Translate without
leaving Obsidian
Edit PO/Gettext files entry-by-entry, validate plurals, and convert to XLIFF, ARB, JSON, YAML, or ICU — all from a vault you already know.
مرحبا
안녕
Olá
Hej!
Ciao
안녕!
A localization workspace, not a glorified text editor.
Dual-mode editing
Browse entries as a structured list — ID, status, and context at a glance. Click any entry to open the editor panel. Switch to raw PO source for direct access.
Smart filtering
Filter by status, format flag, comment, or context. Find the 12 fuzzy entries hiding in a 4,000-entry catalog in seconds.
Focus mode
Step through entries one by one with keyboard shortcuts. No distractions, no mouse — pure kilometer translation mode for translators who need to ship.
Entry validation
Flag fuzzy entries, missing translations, and move obsolete strings out of your active catalog — keep your PO files clean without leaving Obsidian.
Plurals done right
Pick a language when creating a PO file and the correct
Plural-Forms header is written automatically from CLDR rules.
First-class support for msgid_plural with all required forms per locale. Integrity
checks catch missing or mismatched forms before you ship.
Stats & export panel
Track progress per language — translated, fuzzy, obsolete counts — then export to any format from the sidebar.
Multi-format conversion
Round-trip to XLIFF, ARB, ARB Enhanced, JSON, YAML, and ICU MessageFormat without losing flags or comments.
Project mode
Treat a folder of PO files as one project. Switch locales, compare progress, sync settings across the set.
Fast on large catalogs
No lag on thousands of entries. The list renders instantly whether you're editing 50 strings or 50,000 — your vault stays responsive.
Quick actions
Define labeled buttons that apply flags or translator comments in one click. Assign
a PO flag (e.g. #, c-format), a comment, and a color. Buttons appear in
the editor panel — tag entries without breaking your translation flow.
Configurable to your workflow
Dock the editor panel top, bottom, left, or right. Define custom placeholder
patterns (%s, %(key)s, %1$d) that render as
clickable chips in translation cells. Auto-check headers on open or keep it on
demand.
Need a feature?
Missing something? An Idea for better UX? Open a feature request on GitHub — describe your use case and we’ll take a look.
Request a feature →What it looks like inside Obsidian.
Plain text, structured.
Every entry has context, source, translation, optional plurals, flags, and translator notes. PO Editor renders all of it as a structured form — but the underlying file stays a perfectly clean .po.
msgctxt
Disambiguates same-text-different-meaning entries
msgid_plural
CLDR plural forms with full integrity checks
#, fuzzy
Mark entries that need a human review
#: source.ts:42
Jump straight to where the string lives in code
# Translator: claude · 2 hours ago #: src/views/inbox.tsx:91 msgctxt "inbox" msgid "You have one unread message" msgid_plural "You have {count} unread messages" msgstr[0] "Tu as un message non lu" msgstr[1] "Tu as {count} messages non lus" #, fuzzy, c-format #: src/net/client.ts:77 msgctxt "errors" msgid "Could not connect to %s" msgstr "Connexion à %s impossible"
Four steps from blank to shipped.
Open or create
Click any .po file in the file explorer to open it in the editor, or
use the PO ribbon button to create a new file. Pick a language and an output folder.
Edit in list view
Click any entry in the list to open the editor panel — set msgstr, toggle flags, add comments. Or jump to raw mode for direct source editing.
Validate
Run "Validate PO File" to scan for empty msgstr, fuzzy entries, and obsolete strings. Flag issues before committing.
Convert & export
Round-trip to XLIFF for translators, ARB for Flutter, JSON/YAML for web stacks, or ICU for runtime use.
Eight formats. One source.
Comments, flags, and source references survive every conversion (when you want them to).
Three ways in.
Open Obsidian
Settings → Community plugins → Browse
Search
"PO Editor"
Click Install
then Enable
Install BRAT
from Community plugins
Open BRAT
Settings → Add Beta Plugin
Enter the repo
Kodaskills/obsidian-po-editor
Download release
main.js, manifest.json, styles.css
Copy to plugin folder
<vault>/.obsidian/plugins/po-editor/
Reload Obsidian
and enable the plugin
What's next.
Things people ask.
Not yet — PO Editor is desktop-only (isDesktopOnly: true in the
manifest). Mobile support is on the roadmap once the core feature set settles.
No. Everything happens inside Obsidian, on files in your vault. The plugin reads and writes PO files (and any conversions) to your chosen output directory.
Yes. Round-trip your PO files to XLIFF for sending to translators, ARB for Flutter, JSON/YAML/ICU for web, then back to PO. Comments, flags, and references survive every hop (when configured).
Obsolete entries are strings no longer in your source but still present in the PO file. Instead of deleting them, the plugin lets you move them to the obsolete section — they're preserved for reference but excluded from active translation counts.
Yes. msgid_plural with all required forms per language, plus integrity checks that warn when the count of msgstr[] doesn't match the language's expected plural categories.
Most actions live in the command palette (⌘P / Ctrl+P). You can also bind
any editor action via the keyMapping setting — no restart
needed.
Yes — a focus workflow is built in. Filter the entry list to untranslated entries, then click the fullscreen button in the editor panel header to expand it to overlay mode. Type your translation, then press Alt+↓ to save and jump to the next entry instantly. Alt+↑ goes back. The command palette also has “Navigate to next untranslated entry” if you want keyboard-only flow without touching the mouse.
Translate at home,
in your vault.
Free, MIT-licensed, and crafted with care by Kodaskills.