Here’s what August 2020 has brought us! New API 2.0 officially announced. We released the Crowdin plugin for Adobe XD that got featured in the UX Copywriting & Localization collection by Adobe XD. Our plugin for Sketch got significant improvements and now can be used in full to localize the user interface. Many updates improve the translation process in our Editor. We introduced the awaited feature – labels for the source strings that help to categorize the text strings. And there are more features to help you design, develop, bring to global markets, and create documentation for great multilingual products you create.
API 2.0 Out of Beta
Our new API 2.0 was in beta for some time. During this time, your feedback helped us to make the new API more scalable to fit your needs. We started the previous month with the great news – new API 2.0 is now officially released, and Crowdin now has the richest API offering in localization management.
The new API covers much broader functionality, has improved security, enables to create custom integrations, build OAuth apps, and helps you easily access both Crowdin and Crowdin Enterprise.
After the release, we continued to enhance the new API. During the previous month, we also:
- Extended the response for the API 2.0 to reduce the number of requests you send to retrieve information on project target languages and reported issues.
- Added the ability to download all reposts via API 2.0 in JSON format. This includes Costs Estimate, Top Members, Translation Members reports. Previously you could get the reports only in the XLSX format.
Check out API 2.0 Documentation for Crowdin and Crowdin Enterprise.
Plugins for Design Teams
New Crowdin Plugin for Adobe XD
Crowdin plugin for Adobe XD brings design, development, and content management teams together and helps collaborate on multilingual UI effectively.
The plugin allows designers to synchronize content between Crowdin and Adobe XD projects. The integration works both ways. Marketing teams can upload source texts to the Crowdin project, or the sources can be uploaded to Crowdin by dev teams via integrations, CLI, or API. Designers will then use the real texts in their designs and add new source strings once necessary. Designers can also automatically upload to Crowdin screenshots of the mockups where the source texts were used.
With the plugin, teams can also work on marketing campaign visuals like banners, social media graphics, and more.
Updated Crowdin Plugin for Sketch
When we launched the plugin in December 2020, designers could use it mainly to translate static designs like brochures and banners. With the latest release, we rebuilt the plugin and added more functionality to allow teams to work on dynamic content and create multilingual interfaces.
The new use cases for the Crowdin plugin for Sketch include:
- Prototyping with the production-ready copy.
- Adding new source strings in Sketch and sending them for translation to Crowdin.
- Uploading screenshots of the used strings to the localization project.
- Previewing translations and customizing multilingual versions of product UI directly in Sketch.
Learn more about the new use cases for our Sketch plugin.
Strings Management
Categorizing Strings with Labels
Labels will help you group project strings by specific parameters or topics. Labels give translators more context, help filter out the specific translatable content in the Editor, or when creating tasks for translation or proofreading.
Learn more about managing project labels on Crowdin and Crowdin Enterprise.
Allowing Proofreaders Access Hidden Strings
Project managers can now allow proofreaders to see hidden strings within a Crowdin project. For this, go to your Project Settings, General tab, Privacy section, and enable the feature.
New File Format Added
Crowdin now supports localization for the FBT framework, and you can upload to your Crowdin projects FBT (JSON) files, either via Crowdin interface, API, or CLI.
Check out all file types supported.
Online Editor
New Onboarding for Translators
Our Editor is the place where all translations happen, and we want to make sure that your contributors have everything they need to get started quickly. Our new onboarding will guide through the basics. It will be shown to everyone who accesses the Editor for the first time. You can also open it by request, as shown below.
Shareable URLs to Editor Filters
In the Editor, you can apply multiple filters to sort out strings by different parameters like only untranslated, approved, or unapproved strings, strings with the comments, or screenshots. You can now share the links to the filtered content in the Editor. For example, you can send a link to the developer with all the unresolved issues and ask for additional context.
Using Real Names in the Advanced Filter
To find content translated or proofread by the specific person, you can start typing the user’s name or surname, and Crowdin will help you find the right people. Previously you had to know the person’s login. But not anymore.
Forbidden Duplicated Translations
Translators won’t be able to add exactly the same translation that was previously added by someone else. The improvement is important for crowdsourcing projects and will help to evaluate user contribution more accurately.
Crowdin Enterprise Only
Better Look for Organization Public Page
Organizations on Crowdin Enterprise that include projects with the Crowdsourcing workflow step get a separate public page visible to all its volunteers. We’ve improved how the organization cover image looks on both mobile and desktop devices. You can now also select how projects should be displayed on the page and choose featured projects that will be shown on top.
You can change the settings for the public page in Organization Settings, Organization info tab.
Updating Source Files on Your Repo After Source Text Review
The Source Text Review workflow step helps to make sure only valid texts move along the project workflow. Once the sources are reviewed and corrected, you can update them in your source files on Crowdin Enterprise and further synchronize content with your codebase. Via Crowdin integrations with GitHub, GitLab, Azure Repos, and Bitbucket.
And More!
Improved UI for Project and Account Settings
For Crowdin users, we’ve simplified the UI for Project and Account Settings. Now it should be much easier to find and enable the necessary features, and change the overall settings for your crowdin.com projects and account.
New Strings Webhook
You can now also notify the right people about the new strings faster with the new New Strings webhook. Webhooks can be sent via any external channels you might need.
Learn more what webhooks you can configure for Crowdin and Crowdin Enterprise.
New Season Will Bring New Updates
Hot months are over. Sad, yeah. Yet autumn at Crowdin is always a very productive period. So expect more exciting releases and great news from us.
If there is a feature you’d like us to build, make sure you’ve submitted or upvoted it on our Feature Request page.
