> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://hyperlocalise.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Upload Lokalise translations and wait for processing

> Import translated locale files into Lokalise with Hyperlocalise, wait for queued processing, and control replacement of modified translations.

Use `hyperlocalise lokalise upload translations --poll` to import an existing
locale file and wait for Lokalise to finish processing it. Without `--poll`, a
successful command means the import was queued, not completed.

## Before you start

[Install Hyperlocalise](/cli/getting-started/install) and set
`LOKALISE_API_TOKEN` for a token with project access. Use a project with the source
file already uploaded and a French target locale. Prepare `locales/fr.json` with
translated values. Replace `your-project-id` below with the real project ID.

```bash theme={null}
hyperlocalise lokalise locales list --project-id your-project-id
hyperlocalise lokalise files list --project-id your-project-id
```

Use the returned language `iso` value as `--target-locale`. Lokalise matches files
by name: use the same naming pattern as the source. A completely different name
can create a second file.

## Preview, then import

```bash theme={null}
hyperlocalise lokalise upload translations \
    --project-id your-project-id --target-locale fr \
    --file ./locales/fr.json --format json --dry-run
```

The dry run checks local files and flags without queuing or polling an import.
Run the upload after checking the plan:

```bash theme={null}
hyperlocalise lokalise upload translations \
    --project-id your-project-id --target-locale fr \
    --file ./locales/fr.json --format json --poll --poll-timeout 10m
```

The command waits for the process to reach `finished`. The default poll timeout is
30 seconds; `10m` gives CI more time. A timeout does not establish that the remote
import was cancelled. Check the process in Lokalise before retrying an upload.

## Will this replace existing translations?

By default, `--replace-modified` is off, preserving translations that Lokalise
classifies as modified. This is not a promise that every existing key stays
unchanged. Add `--replace-modified` only when you intend to replace those modified
translations with values from the uploaded file.

The command reports `modified_translations=preserved` or
`modified_translations=replaced`. Waiting with `--poll` changes completion timing,
not this replacement policy.

## Verify the import

Review the imported locale in Lokalise. You can also export it to a new file:

```bash theme={null}
hyperlocalise lokalise download translations \
    --project-id your-project-id --target-locale fr \
    --format json --output ./locales/fr-import-review.json
```

Compare the export with the intended translations. `--target-locale` determines
the import language even when the filename suggests another locale. Run a separate
upload for each target language; repeat `--file` for multiple files in one language.

See [Lokalise CLI workflows](/cli/commands/lokalise) for comparison with `lokalise2`
and [JSON translation](/cli/reference/formats/json) to generate drafts locally.