string freeze agent broke CI when source strings changed after freeze

Not specified by the original author.

string freeze agent broke CI when source strings changed after freeze

TL;DR

Fixes the string-freeze agent failing CI when developers edit source strings during the freeze. Route string changes through the freeze exception process instead of blocking the build. Use when CI fails on frozen-string edits. Not for legitimate new strings.

The error

CI failed: source strings changed after the string freeze; 12 keys modified.

Fix it

Step 1: List the changed keys

node -e "console.log('diff the string catalog against the freeze snapshot')"

Expected: You see which keys changed and who changed them.

Step 2: Approve or revert each change

node -e "console.log('revert accidental edits, approve intentional ones with translator notice')"

Expected: The catalog matches the freeze or the approved exceptions.

Step 3: Re-run CI

node -e "console.log('confirm the freeze check passes')"

Expected: CI goes green.

When to use this

• CI fails because strings changed after freeze
• A release is in the translation window

When NOT to use this

• New strings were added, not changed; new keys are usually allowed
• CI fails for other reasons, read the full log

Tool and version compatibility

• Any string-freeze CI check
• TMS workflows with freeze windows

Variant phrasings

freeze breaks on every release

The freeze window is too long. Shorten it or automate exception approvals.

developers bypass the freeze

Make the check a required status, not an advisory.

Why it happens

String freeze exists so translators work against stable text. Source edits during the freeze invalidate in-flight translations, so the agent fails CI to force an explicit decision per change.

Edge cases

• Urgent typo fixes need a fast-track exception path
• The freeze should cover copy, not code; scope the check to string files
• Notify translators of approved changes immediately

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstc5l8rjnBxxOSZE-PN_kgw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstc5l8rjnBxxOSZE-PN_kgw

Thread query: string freeze agent broke CI when source strings changed after freeze

TL;DR: Fixes the string-freeze agent failing CI when developers edit source strings during the freeze. Route string changes through the freeze exception process instead of blocking the build. Use when CI fails on frozen-string edits. Not for legitimate new 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.

translation memory agent applied stale 100 percent matches after source edit

TL;DR

Fixes the TM agent propagating outdated translations after the source string changed. Invalidate TM matches on source edits so stale 100 percent matches never apply. Use when translations lag behind source edits. Not for TM matches that never existed.

The error

Agent applied a 100 percent TM match from before the source edit; the translation no longer matches the new source text.

Fix it

Step 1: Find the stale application

node -e "console.log('diff the source string history against the applied translation timestamp')"

Expected: You see the translation predates the source edit.

Step 2: Invalidate TM matches on source change

node -e "console.log('drop cached matches for any key whose source text changed')"

Expected: Stale matches are gone from the candidate set.

Step 3: Re-run the TM pass

node -e "console.log('confirm only fresh matches apply')"

Expected: Translations match the current source text.

When to use this

• Translations do not match the current source text
• The TM agent runs after every source edit

When NOT to use this

• No TM match exists at all, check the TM import
• The translation is wrong for other reasons, check the source quality

Tool and version compatibility

• Any TM-backed translation agent
• Crowdin, Phrase, and Transifex TM integrations

Variant phrasings

stale matches only for one file

That file's change events are not wired to the invalidator. Check the webhook.

matches stale by exactly one revision

The agent reads the TM snapshot taken before the edit. Refresh the snapshot first.

Why it happens

TM matches are cached per source string. When the source is edited, the cached 100 percent match still looks valid to the agent, so it applies a translation written for the old text.

Edge cases

• Minor source edits like punctuation can still invalidate meaning
• Locking reviewed translations prevents the agent from overwriting them
• Some TMs version matches; use the version, not just the text, as the key

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_JC4WU0KYt4jupYD7JZgSdA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_JC4WU0KYt4jupYD7JZgSdA

Thread query: translation memory agent applied stale 100 percent matches after source edit

TL;DR: Fixes the TM agent propagating outdated translations after the source string changed. Invalidate TM matches on source edits so stale 100 percent matches never apply. Use when translations lag behind source edits. Not for TM matches that never existed.