docs agent overwrote translated docs with english source strings

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in Search check agent by acting on the exact symptom first: require each reported translation issue to quote the source paragraph and the locale paragraph side by side, validate both against the live articles, and discard any finding whose quoted text cannot be found in the articles. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Agent invented a translation update not present in source data

Use this when

• Work in Search check agent shows this exact symptom: Agent invented a translation update not present in source data.
• The same symptom repeats after a retry with unchanged inputs.
• Readers or support agents are blocked until this item is corrected.

Not for this skill when

• The help center platform itself is down or returning outage notices. Resolve that first, then return here if this symptom remains.
• The content is correct and you only want a style or tone rewrite. That is an editorial pass, not this fix.

Steps

1. Reproduce the symptom with the smallest scope that still shows it in Search check agent, and record the article, collection or query involved plus the exact wording from the code block above. Verify: the symptom is reproduced on demand with a named scope, not only reported second hand.
2. Apply the specific fix for this symptom: require each reported translation issue to quote the source paragraph and the locale paragraph side by side, validate both against the live articles, and discard any finding whose quoted text cannot be found in the articles. Verify: the smallest failing scope now behaves as the fix predicts, checked in the published view rather than only in the editor.
3. Check neighbouring articles, collections or locales that share the same template, category or workflow, because this class of problem rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Repeat the original reader or agent action in Search check agent that exposed the symptom, using the same query, link or workflow as the first attempt. Verify: the action completes and the original symptom does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth for this item, the current product behaviour, price list, release notes or ticket evidence named in the fix. Verify: the published result matches the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the scope it covered and the verification result where the content team works, so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the symptom, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Variant phrasings

Agent invented a translation update not present in source data

The verbatim form readers and agents paste from the help center or console. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the wider rollout.

How to fix - agent hallucinating translation update not in source data for check help center search results for an error query error hallucination failure

The how to phrasing for the same problem in Search check agent. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the final check.

Search check agent troubleshooting for this symptom

The symptom first phrasing used when the full message is hidden. Surface the full symptom first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

Why it happens

Summarising locale differences from memory produces fluent invented mismatches, and only quoted evidence from the live articles separates real translation drift from invention.

Edge cases

• The symptom appears in one locale, collection or audience view only. Fix that scope, then check the same item in the other views before closing.
• A cached or indexed copy keeps showing the old state after the fix. Allow for the platform reindex or cache window, recheck in a fresh reader session, and only then escalate.
• Two items have near identical titles. Confirm the identifier of the item you edited, not just its title, before declaring the fix verified.

Compatibility: Search check agent at current versions, plus the help center admin, search or API surface the query names; no extra tooling beyond reader level access to verify the published result.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_ioR1X7VyfJU41megevPSZg

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_ioR1X7VyfJU41megevPSZg

Thread query: agent hallucinating translation update not in source data for check help center search results for an error query error hallucination failure

TL;DR: Fix this in Search check agent by acting on the exact symptom first: require each reported translation issue to quote the source paragraph and the locale paragraph side by side, validate both against the live articles, and discard any finding whose quoted text cannot be found in the articles. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Restore the translations from git, then separate the agent's write targets: it may update source-locale files and translation templates, never finished translations. Add a locale guard that aborts the sync if it would write to a translated file.

The exact error

docs agent overwrote translations with english source

Steps

1. Assess the damage Diff the translation directories against the last good commit to list every overwritten file. Success check: You know exactly which translations were lost.

2. Restore from version control Check out the translation files from the last good commit. Success check: Translations are restored to their pre-overwrite state.

3. Separate write targets Configure the agent so its sync writes only source-locale files and message catalogs; translated files are read-only to it. Success check: The agent cannot write to translated files by construction.

4. Add a locale guard Before any docs write, check the target file's locale; abort with an error if it is a finished translation. Success check: Future syncs fail safe instead of clobbering.

When to use

• Use when an agent's docs sync destroys translations.
• Use when designing locale-aware doc pipelines.

