# gt: General Translation CLI tool: Tracking translations by branch
URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/docs/cli/guides/branching.mdx
---
title: Tracking translations by branch
description: How to track translations separately per git branch with General Translation while you work on features.
related:
  links:
    - /docs/cli/guides/generating-translations
    - /docs/cli/guides/managing-translations
    - /docs/cli/guides/configuring
    - /docs/cli/guides/using-auto-jsx

---

Branching tracks translations separately for each git branch. Use it when a feature branch adds or changes content and you want those translations isolated from production until the branch merges.

*Note: Branching is a General Translation Cloud feature and requires a paid plan. Without one, creating a non-default branch falls back to the default branch.*

## Enable branching [#enable]

Pass `--enable-branching` to the [`gt translate`](/docs/cli/reference/commands/translate) command. The CLI detects your current Git branch and associates new translations with it.

```bash
npx gt translate --enable-branching
```

To set the branch name yourself instead of detecting it from git, add `--branch`.

```bash
npx gt translate --enable-branching --branch my-feature-branch
```

You can also enable branching in `gt.config.json`. CLI flags take precedence over these values.

```json title="gt.config.json"
{
  "branchOptions": {
    "enabled": true,
    "autoDetectBranches": true,
    "remoteName": "origin"
  }
}
```

## How inheritance works [#inheritance]

When branching is enabled, the CLI identifies your current branch and the default branch (from the remote HEAD), then tracks how they relate:

* **Checked-out branch:** the branch yours was created from. A new feature branch inherits all existing translations from it, so shared content is not re-translated or charged for twice.
* **Incoming branches:** branches merged into yours. Their translations are incorporated into your branch.

New translations stay associated with your feature branch until it merges. After you merge back into the default branch, the feature branch's translations are incorporated there automatically.

## Example workflow [#workflow]

1. Create a feature branch and add new content.

   ```bash
   git checkout -b feature/new-landing-page
   ```

2. Translate with branching enabled. New translations attach to `feature/new-landing-page`.

   ```bash
   npx gt translate --enable-branching
   ```

3. Merge the feature branch, then translate on the default branch to incorporate its translations.

   ```bash
   git checkout main
   git merge feature/new-landing-page
   npx gt translate --enable-branching
   ```

## Troubleshoot branch detection [#troubleshoot]

* **Branch not detected:** set it manually with `--branch <branch>`.
* **Non-standard remote:** if your remote is not `origin`, set `--remote-name <name>` or `branchOptions.remoteName`.
* **Use only the current branch:** add `--disable-branch-detection` to skip incoming and parent branch tracking.

```bash
npx gt translate --enable-branching --branch my-branch --disable-branch-detection
```
## Next steps

- /docs/cli/guides/generating-translations
- /docs/cli/guides/managing-translations
- /docs/cli/guides/configuring
- /docs/cli/guides/using-auto-jsx