Will My Manual Translation Edits Be Overwritten When SeaText Re-translates Content Automatically?
Manual translation edits in SeaText are locked by default and will not be overwritten by automatic re-translation unless you explicitly choose to re-translate a specific text segment. The system separates automatic translation from manual...
Manual translation edits in SeaText are locked by default and will not be overwritten by automatic re-translation unless you explicitly choose to re-translate a specific text segment. The system separates automatic translation from manual overrides, giving you control over brand voice and key pages while still translating new content automatically.
How Translation Locking Works
SeaText's translation agent operates on a principle of "automatic does not mean uncontrolled." When you make a manual edit to any translated text — whether it's a headline, product description, button label, or full paragraph — that edit is marked as a manual override. The system treats locked segments differently from untranslated or auto-translated content. New pages, posts, products, and updates continue to be translated automatically in the background, but your locked edits remain untouched.
This behavior is built into the WordPress integration. Once you activate SeaText on WordPress, it detects each visitor's language and translates pages instantly. When you publish a new WordPress page, product, post, or headline, SeaText sees it and translates it. However, any segment you have manually edited retains your version until you decide otherwise.
Step-by-Step Workflow: Locking and Reviewing Translated Segments
Follow this practical workflow to lock and review translations on your WordPress site:
- Open any page on your live WordPress site in the language you want to review.
- Click the SeaText visual editor toggle (usually a floating button or toolbar) to enter edit mode.
- Hover over any text segment. A boundary appears around each translatable unit — headline, paragraph, button, list item, etc.
- Click a segment to open the inline editor. The current translation appears in an editable field.
- Make your changes. The editor saves automatically when you click outside the field or press Enter.
- Observe the lock indicator. A lock icon appears next to the segment, confirming it is now a manual override.
- Repeat for each segment you want to control — typically headlines, calls to action, legal disclaimers, product names, and brand slogans.
- Exit the visual editor. Your locked segments are now protected from automatic re-translation.
You can audit a page at any time by re-entering the visual editor. Locked segments show a lock badge; auto-translated segments show an AI badge. This visual distinction lets you verify which parts are fixed and which will update automatically when source content changes.
Automatic Translation Continues While Locks Stay Fixed
SeaText's background translation engine keeps working after you lock segments. When you add a new WordPress page, publish a new post, create a new product, or update existing content, the system detects the new or changed source text and translates it automatically into all active languages. This happens without any manual trigger.
Locked segments are excluded from this automatic pass. The engine compares each source segment against its translation memory. If a target segment has a manual override flag, the engine skips it and moves to the next segment. This means your approved headline stays exactly as you wrote it, while the new paragraph you added below it gets a fresh automatic translation.
The result is a hybrid model: you get the speed and coverage of full-site automatic translation for the bulk of your content, plus precise control over the high-impact segments that define your brand voice and legal compliance.
Manual Edit Controls in the Visual Editor
The SeaText visual editor lets you click any translated text on your live WordPress page and edit it directly. Changes are saved instantly. This frontend editing interface shows you exactly what visitors see in each language. You can review key pages, preserve brand voice, and adjust terminology without touching code or translation files. The editor also indicates which segments are auto-translated and which carry manual overrides, so you always know what is locked.
Editing is segment-level. A segment can be a single word, a phrase, a sentence, or a block of HTML. The system determines segment boundaries based on the source HTML structure. You cannot lock an entire page with one click; you lock each segment individually. This granularity lets you protect only what matters — for example, the product name and price button — while letting the product description update automatically when you change the source description.
Preserving Brand Voice Across 125 Languages
SeaText translates into 125 languages with control. The phrase "with control" means you can enforce brand terminology, tone, and style guidelines per language. For example, you can lock your product name, tagline, or legal disclaimer so they never change, while allowing the rest of the page to update automatically when content changes. This is especially useful for regulated industries, consistent global branding, and high-stakes conversion pages where a single mistranslated word changes meaning.
You can also maintain a glossary of preferred terms by locking the translation of each key term wherever it appears. When the same source segment appears on multiple pages, locking it once applies your preferred translation across all occurrences. This reduces repetitive work and ensures consistency.
A/B Tested Translation for Market Optimization
Beyond locking edits, SeaText offers advanced A/B tested translation. When you want to find the message that sells best in each market, you can enable variant testing on specific pages or segments. The system generates translation variants, serves them to visitors, and scales the winner automatically. Your manual locks remain in place unless you include those segments in the test. This lets you optimize conversion copy in German, Japanese, or Portuguese without risking your approved brand language.
