This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: The client needed to import a large spreadsheet of over 40,000 glossary terms into their WPML installation for a translation project, but discovered that WPML does not support direct import of glossary terms. Solution: We clarified the difference between a glossary and a translation memory. A glossary is a list of specific terms with their translations, while a translation memory stores complete text segments and their translations. We informed the client that the Advanced Translation Editor (ATE) does not support direct import of translation memories but allows sharing of translation memory across multiple sites using the same automatic translation account. We advised against importing the spreadsheet as a glossary to prevent inconsistencies and potential damage to the quality of translations. For further guidance, we provided links to our documentation:
I hope you're doing well. I wanted to reach out and escalate a request we've made, and that others have made.
We've been WPML users since 2013 and we deploy large, national WordPress websites with WPML. To put simply: We're invested.
Recently, we had a client provide us with a large spreadsheet of glossary terms they'd like us to populate into their WPML install before their translation team starts interacting with automated translation review. The list is large, over 40,000 terms to load.
We were saddened to see that there's no way for us to import these records into WPML and set ourselves to developing a solution. We tried a few things (including orchestrating via puppeteer), but we just couldn't justify the full ROI on this task.
I noticed that we're not the first to request this, so I wanted to reach out more personally to let you know how important this is for us and our clients. Here are some older support requests on this topic:
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Hi there,
Thanks for sharing the document.
Upon further inspection, our team has checked that the sheet you shared is actually a translation memory document, not a glossary. Therefore, we need to clarify the crucial difference between a glossary and a translation memory in the context of the Advanced Translation Editor.
A glossary consists of a list of specific terms and their corresponding translations. It is used to maintain consistency in translations of key terms throughout the site. On the other hand, a Translation Memory stores complete text segments and their corresponding translations. It is designed to reuse complete translations, optimizing the translation process by automatically applying previously saved translations to similar content.
It's also important to note that the Advanced Translation Editor (ATE) does not support the direct import of translation memories. However, you have the option to share your translation memory with other sites that use the same automatic translation account. This can be particularly helpful if you or your client have multiple sites under the same account.
In the case of your spreadsheet, which contains a significant amount of data in the form of a translation memory, importing it as a glossary could cause damage to the consistency of translations on your site. This may result in inaccurate or inappropriate automatic suggestions, compromising the quality of translations.
For more detailed information on how glossary and translation memory work, you can refer to the following documentation:
