Syncing Translations (i18n)

Translations for the itch app are managed in a separate repository and contributed via Weblate. Syncing is bidirectional: the itch repo pushes new English keys out, and pulls every locale back in.

How It Works

• English (src/static/locales/en.json) is the source of truth and lives in the itch repo. Add new strings here.
• All other locales are translator output, edited via Weblate, which commits to the itch-i18n repo.
• The sync script copies en.json into itch-i18n (so Weblate picks up the new keys), then wipes src/static/locales/ and copies every locale back wholesale.

Don't edit af.json, ar.json, etc. in either repo. They're Weblate output and will be overwritten on the next sync.

Syncing

Check out itch-i18n alongside itch:

parent/
├── itch/
└── itch-i18n/

Then run:

node release/sync-i18n-strings.js

This is destructive: it deletes src/static/locales/ and writes to ../itch-i18n. Don't run it casually. The conventional commit message after a sync is sync translations.

When to Sync

Run a sync when:

• You've added new English keys to en.json and want translators to see them
• You're preparing a release and want to pull in the latest translator work

Adding a new English string to en.json doesn't require an immediate sync. It'll be pushed out the next time someone runs the script, typically alongside a release.