Translate XLIFF files online. Generic XLIFF, real tag handling.
Drop any XLIFF — exported from Trados, memoQ, Phrase, custom systems, or your own pipeline. Fily handles <source>, <target>, <g>, <x>, <ph> and 2.0's <segment> / <unit> model without breaking on import.
What is XLIFF (Generic)?
XLIFF (XML Localization Interchange File Format) is the OASIS-standard format for exchanging bilingual content between translation tools. Two major versions are in use: XLIFF 1.2 (since 2008, used by Trados and most LSP-grade interchange) and XLIFF 2.0 (since 2014, restructured around <file> → <unit> → <segment>).
Generic XLIFF (vs vendor-extended like SDLXLIFF or MQXLIFF) is what you exchange when one side of the workflow doesn't run a specific CAT tool — typically an LSP receiving content from a custom CMS, a translator working without Trados/memoQ, or an interchange between platforms.
Why XLIFF (Generic) is tricky for AI translation
- Version detection: 1.2 and 2.0 have incompatible structures. Tools that don't auto-detect produce empty target segments or invalid output.
- State attributes: XLIFF 1.2 uses state="translated|reviewed|signed-off"; 2.0 uses different state machines. Resetting these on round-trip breaks downstream workflow.
- Inline tags: both versions allow <g>, <x>, <bpt>/<ept> (1.2) or <pc>, <ph>, <sc>/<ec> (2.0). Mixing them or losing IDs invalidates the file.
- Namespace soup: custom XLIFF often pulls in ITS, XLF extensions, or vendor namespaces. A naive parser strips them and the receiving system rejects the file.
- Plurals and segmentation: XLIFF 2.0 supports complex segmentation with multiple <segment> per <unit>. AI tools that flatten this lose plural-form information.
- Notes and comments: <note> elements at trans-unit level often carry translator instructions ("do not translate", "max 30 chars"). Stripping them loses critical context.
How Fily handles XLIFF (Generic)
- Auto-detect version: XLIFF 1.2 vs 2.0 detected from root element + namespace declaration. Routing to the correct internal pipeline.
- Namespace-preserving parser: custom namespaces and ITS extensions pass through unchanged.
- State-attribute pass-through: state and state-qualifier from the source are preserved unless the segment is actually retranslated.
- Inline-tag codec: <g>, <x>, <ph> (1.2) and <pc>, <sc>, <ec> (2.0) extracted with full attribute sets, segments translated as text with placeholders, tags reinserted.
- Note preservation: <note> elements at file, group, and unit level are read into the translation prompt as instructions (so "do not translate" is honored) and written back unchanged.
- Segmentation respect: multi-segment units in XLIFF 2.0 are translated segment-by-segment, not flattened to unit-level.
Pipeline: xml_qa_12step_v2@1.0.0
The XLIFF (Generic) workflow with Fily
Upload
Drop your .xliff (single or batch ZIP). Optional: glossary, TM, style guide.
Process
Fily runs the XLIFF (Generic) pipeline + 12 QA steps. Typical job: 10–20 minutes.
Download
Same format, ready to deliver. QA report HTML attached.
LSPs using generic XLIFF typically work between systems: a client's custom CMS exports XLIFF, the LSP translates, the CMS re-imports. Fily fits the LSP side of that loop — translators get pre-translated files with notes honored, reviewers approve.
Frequently asked about XLIFF (Generic)
Other formats Fily translates
Ready to translate a XLIFF (Generic) file?
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