# Fink

> Fink is a free, open source (MIT), browser-based translation editor for GitHub repositories. It opens the i18next JSON, next-intl or inlang message format (Paraglide JS) files in a repository that has a project.inlang folder, shows every language of a message side by side, checks for missing translations, variables and plural forms, and commits the changed files back to the branch. There is no sync and no second copy of the translations: the repository is the source of truth.

Key facts:
- Supported formats: i18next JSON (including namespaces and plurals), next-intl messages (nested namespaces, ICU plurals, selects and rich text tags) and the inlang message format used by Paraglide JS. Not supported: other ICU MessageFormat files, PO, XLIFF, YAML, mobile string files.
- Hosting: github.com repositories only. Public repositories open without signing in; pushing requires signing in with GitHub and the Inlang GitHub App installed on the repository.
- People without write access push to a fork and open a pull request on GitHub. Fink doesn't create branches or pull requests itself.
- Fink is not a translation management system: no translation memory, no machine translation, no vendor workflows.
- Fink is free and open source (MIT): https://github.com/opral/inlang-fink. Optional hosted services, such as machine translation, may come with inlang Cloud; the editor stays free.

## Get started

- [Fink documentation](https://fink.inlang.com/docs.md): How to use Fink, the browser translation editor for GitHub repositories. Setup, supported formats, checks, plurals, pushing, branches, forks and privacy.
- [Getting started](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/getting-started.md): Open a GitHub repository in Fink, edit translations side by side, review the diff and push a commit to your branch. Requirements and step-by-step setup.
- [Set up a project](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/set-up-a-project.md): Fink needs an inlang project folder in your repository. Create project.inlang/settings.json for i18next JSON, next-intl or Paraglide JS.
- [Supported formats](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/formats.md): Fink edits i18next JSON, next-intl and inlang message format files (Paraglide JS). What each supports, file and push limits, and what isn't supported yet.
- [Fink for teams](https://fink.inlang.com/teams.md): Translators and product managers edit your app's text in the browser. Fink checks it and commits it to the branch you opened on GitHub.

## Using Fink

- [Editing translations](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/editing.md): How to edit messages in Fink: pick the languages you translate from and into, search, filter what's missing, insert variables, add and delete messages.
- [Reference locale](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/reference-locale.md): The reference locale is the language Fink compares translations against, from baseLocale in settings.json. How to change the language you translate from.
- [Plurals, selects and exact numbers](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/plurals-and-selects.md): How Fink handles plural forms (one, few, many, other), selects such as gender, and forms for exact numbers like 0, per language.
- [Checks](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/checks.md): Every problem Fink reports, what it means and how to fix it: missing translations, missing or unknown variables, missing plural forms, unused messages.
- [Unused messages](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/unused-messages.md): Fink finds messages that your code never calls and labels them Not used in code. How detection works, its limits, and when it is switched off.
- [Review and push](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/push.md): Fink commits only the translation files you changed and keeps the rest of each file byte for byte. How review, commits, conflicts and pushes work.
- [Branches, forks and pull requests](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/branches-forks-and-pull-requests.md): Edit any branch, keep a separate draft per branch, and contribute to repositories you can't push to through a fork and a pull request.
- [Translators and non-developers](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/translators.md): What translators, PMs and writers need to edit your app's translations in Fink, which accounts and access they need, and how their changes reach GitHub.
- [Local drafts](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/drafts.md): Fink saves your edits as a draft in your browser until you push. How drafts are stored, how long they last, and how to delete them.

## Integrations

- [i18next](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/i18next.md): Edit i18next and react-i18next JSON translation files side by side, including namespaces and plurals, and push the changes to GitHub with Fink.
- [next-intl](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/next-intl.md): Edit next-intl message files in your GitHub repository with Fink: namespaces, ICU plurals, selects and rich text, pushed back as small diffs.
- [Paraglide JS](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/paraglide-js.md): Fink is the browser editor for Paraglide JS projects. Edit the inlang message format side by side, see where each message is used, and find unused messages.

## More

- [Privacy and telemetry](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/privacy.md): What data Fink sees and stores, where your GitHub token lives, and exactly which anonymous usage events Fink sends.
- [FAQ](https://fink.inlang.com/docs/faq.md): Answers to common questions about Fink, the browser translation editor for GitHub repositories.

## Compare

- [A Crowdin, Lokalise, Weblate and Tolgee alternative without the sync](https://fink.inlang.com/compare.md): How Fink, a free browser editor for translation files in GitHub, compares with Crowdin, Lokalise, Weblate and Tolgee, and when each one is the better choice.
- [Fink vs Crowdin](https://fink.inlang.com/compare/crowdin.md): Crowdin is a full localization platform that syncs with GitHub. Fink is a free editor for the translation files in your repo. When to pick which.
- [Fink vs Lokalise](https://fink.inlang.com/compare/lokalise.md): Lokalise is an AI localization platform with GitHub sync. Fink is a free editor for the i18next, next-intl and Paraglide files in your repo. When to pick which.
- [Fink vs Weblate](https://fink.inlang.com/compare/weblate.md): Weblate is an open source, git-integrated localization platform you host or rent. Fink is a browser editor with nothing to host. When to pick which.
- [Fink vs Tolgee](https://fink.inlang.com/compare/tolgee.md): Tolgee is an open source localization platform with in-context editing. Fink edits the translation files in your GitHub repo. When to pick which.

## Optional

- [Fink app](https://fink.inlang.com/): open a repository
- [inlang](https://inlang.com): the project format and SDK behind Fink
- [Paraglide JS](https://paraglidejs.com): the i18n library that uses the inlang message format