Text Expander for Translators — Consistent Terminology, Faster Turnaround

Translators and localization professionals work with the same terminology and phrases hundreds of times per project. A text expander for translators turns approved glossary entries, recurring source and target phrase pairs, and standard client communication templates into single-keystroke shortcuts — available in every CAT tool, document editor, or email app you use.

Short Answer

Lightning Assist is a precise text expander for translators and localisers: approved glossary term pairs, recurring source-target phrase sets, and client status-update templates expand from two-character triggers in SDL Trados, memoQ, Word, or any CAT tool — with full Unicode support for non-Latin scripts — eliminating constant tab-switching to a reference spreadsheet.

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Works in SDL Trados, memoQ, Word, email, and every translation tool • No credit card

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What Translators Type — Over and Over

From glossary lookups to client status updates, translators repeat the same structured language across every project. Lightning Assist converts each into a shortcut.

Approved glossary entries — preferred target-language equivalents for technical terms
Standard client phrases — recurring source sentences and their approved translations
Project communication — status update emails, delivery confirmations, revision requests
Style guide notes — preferred spellings, formatting rules, register guidance per client
Disclaimer and legal boilerplate — certified translation notices, confidentiality language
Query messages — standard wording for flagging ambiguous source text to clients

Why Translators Choose Lightning Assist

Works in CAT Tools and Every App

SDL Trados, memoQ, Phrase (Memsource), Word, and any web-based tool — Lightning Assist works at the OS level, so it expands snippets anywhere you type without requiring integrations.

Terminology Consistency at Speed

Store approved glossary pairs as snippets. Expand the correct target term every time with a two-letter trigger — no flipping between a spreadsheet and your CAT tool.

AI-Assisted Drafts

Use AI commands to quickly generate a first-draft translation or polish a rough passage for register and fluency before final review — directly in your translation app.

Cross-Platform for Multilingual Setups

Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux with full Unicode support — use accented characters, non-Latin scripts, and special symbols without workarounds.

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14-day free trial, all features included. Windows, Mac & Linux. No credit card required.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Lightning Assist work in SDL Trados and memoQ?

Yes. Lightning Assist works at the OS level, not as a plugin, so it expands snippets in any application where you can type — including SDL Trados, memoQ, Phrase (Memsource), OmegaT, Word, email, and every other tool.

Can I store a full glossary as snippets?

Yes. Create a snippet for each approved term pair — use a two or three character trigger (e.g. ;gl1, ;gl2 or abbreviations of the source term) and the snippet expands to the approved target-language equivalent instantly.

Does it support non-Latin scripts and accented characters?

Yes. Lightning Assist supports full Unicode, so you can store and expand text in any language including accented Latin characters, Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other scripts.