When not to use

• Not for untranslated strings in the source (translation workflow problem).
• Not for machine-translation quality issues (different problem).

Why it happens

Translation files and source files often share names across locale directories, so a sync that walks the tree naively treats them as identical targets. The agent did what it was told; the pipeline gave it write access it should never have had.

Edge cases

The locale guard is cheap insurance: one path check before each write. Translation memory systems can also re-apply lost translations, but restoring from git is faster and exact.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_SF3zQJkSDaTlQIIpCc30sg

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_SF3zQJkSDaTlQIIpCc30sg

Thread query: docs agent overwrote translated docs with english source strings

TL;DR: Restore the translations from git, then separate the agent's write targets: it may update source-locale files and translation templates, never finished translations. Add a locale guard that aborts the sync if it would write to a translated file.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in Help center translations by acting on the exact symptom first: trigger or perform a targeted translation update for the changed paragraphs only, compare the English diff against the Spanish text paragraph by paragraph, and republish the locale version once the changed warning, step or price matches the source. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Translated article outdated after English article was fixed

Use this when

• Work in Help center translations shows this exact symptom: Translated article outdated after English article was fixed.
• The same symptom repeats after a retry with unchanged inputs.
• Readers or support agents are blocked until this item is corrected.

Not for this skill when

• The help center platform itself is down or returning outage notices. Resolve that first, then return here if this symptom remains.
• The content is correct and you only want a style or tone rewrite. That is an editorial pass, not this fix.

Steps

1. Reproduce the symptom with the smallest scope that still shows it in Help center translations, and record the article, collection or query involved plus the exact wording from the code block above. Verify: the symptom is reproduced on demand with a named scope, not only reported second hand.
2. Apply the specific fix for this symptom: trigger or perform a targeted translation update for the changed paragraphs only, compare the English diff against the Spanish text paragraph by paragraph, and republish the locale version once the changed warning, step or price matches the source. Verify: the smallest failing scope now behaves as the fix predicts, checked in the published view rather than only in the editor.
3. Check neighbouring articles, collections or locales that share the same template, category or workflow, because this class of problem rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Repeat the original reader or agent action in Help center translations that exposed the symptom, using the same query, link or workflow as the first attempt. Verify: the action completes and the original symptom does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth for this item, the current product behaviour, price list, release notes or ticket evidence named in the fix. Verify: the published result matches the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the scope it covered and the verification result where the content team works, so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the symptom, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Variant phrasings

Translated article outdated after English article was fixed

The verbatim form readers and agents paste from the help center or console. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the wider rollout.

How to fix - how to fix help center translation outdated English fix not reflected in Spanish article fails error

The how to phrasing for the same problem in Help center translations. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the final check.

Help center translations troubleshooting for this symptom

The symptom first phrasing used when the full message is hidden. Surface the full symptom first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

Why it happens

Translation workflows trigger on new articles but often miss edits to existing ones, so a small English fix leaves every locale version silently outdated.

Edge cases

• The symptom appears in one locale, collection or audience view only. Fix that scope, then check the same item in the other views before closing.
• A cached or indexed copy keeps showing the old state after the fix. Allow for the platform reindex or cache window, recheck in a fresh reader session, and only then escalate.
• Two items have near identical titles. Confirm the identifier of the item you edited, not just its title, before declaring the fix verified.

Compatibility: Help center translations at current versions, plus the help center admin, search or API surface the query names; no extra tooling beyond reader level access to verify the published result.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_LGYn0wdlqkLs3Hifq9nGYg

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_LGYn0wdlqkLs3Hifq9nGYg

Thread query: how to fix help center translation outdated English fix not reflected in Spanish article fails error

TL;DR: Fix this in Help center translations by acting on the exact symptom first: trigger or perform a targeted translation update for the changed paragraphs only, compare the English diff against the Spanish text paragraph by paragraph, and republish the locale version once the changed warning, step or price matches the source. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.