Do I need an account to use the extension?
No. You can use local BYOK translation without an account. Sign in when you want Pro features, encrypted sync and backup, linked-device management, or billing.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Answers about setup, translation, chat, providers, privacy, billing, sync, and troubleshooting.
Getting Started
The basics for installing the extension and translating for the first time.
How do I start translating on a webpage?
Install the extension, open Options, add your provider API key, choose a model, and run Test Connection. Then hover over page text and press your translation shortcut. You can also use the floating launcher or Word Hint from the sidebar quick actions.
What is the difference between hover translate, Word Hint, and sidebar chat?
Hover translate is fastest for reading visible text. Word Hint is for keyboard-first users who want to pick words or blocks without the mouse. Sidebar chat is for follow-up questions, explanations, rewriting, and context-aware help.
Which target language is used by default?
The default target language is English. You can change it in Options, quick settings, or the target-language shortcut. Prompt-specific settings can override it for selected Writing Assistant prompts.
Translation Features
How on-page translation works and why some sites need safer ways to show translations.
How does hover translation work?
Move the pointer over readable page text and press your translation key. The extension reads the visible text, sends it to your selected provider, and shows the translation on the page.
What is Word Hint for?
Word Hint places keyboard labels over visible content so you can choose a word, sentence, paragraph, text block, or section without using the mouse.
Can I translate only one word or a whole page section?
Yes. Hover translate and Word Hint can translate a word or a visible text block, depending on what you choose. Sidebar chat can also attach a page section when you want to ask about the page instead of changing text on the page.
What do bilingual and translation-only display modes mean?
Bilingual mode keeps the original text and shows the translation nearby. Translation-only mode tries to show only the translated result, but on complex pages the extension may use an adjacent wrapper to avoid breaking the site layout.
Why do some sites show translations adjacent to the original text?
Some sites have page layouts that are easy to break, such as clipped text, links, or locked sections. Showing the translation nearby is safer because it avoids hiding links or damaging the page layout.
Writing Assistant & Prompts
Use custom prompts and short commands inside text boxes.
What is Writing Assistant?
Writing Assistant works inside text boxes and writing areas on a page. It lets you use a saved prompt without opening the sidebar, then insert the answer or ignore it.
What are the start shortcut and ending mark?
They tell the extension where your command starts and ends. For example, a prompt can start with /t and end with ;, so typing /t rewrite this; sends that request to your model.
How do custom prompts affect translation quality?
Custom prompts let you define tone, format, domain rules, glossary behavior, or sentence-by-sentence output. This is useful when generic translation is too casual, too literal, or not formatted the way you need.
Can each prompt use a different target language?
Yes. Prompt Library can set a Writing Assistant target language per prompt. When set, that prompt uses its own target language instead of the global translation target.
How does Esc work with Writing Assistant commands?
When a Writing Assistant answer bubble is open, the first Esc removes the command you typed but keeps the bubble open so you can keep typing or still insert the answer. After the command has already been removed, pressing Esc again closes the bubble and returns your cursor to the text box when possible. If you edit, delete, or paste over a command after it has run, the old command is ignored; type the ending mark again to run the new command, even if it looks the same as before.
Esc and Undo
How to remove translations, clear commands, and close bubbles.
How do I undo an on-page translation?
Press Esc when you are not typing in a text box and not using an extension panel. This removes the latest translation on the page and brings back the original text when possible.
Can my translation key also remove a translation?
Yes. For hover translation, hover text that has already been translated and press your translation key again. The extension removes that translation.
Why does Esc sometimes clear text instead of closing the bubble?
Writing Assistant treats Esc as two steps. The first Esc removes the /command text while keeping the answer bubble available. A second Esc, after the command has been removed, closes the bubble and puts your cursor back in the text box when possible.
What happens if I edit a Writing Assistant command after it runs?
Editing, deleting, or pasting over a command after it has run makes the extension ignore the old command. Type the ending mark again to run the updated command.
Providers, Models, and API Keys
How BYOK provider setup, model choice, and host access work.
Do I need my own API key?
Yes, the extension is built around BYOK provider access. Add an API key for your selected provider in Options, then run Test Connection to confirm the provider, key, and model work together.
Which providers are supported?
The catalog includes 30+ services: language-model providers for Smart Read, Writing Assistant, and chat; dedicated translation APIs such as DeepL; and custom OpenAI-compatible endpoints. The Options page shows the current provider list and the workflows each provider supports.
What is a custom OpenAI-compatible provider?
It is any endpoint that follows the OpenAI chat-completions style API. You enter the base URL, grant host access for that exact origin, choose or type a model, and provide the matching API key.
