Translation Request States and Lifecycle

Understanding status progression and timing

Overview

Both translation requests and individual orders have status tracking. Requests also include a completed_at timestamp indicating when all translations are ready.

Request Lifecycle

Translation requests progress through these states in order:

1. Initial States

pending - Request created and queued for processing

unordered - Quote generated but not yet ordered (quote requests only)

2. Processing States

ordered - Request confirmed and payment processed

in_translation - Actively being translated by our team

3. Review States

waiting_for_client - Translations completed, pending your review

duplicated - All content matches existing Translation Memory entries

4. Final State

finished - Translation process completed and approved

Order Status (Individual Tasks)

Each order within a request has its own status:

not_started - Translation hasn't begun yet

  • For machine translations: still processing the request
  • For human translations: queued for translator assignment

started - Translator actively working on content

client_review - Translation completed, awaiting your approval

finished - Translation approved and finalized

payment_failed - Order payment unsuccessful

  • Usually caused by missing payment details
  • Rarely due to payment platform issues

Status Flow Examples

Standard Translation Request

pending → ordered → in_translation → waiting_for_client → finished

Quote Request

pending → unordered → ordered → in_translation → waiting_for_client → finished

Duplicate Content

pending → duplicated → finished

Payment Issues

pending → ordered → payment_failed

Key Timestamps

created_at - When the request was submitted

completed_at - When all translations became available (set only when status is finished)

Monitoring Your Requests

Polling: Check request status using GET Translation Request

Callbacks: Automatically receive updates when translations reach finished status via callbacks

Dashboard: Monitor all requests in your Translation Request overview

Understanding these states helps you build robust integrations and set appropriate expectations for translation delivery times.