The WPML Glossary – Lock Translations of Brand Names, Product Terms, and Industry Jargon

Open it at WPML > Translations > Glossary.

Lock Terms, Keep Terms Untranslated, Add Context

• Lock in a translation. Pin “stroke” to “ictus” in Spanish, “elevator” to “ascensor”. PTC will use it every time.
• Keep a term untranslated. Add a term that should stay in the source form. Useful for brand names, product names, and technical terms that don’t translate.
• Add context. Each entry has a description field. PTC reads it alongside the term as additional context when translating, so a well-written description (“GDPR – EU privacy law, proper noun, do not translate”) improves the translation, not just the entry’s readability for whoever maintains the glossary.

Engine Support – PTC and DeepL Only

The glossary applies to PTC and DeepL. Google and Microsoft don’t use glossary entries. If your site runs on one of those engines, entries you add will silently never take effect.

Between PTC and DeepL there’s also a behavior difference worth knowing: PTC always uses your glossary; DeepL may ignore an entry if it decides another word fits better in context. The glossary discipline is one of the dimensions PTC outscores DeepL on overall. See PTC vs DeepL for the measured comparison.

Adding Terms

Add terms one at a time with Add term, or move many at once with Import glossary and Export glossary (CSV format).

Two rules apply to every entry:

• 200 character limit per entry.
• Singular form only. PTC handles plurals automatically.

Updating Existing Translations After Editing the Glossary

When you change a glossary entry, content that’s already been translated doesn’t update automatically. The new rule only applies the next time WPML translates that content.

The Update translations button re-runs translations against the current glossary so existing content reflects your changes. By default it covers translations made in the past 30 days; widen the window if you’ve edited glossary terms used in older content.

Two Limitations to Know About

• Watch the glossary size. Very large glossaries can degrade translation quality. The engine has more rules to weigh on every sentence and may end up making lower-quality choices. WPML shows a warning when the glossary grows past the recommended size. When you see it, trim rarely-used entries.
• Delete glossary wipes everything. The kebab menu next to the Import/Export buttons offers a Delete glossary action that removes every entry. Export first if you want a backup.

When PTC Suggests Glossary Entries

PTC watches the edits you make to its translations. When it spots the same change repeated several times (a term you keep translating the same way, a name you keep leaving in the source language), it offers you a suggestion. Accept it and the term lands in your glossary automatically. The same mechanism also detects link, country-dialect, and tone patterns across your edits – see How PTC learns your brand voice and translates like you do.