From 7b8a65173091c1182ffcacf3017f3855772cd3fa Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: iamdoubz <>
Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2026 10:57:52 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] =?UTF-8?q?docs(i18n):=20clarify=20chrome-only=20scope=20?=
 =?UTF-8?q?=E2=80=94=20never=20translate=20user=20content?=
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---
 docs/i18n-tracking.md | 30 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
 1 file changed, 28 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/docs/i18n-tracking.md b/docs/i18n-tracking.md
index c11a4d7..768a53f 100644
--- a/docs/i18n-tracking.md
+++ b/docs/i18n-tracking.md
@@ -11,6 +11,25 @@ files, one batch at a time. Tick boxes as views are converted.
 - **Scope decision:** display language is separate from the transcription `whisper_language`
   setting — don't conflate them.
 
+## What we translate (and what we never do)
+
+**Translate: UI chrome only** — fixed labels, buttons, headings, placeholders,
+empty/loading/status states, tooltips, and app-generated default *labels*.
+
+**Never translate: user-authored content.** Meeting titles, tag names, notes, transcript
+text, search snippets, dates — these are bound straight from data (`item.title`, tag
+values, `s.text`, …) and stay exactly as the user wrote them. If a string comes from the
+user or the recording, it does not get a key.
+
+So "convert view X" always means "key its fixed labels", never "touch its content". Most
+views are mostly content with a thin shell of labels — MeetingsList, for example, is ~10
+fixed labels (search placeholder, empty states, filter/bulk-export labels) wrapped around
+a list whose rows are pure user data.
+
+> Caveat — the `"Untitled meeting"` **default title is generated in the Rust backend**, not
+> the frontend, so it never reaches `t()`. Localizing app-generated defaults is a separate
+> backend decision, out of scope for this frontend effort.
+
 ## How to convert a string (the pattern)
 
 1. Add a key to `en.json`. Naming: `<area>.<subarea>.<name>`, dotted, grouped by view —
@@ -49,8 +68,11 @@ its visible text **and** its `title`/`aria-label`/`placeholder` attributes are k
       dialog prompts, empty states. Prefix `app.*`.
 
 ### Batch B — meetings list (small, high traffic)
-- [ ] `src/lib/views/MeetingsList.svelte` (~373 lines, ~9 attrs) — list headers, empty
-      state, search/filter placeholders, date/tag labels. Prefix `meetings.*`.
+- [ ] `src/lib/views/MeetingsList.svelte` (~373 lines) — **labels only** (~10 strings):
+      search placeholder, `"All tags"`, empty/loading states (`"No meetings yet…"`,
+      `"No matches."`, `"Loading meetings…"`), status badges (`"recovering"`, `"error"`),
+      bulk-export button, delete-confirm text, and aria-labels. The list rows themselves
+      (titles, tags, dates, snippets) are user data — leave them. Prefix `meetings.*`.
 
 ### Batch C — transcript & notes (large surface)
 - [ ] `src/lib/views/TranscriptNotes.svelte` (~869 lines, ~40 attrs) — export button
@@ -84,6 +106,10 @@ The file is big — do it section by section, one sub-batch each:
 
 ## Not translated (intentional)
 
+- **User-authored content** — meeting titles, tag names, notes, transcript text, search
+  snippets. Bound from data; stays as the user wrote it (see "What we translate" above).
+- App-generated defaults created in the backend (e.g. `"Untitled meeting"`) — a separate
+  backend concern; the frontend `t()` never sees them.
 - Backend / Rust error messages surfaced via `WaError` — out of scope for the frontend
   `t()`; revisit only if we localize command errors.
 - Provider/proper names (Ollama, Anthropic, OpenAI, Obsidian, WebDAV, WhispAssist),