Handling tags
Tags represent parts of the document that are not ordinary translatable text. They can mark formatting, links, protected wording, placeholders, or structural elements.
Key points
Keep the required source tags in the target and place them around the corresponding translated words. Hiding tags changes only their display. Use the missing-tag indicator and QA to find problems before export.
Find the tag controls
Open a translation file and select the segment you want to inspect. Choose the Tags ribbon for tag display, insertion, removal, and repair commands. The segment toolbar can also contain tag commands; use its gear if the required button is hidden.
To insert a tag at a particular position, click inside the target first. Selecting segment rows and placing a text cursor are different actions.
Recognize a pair and a standalone tag
A tag pair surrounds content. For example, the source may contain a bold product name between an opening and closing tag. Put the corresponding pair around the translated product name, even if that name moves within the sentence.
A standalone tag represents an element by itself, such as a protected placeholder. Insert it where the corresponding element belongs. Do not type a replacement label that merely looks like the tag; use the real tag insertion control.
Tag numbers and matching presentation help identify corresponding elements. They are a reference, not an instruction to preserve the original word order.
Insert a missing tag
- Place the cursor at the correct position in the target, or select the text that should be enclosed.
- Use Insert tag or the available-tag dropdown.
- Choose the required tag or pair.
- Read the sentence and verify the position.
- Check the missing-tag indicator again.
The quick insertion action chooses the first unused required tag. This is convenient when you are restoring tags in sequence, but you still need to position the cursor correctly.
With the target editor focused, press and release Ctrl to open the combined insertion dropdown. Command is supported for the same action on macOS. It includes tags and available text suggestions, such as terms and recognized values. Use Up/Down to choose an item and check it before inserting; Escape dismisses the list.
Understand the missing-tag count
Look for the red numbered badge at the right of the segment row, beside its match percentage and status icon. It counts required source tags that are absent from the target. The badge disappears when none are missing; it does not display a red zero.
In the example below, segment 8 has 12 missing tags. Its source contains tags, but its current target has none of them. Compare the source and target, insert the required tags around the corresponding translated wording, and check the counter again.
When the badge disappears, also check that the tags surround the correct translated words. A complete count does not establish correct placement.
A segment may also contain malformed tags: tags whose structure is broken. That is a different problem from a valid tag that is simply absent. Use the tag filters and QA checks to find both types of issue.
Choose the right correction
| Action | What it does | What to check afterward |
|---|---|---|
| Insert tag | Adds a chosen or missing tag | Placement and paired boundaries |
| Remove tags | Removes tags from the working content | Whether required formatting or placeholders have been lost |
| Remove invalid tags | Cleans invalid markup | Whether missing required tags still need to be inserted |
| Fix tags | Uses AI-assisted repair to propose or produce a corrected target | Meaning, tag identity, placement, and remaining warnings |
| Show or hide tags | Changes what is visible in the editor | Hidden tags still remain part of the document |
Do not use Remove tags as a general answer to a missing-tag warning. Removing the markers does not make required formatting unnecessary.
AI repair can help with a dense tagged sentence. Inspect its change preview when shown and verify the result before confirming or exporting.
Make dense formatting easier to read
The tag display controls let you choose compact or fuller labels. Larger labels are useful for inspection; compact labels are useful while reading. You can temporarily hide tags for a readability pass, then show them again for the formatting check.
Use tags in translation controls whether tags are included in applicable automatic translation requests. If you request a draft without them, check and restore the tags afterward. It does not mean the final document can omit required elements.
Protect special patterns with custom tags
Project custom tags let you recognize patterns in a particular job as protected elements. This can be useful for recurring codes or placeholders that should not be translated as normal words.
Open the project's custom-tag controls, define a carefully tested pattern, and inspect which source text it recognizes. A pattern that is too broad can protect ordinary wording. See Regular expressions before using pattern syntax.
Inspect before delivery
Show tags, filter for mismatches or malformed tags, and run QA. If a problem is difficult to diagnose, use the available segment-code inspection to compare the underlying bilingual content. That advanced view is for inspection; you do not need to edit document markup to translate normally.
Finally, open the exported file. A structurally valid tag can still surround the wrong words, so compare visible formatting as well as the warning count.