1. Introduction
The Target Char Limit feature was developed to enhance quality control in translation projects that require greater attention to character restrictions, such as subtitling, user interfaces, and forms.
It provides visual and functional validations that make it easier to comply with defined character limits. Key features include:
Visual highlighting of segments that exceed the defined limit.
Filtering options to quickly identify and review affected segments.
Multi-segment control, allowing you to check character limits across groups of segments.
Flexible counting, with or without tags, to adapt to different project needs.
With these resources, the feature ensures smoother workflows, stronger compliance, and higher-quality deliverables in projects with character restrictions.
2. How Target Char Limit Works
This section aims to highlight the main behaviors of the Target Char Limit and how it can contribute to your project.
Character limit per segment
Allows you to set a maximum character limit per segment.
This value is stored in the project and checked in real time during editing.
Visual flagging in the Editor
Warnings appear whenever a segment (on which the character limit is set) exceeds the limit.
Flagged segment filter
Possibility to filter only segments that exceed the limit.
Segment grouping limit
Allows you to set a character limit for segment groups.
The system considers the sum of all segments in the group and alerts you when the limit is exceeded.
3. Creating a Project with Max Char Limit
This section explains how to configure the character limit settings when creating a project.
Prerequisites:
You must have a file in XLSX format, with columns to be defined when creating the project, such as Source, Target, and Target Char Limit.
Having the project that meets the requirements:
Upload an XLSX file in which column the character count will be done
When uploading an XLSX file (1), you can specify which column to use for character counting (2). This ensures that the system uses the content of the selected column as a reference to apply the maximum character limit per segment.
Configure the Target Char Limit Column field
To enable character counting in your project, you need to configure the Target Char Limit Column option in the importing parameters. This option defines which column in the XLSX file will be used as the basis for calculating the number of characters in each segment, ensuring that the maximum limit is correctly applied during the translation process.
Here’s how to enable it:
In the importing parameters settings, activate the Multilingual option.
Once Multilingual is enabled, the Enable Target Char Limit option will be available.
Enable this option to display the Target Char Limit Column field.
In this field, enter the column from the XLSX file that contains the character limit per segment. Note: It is also necessary to pass the Source and Target columns, otherwise, it will not be possible to activate the Target Char Limit option.
After configuring the parameters, click Save to apply your settings.
Proceed with project creation as normal
After configuring the Target Char Limit Column field and setting the desired character limit, simply proceed with the project creation as usual. All other steps in the workflow remain the same.
💡Note: The character limit can be set per project and is stored in the file and translation related segments.
4. Using the Editor with the Max Char Limit
This section shows how the Max Char Limit works inside the Editor. You will learn how visual alerts are displayed when limits are exceeded, how to filter flagged segments, and how multi-segment character control is applied during translation.
Alerts for segments that exceeded the character limit
After setting up the project and opening a work unit, the first indicator you will see is a visual alert showing which segments have exceeded the character limit.
When you click on a segment, you can see the character count along with an information panel showing the defined limit and how many characters have been exceeded.
And if the number of characters is within the limit, this is the view you will have of the counter:
When a segment is confirmed while exceeding the character limit, two alerts will be displayed, as shown in the image below.
Filtering by flagged segments
To filter segments that exceed the Max Char Limit:
Go to the Filter option in the Editor to view all available filters in Bureau Works
Select the filter labeled Target Char Limit Exceeded (11).
Once activated, the Editor will display only the segments that have gone beyond the defined character limit.
💡Note: Segments within the character limit will not be shown when this filter is applied.
How character limits work across multiple segments
If a cell in your XLSX file contains text separated by periods (as shown in the image below).
The Editor will split this content into separate segments at each period.
When the Target Max Char Limit is applied, the character counter will calculate the total number of characters across all these segments, and the character limit will be based on the combined total of the split segments.
5. Including tags in the character count
This section explains how tags are handled in the character count and how you can adjust this setting for your project.
In Target Char Limit, you can choose whether the counter should include tags in the character count. To use it with tags, it is necessary to follow these steps:
Enable the Enable Target Char Limit option.
Once enabled, the Include Tags in the Char Count option will appear. Select it to ensure tags are counted as part of the character limit.
After configuring the parameters, click Save to apply your settings.
Continue with the project creation, and the character counter will then include tags as part of the count. Each tag is calculated as four characters. For example:
<br>= 4 characters.
As an example, below we have the same segments in a project in which the Include Tags in the Char Count option was not enabled. Note that even though they are the same segments, the number of characters is smaller.
💡Note: When the Include Tags in the Char Count option is activated, the HTML Subfilter Break at <br> Tags setting will not be applied.
6. Good practices and observations
Enable Multilingual: To use the Target Max Char Limit, you must enable Multilingual in the project.
Compatibility with Data Transformation: Since Multilingual cannot be used with Data Transformation, the Target Max Char Limit is also unavailable in such projects.
Set character limits early: Configure the Target Char Limit during project creation to ensure consistency and avoid rework.
Use filters and visual alerts: Rely on the Target Char Limit Exceeded filter and on-screen highlights in the Editor to quickly identify and correct segments that go beyond the defined limit.
Adjust tag counting when needed: Choose whether tags should be included in the character count depending on the specific project requirements.