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

# Non-Translatables

A Non-Translatable (also known as Do Not Translate or DNT) is a series of characters that should not be translated. [LILT Translate](/kb/introduction-to-lilt-translate) can be set up to automatically recognize and protect Non-Translatables, which will prohibit changes to the Non-Translatables during translation and review. Project managers can make use of this Non-Translatable protection to keep Non-Translatables from being accidentally translated, saving on overall translation time.

When LILT recognizes Non-Translatables (determined by special formatting set up on an account basis), the Non-Translatables will be displayed in gray boxes to indicate to translators and reviewers that these items are not to be translated.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/lilt-db26f913/6FefOzQXhgpnOwpd/images/f856d99e-1500019473441-non-translatable_500x152.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=6FefOzQXhgpnOwpd&q=85&s=7a134a73a4d433302c1bd8d79a180568" width="500" height="152" data-path="images/f856d99e-1500019473441-non-translatable_500x152.png" />
</Frame>

Non-Translatables can be used in a wide range of applications, such as:

* numbers

* formulas

* code

* email addresses

* currency

* proper names

LILT does not currently support a standardized Non-Translatable format. However, LILT can enable custom Non-Translatable pattern-matching rules for your account. Reach out to your account representative for more information about enabling custom Non-Translatable rules. Note that Non-Translatables will not be recognized in documents uploaded before this feature is enabled on your account; Non-Translatable matching only works for documents uploaded after your account is enabled with Non-Translatable pattern matching.

## **Using Non-Translatables in LILT Translate**

If a segment contains Non-Translatables, the Non-Translatable items are displayed inside gray boxes in the source text field. The suggestion field also displays any Non-Translatables in gray boxes.

Once a segment is confirmed, Non-Translatables are automatically projected into the target text field using Contextual AI. Non-Translatables may not always be projected into the correct positions; therefore, it is good practice to check the positioning of Non-Translatables after confirming a segment. Once Non-Translatables are added to the target text field, they can be moved around, but cannot be edited or deleted. Note that Non-Translatables can be moved even after the segment is confirmed.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/lilt-db26f913/KxQB3_Ey1ahDkiRO/images/07e630a6-1500019473521-non-translatable_example_2_583x186.gif?s=365a34d32caf2690d929d9d6be0cc0c4" width="583" height="186" data-path="images/07e630a6-1500019473521-non-translatable_example_2_583x186.gif" />
</Frame>

If you want to add Non-Translatables to the target text field before confirming a segment, you can manually project Non-Translatables at any time by clicking on the gray boxes in the suggestion field.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/lilt-db26f913/JYCZK8MjjALJwC0p/images/4059d8dc-1500019228382-non-translatable_example_1_583x186.gif?s=ab000fd7054ed6121fc9c29a8c19dc2a" width="583" height="186" data-path="images/4059d8dc-1500019228382-non-translatable_example_1_583x186.gif" />
</Frame>

When [Pretranslating](/kb/pretranslating-documents), for any segments with 100% TM matches available, any Non-Translatables will be carried over into the target text. In addition, when selecting the Pretranslation option to `UseContextual AI for unmatched segments`, Non-Translatables in the source text will be projected into the target text using Contextual AI. Projecting Non-Translatables using Pretranslation provides more accurate results than projecting Non-Translatables within LILT Translate.

There are two types of Non-Translatables discussed in the sections below: standalone Non-Translatables and paired Non-Translatables.

## **Standalone Non-Translatables**

Standalone Non-Translatables appear on their own and are not related to any other Non-Translatable item in the segment. Standalone Non-Translatable examples:

* HTML tags:

* * \<br>

  * \<img>

* Variables in software strings, such as:

* * `"String with one variable {0}"`

  * `"String with one variable {0}"`

As an example, if your LILT account is configured to recognize text within two curly braces as Non-Translatables, then an English to French document containing `{{small}}` will not be translated to`{{pétit}}`, but will instead to preserve it as `{{small}}` when it is projected to the target text field.

## **Paired Non-Translatables**

A paired Non-Translatable item is an element of a tag pair. LILT currently supports paired Non-Translatables in this format:

* \<strong> … \</strong>

Using paired Non-Translatables in this format causes LILT to treat them as tags within LILT Translate. This means they are not protected like with standalone Non-Translatables, and must be projected into the target text field using the `Project target tags` option under the `Tags` tab. For information on how to use tags, see the [Tags & Formatting](/kb/tags-formatting) article.

Paired Non-Translatables can be nested (and can encompass standalone Non-Translatables):

* `This sentence uses <b>bold and <i>italics</i> together {{0}}</b>.`

LILT does not currently support paired Non-Translatables in any other formats, such as:

* \{strong} … \{strong}

* \[bold] … \[/bold]