Automatic Retranslation

The Lingo.dev CLI automatically retranslates content when you modify the source text. The lockfile stores fingerprints for every source string - when a fingerprint changes, the CLI sends the updated content through the translation pipeline and replaces the old translation in all target files.

How it works#

// locales/en.json (original)
{ "button.save": "Save changes" }

// locales/es.json (generated)
{ "button.save": "Guardar cambios" }

After editing the source:

// locales/en.json (updated)
{ "button.save": "Save all changes" }

Running npx lingo.dev@latest run detects the new fingerprint and retranslates:

// locales/es.json (updated automatically)
{ "button.save": "Guardar todos los cambios" }

Unchanged keys are skipped entirely - only the modified key is sent to the translation backend.

What triggers retranslation#

Overrides and automatic retranslation#

If you've manually overridden a translation, automatic retranslation replaces your override when the source changes. This is by design - a source change signals that the meaning has shifted and a fresh translation is needed.

To retranslate content for other reasons (model change, prompt update), see Retranslation.

Next Steps#