word file and you download the corrected .docx. PDF and scanned translations can be checked, searched and exported, but not edited.
Does the QA Checker include a spell check?
Yes. The target language is detected from your file and checked with Hunspell dictionaries for more than 50 languages, on our own server. Names, codes and words that also appear in the source or termbase are ignored.
Can I search source and target like in Xbench?
Yes. The Search segments tab has separate boxes for source and target, each with a does-not-contain option — for example source contains Admin and target does not contain Yönetici — plus match case, whole words, regular expressions and tag, status and QA-issue filters.
How much does it cost?
The first 10 text units (up to 100 words) are free, no credit card required. After that, translation costs $0.005 per word for every language pair and document type, and the exact price is shown before you confirm. Add balance in $10, $25, or $50 increments — there's no subscription, and unused balance never expires.
How do I know the word count and price before translating?
The moment you drop a file, Linigu uploads it with a progress bar, counts the words and shows the estimated price and whether your free trial or balance covers it. Scanned pages are counted as they are read with OCR. Nothing is billed until you click Translate.
Is the same balance used for both SDL and document translation?
Yes — one account, one wallet. Balance you add works across every capability on this site.
How is my card handled?
Payments are processed by Paddle, our merchant of record, in their own secure checkout — your card number never touches our servers. Balance is only ever credited from a signed confirmation Paddle sends directly to us, never from your browser.
Is my data used to train AI models?
No. Uploaded files, translation memories, and termbases are processed for your session only and deleted automatically after 48 hours. They are never used to train any model, ours or anyone else's.
How long are my uploaded files kept?
48 hours from upload. You can re-download a finished translation from your dashboard any time within that window; after that it's deleted automatically. See our Privacy Policy for details.
Still have a question?
Contact us