Project settings control how app localization is translated, reviewed, and maintained.
When To Review Settings
Revisit settings whenever you:
- Add new target languages.
- Change brand tone or translation guidance.
- Move from manual runs to automated repository sync.
- Notice recurring review-state or stale-key issues.
Translation Preferences
- Tone:
formal,neutral,informal,playful - Custom Prompt: Additional instruction text used for translation requests
Use these to shape translation style consistently across app surfaces.
Automation
- Auto Remove Stale Keys: For
.xcstrings, deletes keys marked with stale extraction state when syncing or generating updated files. - Auto Retranslate on Key Rename: For
.xcstrings, marks carried-over non-base rows for retranslation when a key rename is detected and the base value changed.
Branch-based automation is configured separately from project settings. For repository projects, use the Repository Automation page to choose push rules, pull request rules, and manual sync.
Retranslation Triggers
Retranslation triggers control when existing filled translations should be refreshed after source-side changes.
- Retranslate when base comments change: When parser-backed source comments or context change, existing translations for the string are marked for review so they can be regenerated with the updated context.
- Retranslate when base text changes: Off by default. Filled translations are preserved when source text changes unless this is enabled. TestFlight What-to-Test files are the exception: base-language content changes always refresh the related locale notes.
- Treat base Needs Review as a retranslation request: When the base language row is marked
NeedsReview, mark its translations for review too.
These settings are useful when your team wants source-copy edits, context edits, or base review state to intentionally refresh existing translations instead of only filling missing rows.
Quality
- Quality Score Enabled: Gated by plan eligibility; enables health-check workflows.
Quality scoring helps prioritize review effort instead of treating every row the same.
Access and Permissions
Only authorized project settings managers can update these fields.
Common Mistakes
- Updating tone/prompt and expecting old localized rows to change instantly without reruns.
- Looking for push or pull request triggers inside project settings instead of the Automation tab.
- Enabling stale-key removal without confirming source extraction stability.
- Treating rename retranslation as a general content refresh toggle.
- Expecting base text edits to refresh every translation while Retranslate when base text changes is turned off.