Why does Chrome ask for provider host access?
Provider requests are sent directly from the browser extension to the provider you configure. Chrome requires explicit host access before an extension can call that provider origin.
Does Your AI Translator store my API key on its server?
Not by default. BYOK keys are encrypted in the extension vault in your browser. If you enable encrypted Browser Sync or export Secure Backup, an encrypted copy is stored by your browser or in the backup file you save.
Account, Plans, and Billing
How account access, devices, and plan status affect extension features.
Why do I need to link the extension to my account?
You do not need to link an account for local BYOK translation. Linking lets the extension check Pro access, manage linked devices, and use account features such as billing and encrypted sync or backup.
What happens if my Pro access expires?
The extension falls back to the features available on your current plan. Pro-gated features stop being available until access is renewed, while local settings remain on the browser.
Which features are free vs Pro?
Free access includes core hover and selection translation plus a daily allowance for Word Hint, Writing Assistant, and model chat. Pro removes those daily limits and adds page-aware context, custom prompts, provider groups, and encrypted sync and backup.
Where can I manage billing or devices?
Use the portal dashboard to manage billing, linked devices, and account settings. The extension also provides shortcuts back to the relevant portal pages.
Privacy and Permissions
What the extension can access, when data is sent, and how permissions are used.
What page content is sent to AI providers?
Only content needed for the action you request is sent, such as selected text, a hovered text block, chat text, or attached page-section context. Provider requests go to the provider and model you configured.
Does the extension collect browsing history?
No browsing history list is collected or sold. The extension may read the active page content needed for translation or chat actions, and local request history can be stored on your browser for your own audit view.
Why does the extension need broad page access?
To translate directly on a page, the extension needs to read page text and show the translated text back on that page. Broad page access lets it work across sites, while provider API access is requested separately and only when needed.
Why is screenshot permission optional?
Screenshots are only needed for visual page-section context. The extension can still work with text-only context when screenshot access is not granted or when the selected model does not support images.
Where can I read the privacy policy?
The formal privacy policy is available at /privacy/privacy-policy and explains account data, extension data, provider requests, feedback, retention, and contact information.
Sync and Backup
What Browser Sync is for, and when to use Secure Backup instead.
What does Browser Sync store?
Browser Sync stores only the scopes you enable in Options: app settings, Prompt Library, and optionally encrypted API-key snapshots. The encrypted package uses Chrome extension sync storage and is scoped to your linked Your AI Translator account.
Do I need to enter the passphrase on every browser?
Yes. Each browser needs the same Chrome sync profile, the same linked Your AI Translator account, and the passphrase to unlock the Browser Sync package. Without the passphrase, a browser may see that data exists but cannot read or apply it.
Is Browser Sync a reliable uninstall backup?
No. Browser Sync is useful across browsers where the extension remains installed, but Chrome may remove extension sync data when the extension is uninstalled. Export a Secure Backup file before uninstalling.
How is Secure Backup different from Browser Sync?
Secure Backup creates an encrypted .yatb file that you control and can store separately. Use it before uninstalling, changing Chrome profiles or linked accounts, or moving outside Browser Sync.
Are API keys included in backup or sync?
Only when you explicitly enable the API-key scope for Browser Sync or include keys in a Secure Backup export. Keys remain encrypted and require the passphrase to restore.
What happens if I lose the passphrase?
Browser Sync packages and Secure Backup files cannot be decrypted without the passphrase. Store it in a password manager; Your AI Translator cannot recover it for you.
Troubleshooting
Common reasons translation, chat, shortcuts, or page display may behave unexpectedly.
Translation does not appear. What should I check?
Check that the extension is enabled on the site, the provider and API key are configured, the model is selected, and the text is long enough to translate. Refresh the page if the site layout changed.
Provider request failed. What does it mean?
Usually the selected provider URL, host permission, API key, model name, or account quota needs attention. Open Provider settings, grant access if needed, then run Test Connection.
Word Hint conflicts with Vimium or SurfingKeys. What can I do?
Keyboard navigation extensions can capture keys before Word Hint receives them. Use insert mode, pass-next-key, site exclusions, or the extension-specific pass-through setting when available.
Why does a shortcut not work?
The website, browser, OS, input source, or another extension may already own that shortcut. Pick a less common shortcut in Options and test it on a normal webpage.
Why are some complicated pages handled differently?
Some sites hide, clip, or lock parts of the page layout. The extension may show translations next to the original text instead of replacing it, so the page does not break.
Open Privacy Policy
Read the formal data handling terms for the extension and portal.
View Roadmap
See planned work for translation, agent workflows, and document support.
Contact Support
Email support@licheesight.com if your question is not covered here.