To start a test, select a segment in the visual editor or dashboard, choose "A/B test this translation," and define the test parameters. The system will create variants, split traffic, and measure conversion performance. When a variant reaches statistical significance, it becomes the new default translation for that segment. If the segment was previously locked, the lock updates to the winning variant.
Practical Audit Scenarios
Regular audits keep your translations aligned with brand standards. Here are common scenarios:
- Quarterly brand review: Open top-traffic pages in each target language. Use the visual editor to scan lock badges. Verify that locked segments still reflect current brand guidelines. Update any that have drifted.
- Legal compliance check: For regulated markets, lock disclaimer text, privacy policy links, and required notices. Audit these segments after any legal update in the source language.
- Seasonal campaign launch: Before a major promotion, lock campaign headlines, offer text, and countdown timers in all languages. After the campaign, you can unlock them to return to automatic translation.
- New market entry: When activating a new language, review the first 20–30 pages manually. Lock brand-critical segments immediately. Let the rest auto-translate. This gives you a quality baseline without manual translation of the entire site.
Re-translation Scenarios and Controls
Re-translation only occurs in two scenarios. First, when you explicitly trigger a re-translation for a specific text segment — for example, by clicking a "re-translate" action in the visual editor or translation dashboard. Second, when you use the advanced A/B tested translation feature to test alternative phrasing in a target market. In both cases, the action is deliberate and scoped to the segment you select. Bulk re-translation of an entire site or language does not unlock manually edited segments unless you confirm that you want to overwrite them.
If you change the original (source language) text of a segment you previously locked, the lock is broken because the source changed. The system will auto-translate the new source text. You would then re-apply your manual edit in the target language if needed. This behavior ensures that source-content updates propagate to all languages by default, while still giving you the option to re-lock the updated translation.
Limitations and Exceptions
Locking is segment-level, not page-level. If you edit a headline but leave the body text auto-translated, a future content update that changes the source body text will trigger a new automatic translation for the body — the headline stays locked. Also, if you delete a locked segment in the source language, the corresponding translation lock is removed because the source no longer exists. Finally, the A/B testing agent can overwrite a locked segment only if you explicitly add that segment to an active test and a variant wins.
There is no bulk lock or unlock feature for an entire language or site. Each segment must be managed individually. For large sites, plan your locking strategy around templates and reusable components (headers, footers, product cards) to minimize repetitive work.
Key Facts
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Default behavior | Manual edits are locked and not overwritten by automatic translation |
| Re-translation trigger | Only when you explicitly choose to re-translate a specific segment |
| Editing interface | Visual editor on live WordPress pages; click any text to edit |
| Language coverage | 125 languages with per-segment control |
| Brand voice preservation | Lock terminology, tone, and style per language |
| A/B testing | Optional variant testing on selected segments; locks respected unless included in test |
| Scope of lock | Segment-level (headline, paragraph, button, etc.), not whole-page |
| Source deletion effect | Deleting source text removes the translation lock for that segment |
| Page limits | No page limits |
| Language limits | No language limits |
| Manual translation work | No manual translation work required for automatic operation |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I lock an entire page from re-translation?
Not in one click. You lock each segment individually. A practical workflow is to review the page in the visual editor, edit and lock the segments that matter — headlines, CTAs, legal text — and leave the rest on auto. New content added to that page will auto-translate; your locked segments stay fixed.
What happens if I update the source text of a locked segment?
If you change the original (source language) text of a segment you previously locked, the lock is broken because the source changed. The system will auto-translate the new source text. You would then re-apply your manual edit in the target language if needed.
Does the A/B testing agent override my locks?
Only if you add the locked segment to an active test. When you start a translation A/B test, you choose which segments participate. Locked segments not included in the test remain unchanged. If a test variant wins for a segment you included, that variant becomes the new translation and the lock updates to the winning version.
Can I export or back up my manual translations?
SeaText does not document an export feature for manual translations. Your edits are stored within SeaText's translation layer tied to your WordPress installation. For backup, rely on your WordPress database backups which include the SeaText translation tables.
How do I know which segments are locked versus auto-translated?
The visual editor shows a visual indicator — typically an icon or badge — next to each translatable segment. Locked segments display a lock icon; auto-translated segments show an AI or auto badge. This lets you audit a page at a glance.
Is there a limit to how many segments I can lock?
No. SeaText offers no page limits, no language limits, and no manual translation work required. There is no stated cap on locked segments.
What if I want to revert a manual edit back to auto-translation?
In the visual editor, you can clear a manual override on a segment. That returns the segment to automatic translation, so future source changes will propagate a fresh auto-translation.
Further reading and comparison sources
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Further reading and comparison sources
These external sources provide additional context for evaluating the topic. Their inclusion is not an endorsement.
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