Lokalise measures usage based on processed words — the number of words actively handled during translation operations. This includes both base and target language content processed through manual edits, imports, AI/MT, and automation.
In this article, you’ll learn what qualifies as a processed word, what doesn’t, and how this usage metric applies across different workflows in Lokalise.
What are processed words?
Overview
Processed words are the core unit used to measure how much translation work is happening in your Lokalise projects. This includes words in both your base and target languages that are actively translated, updated, or processed through the platform — whether by a human, AI/MT, API, import, or automation.
Lokalise still uses keys to organize and manage your content. That hasn’t changed. What has changed is how usage is calculated for billing.
Why this matters?
Your subscription plan now includes a specific allowance of processed words per year, and that allowance determines how much content you can translate or retranslate using Lokalise. The more translation work your team does, the more processed words you'll use.
Here’s what’s important to know:
All plans include unlimited translation keys.
You can store as much content as you need — no key or storage limits apply.All paid plans include unlimited hosted words.
You can manage large amounts of base language content without worrying about storage limits.Only processed words count toward your usage.
Each time words are translated or processed (manually or automatically), they count toward your plan’s word allowance. The more you translate, the more processed words you consume.
When are words processed?
Processed words are counted when content is actively translated, updated, or modified: either by a person, automation, or integration. This applies to both base and target language content.
Words are processed in the following cases
Base content:
When base language content is imported for the first time
When base content is updated (via UI, API, import, or 3rd-party integrations)
Target content:
When a key is translated for the first time (regardless of method: UI, import, AI/MT, etc.)
When a translation is updated due to:
A change in the base language
AI/MT applied through workflows, tasks, automations, inline suggestions, or bulk actions
API or import operations
When a TM (translation memory) suggestion below 100% match is accepted
When translation is created or modified inside a branch
Words are not processed in the following cases:
Manual edits to target content without any base language changes
TM suggestions with 100% match
Re-imports of the same content with no changes
Restoring content using translation history or snapshots
Creating or merging branches
Editing key metadata (e.g., tags, descriptions, custom attributes)
Copying or moving keys between projects
Linking keys via the duplicate finder
Clearing translations (manual or bulk)
Pseudotranslation (not counted unless it triggers AI/MT or retranslation)
Examples
Let’s break it down with some real cases:
Counted as processed
Scenario | Word count logic |
Base content imported: "I love pizza" | 3 words |
Base content updated: "I love pizza!" → "I used to like pizza" | 5 words |
Target language first-time translation: "amo la pizza" (Italian) | 3 words |
Re-translation triggered by base change: "amo la pizza" → "mi piace la pizza" | 5 words |
Machine translation used (workflow/automation/inline suggestion) | Word count of translated string |
Clicking Google-translate empty values | Translated string word count |
Accept TM match at <100% | Translated string word count |
Upload offline XLIFF file | All newly translated word content counted |
Automations: Insert translation, pseudolocalize, or copy source to target | Counted |
Bulk actions: Fill with text, Copy keys to translations, Find & Replace | Counted |
Not counted as processed
Scenario | Counted? |
Manual edit of target with no base change | No |
TM suggestion accepted with 100% match | No |
Re-import of content with no changes | No |
Restore previous translation (via history or snapshot) | No |
Branch creation or merge | No |
Updating metadata, tags, or key settings | No |
Copy/move key to another project | No |
Bulk action: Clear translations | No |
Bulk action: Cross-reference languages | No |
Duplicate finder used to link keys | No |
Rule of thumb
If a word flows through an active operation (like import, AI, machine translation, API update, or first-time human translation) it's processed and counted. If it's just being stored, reviewed, or copied around, it’s not.
What does this mean in practice?
Let’s say your base content has 10,000 keys. On average, each key contains 6.9 base words.
That’s 69,000 hosted words stored on the platform (unlimited on paid plans)
Translating that content into 3 target languages adds approx. 207,000 processed words
Total processed usage: ~276,000 words