Using Custom Prompts
Guide terminology, tone, and style in your translations with custom prompts for consistent, project-specific results.
What Are Custom Prompts?
Custom prompts let you give the AI specific instructions about how to translate your content. Instead of relying on default translation behavior, you can guide terminology, tone, style, and formatting decisions — making your translations consistent and tailored to your project.
Custom prompts are available on Standard and Pro plans.
How to Use Them
- Go to /dashboard/translate
- Upload your pages and choose your language pair
- Find the Custom Prompt field below the translation settings
- Type your instructions in plain language
- Start the translation
The AI reads your prompt before processing each page, so the instructions apply consistently across your entire batch.
Example Prompts
For a fantasy novel:
Keep character names untranslated: Aldric, Seraphina, Thornwall. Translate “The Shimmering” as “Das Schimmern” throughout. Maintain a formal, literary tone.
For a medical textbook:
Use standard medical terminology. Keep Latin terms (e.g., “in vivo”, “ad hoc”) untranslated. Abbreviations like “mg”, “ml”, and “IV” should remain as-is.
For manga:
Preserve onomatopoeia in Japanese alongside the translation in parentheses. Use casual, conversational English for dialogue. Keep honorifics (-san, -kun, -sensei) untranslated.
For a children’s book:
Use simple vocabulary appropriate for ages 6-8. Translate rhymes and wordplay into equivalent rhymes in the target language rather than literal translations.
Tips for Effective Prompts
- Be specific. “Use formal tone” is better than “translate well.” Name exact terms and their expected translations.
- Keep it focused. The AI follows instructions better when you list 3-5 clear rules rather than a full page of guidelines.
- Include a glossary. If you have recurring terms, list them:
"Translayer" = keep in English, "crewmate" = "Crewmitglied". - Specify what NOT to translate. Brand names, proper nouns, technical codes — call them out explicitly.
- Test and iterate. Run a few sample pages, review the output, and refine your prompt before processing the full batch.
What Custom Prompts Cannot Do
Custom prompts guide translation behavior — they don’t change the visual processing. You cannot use prompts to:
- Change fonts, colors, or layout structure
- Add or remove content from the page
- Override the AI’s image reconstruction process
Saving Prompts for Reuse
If you translate multiple volumes or batches with the same settings, copy your prompt to a text file for reuse. Paste it into the prompt field each time you start a new job to maintain consistency across your entire series.
Try custom prompts on a sample page at /dashboard/translate to see the difference they make.