How to Translate CSV Files with PTC

PTC delivers Better Than Human AI translations for .csv resource files often used in software like Shopify and Magento (Adobe Commerce). Learn how to prepare your CSV file and translate it automatically with PTC.

Translating CSV Files with PTC: First-Time Setup

If this is your first time using PTC, you’ll need to prepare your CSV file, set up your project in PTC, and provide basic project details. After that, PTC uses AI to automatically translate your files.

Step 1: Store Translatable Text in a Structured CSV File

Each row in the CSV must contain a unique key and the original string.

Correct – Keys clearly identify each string

key

source_text ( English)

welcome_message

Welcome to our app!

button_submit

Submit

error_invalid_login

Invalid username or password.

notification_update_available

A new update is available.

Incorrect – No keys, inconsistent layout

source_text ( English)

Welcome to our app!

Submit

Invalid username or password

PTC uses the key column to track and match strings across languages. Without it, translations may be lost, overwritten, or shown in the wrong context.

Step 2: Use Placeholders Consistently

Use placeholders to mark where dynamic content (like usernames or numbers) will appear. Make sure you follow a consistent format such as {username} or {0} and use the placeholder format your product expects — such as {username}, %s, or %1.

Correct – Consistent placeholder format

key

source_text ( English)

welcome_user

Welcome, {username}!

time_left

You have {0} minutes left

Incorrect – Missing or malformed placeholders

key

source_text ( English)

welcome_user

Welcome username!

time_left

You have minutes: 5

PTC keeps placeholders intact in all target languages. If placeholders are missing or unclear, PTC may treat them as regular text and output a broken translation.

Step 3: Use Separate Keys for Plurals 

Use separate rows and keys for singular and plural versions. You should also use clear keys like item_singular and item_plural for context.

Correct – Separate entries for plural forms

key

source_text ( English)

item_singular

1 item

item_plural

{count} items

Incorrect – Combining both singular and plural forms into one line

key

source_text ( English)

item_count

1 item or {count} items

PTC treats each row as a standalone string. If you combine multiple plural forms, translations won’t adapt to the grammar rules of other languages.

Step 4: Escape Special Characters

Enclose values in double quotes if they contain commas, quotes, or newlines. Escape inner quotes by doubling them.

Correct – Proper CSV escaping

key

source_text ( English)

quote_example

“She said, “”Hello!”””

newline_example

“Instructions:\n1. Open the app\n2. Log in”

Incorrect – Unescaped special characters

key

source_text ( English)

quote_example

She said, “Hello!”

newline_example

Instructions: 1. Open the app 2. Log in

If you don’t escape quotes, commas, or newlines properly, you may see formatting issues in translations. For example, rows may break or fields may shift.

Step 5: Save Your CSV File in UTF-8 Encoding

Use UTF-8 encoding when you save your CSV file. This allows PTC to read all characters correctly, including accents, emojis, and non-Latin scripts.

If you use the wrong encoding, characters may show up as ???, boxes, or broken symbols in your translations.

You can use validation tools like CSVLint to validate your file and catch errors.

Step 6: Create a PTC Account and Choose How to Use PTC

Once you prepare your CSV files, sign up for a free 30-day trial of PTC. You can choose one of three ways to connect your project:

  • Git integration
    Connect your GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repository. PTC automatically detects changes to your CSV file and creates merge requests with updated translations.
  • Manual upload
    Upload your file to see how PTC’s translations work. You’ll get back translated CSV files in a ZIP archive, ready to test in your product.
  • API
    Send your files to PTC programmatically and receive translated versions in the API response.

Step 7:  Choose Target Languages and Describe Your Product

To deliver translations that sound natural in every language, PTC needs a bit of context. It will ask for:

  • The languages you want to translate into – you can translate into any of the 33+ supported languages
  • A short description of your product and who it’s for

PTC uses this info to adjust tone, terminology, and level of formality across languages based on your product and audience.

Step 8: Check the Translated CSV Files

Once PTC finishes translating, it delivers the output based on the method you used:

  • Git integration: You’ll get a merge request with one translated .csv file per language.
  • Manual upload: You’ll download a ZIP file containing the translated CSV files.
  • API: You’ll receive the translated files in the API response.

Open the translations and check that:

  • Each language has its own translated .csv file
  • The format matches your original (same keys, same structure)

If you didn’t use Git integration, you’ll need to place the translated files in the correct folder manually. If anything looks off, open your project in the PTC dashboard and review your output settings.

Step 9: Translate App Store Listings or Help Docs

PTC can also translate content that doesn’t live in your resource files, such as:

  • App store listings
  • Setup instructions
  • Help center articles
  • Email content

To translate this kind of content, go to your PTC project and open Translations → Paste to translate. Paste the text, select your target languages, and copy the results wherever they’re needed.

This is especially useful for Shopify or Magento apps where important content often lives outside the CSV files.

PTC Keeps Translations Up to Date

If you want translations to stay in sync with your source CSV file, the best option is to integrate your Git repository with PTC.

PTC tracks your code repository for changes. When your source file is updated, PTC translates any new strings and sends back updated translations in a new merge request—no need to manually do anything.

Translate your CSV files with AI built for software projects

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