# gt: General Translation CLI tool: gt stage
URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/docs/cli/reference/commands/stage.mdx
---

title: gt stage
description: Submit a project for General Translation with human review required. API reference for the gt stage command.

---

Submits your project for translation and holds the results for human review instead of downloading or publishing them. Use it when your project has human review enabled. For the review workflow, see [Manage translations](/docs/cli/guides/managing-translations#review).

Running `stage` sets `stageTranslations: true` in your `gt.config.json`. Once enabled, running [`gt translate`](/docs/cli/reference/commands/translate) without first staging a given version causes the CLI to exit with an error. After translations are approved, run [`translate`](/docs/cli/reference/commands/translate) to download them.

*Note: For production use only. Requires a production `GT_API_KEY` and `GT_PROJECT_ID`.*

```bash
npx gt stage
```

## How it works [#how-it-works]

1. Reads `gt.config.json`, scans your source code for inline content in framework projects, and collects files — the same way [`gt translate`](/docs/cli/reference/commands/translate) does.
2. Sends the content to the General Translation API and holds the results for human review instead of downloading or publishing them.
3. Sets `stageTranslations: true` in your `gt.config.json` so future runs require staging.

Once `stageTranslations` is enabled, running `translate` without first staging that version causes the CLI to exit with an error. After translations are approved, run `translate` to download them.

## Flags [#flags]

`stage` accepts the same flags as [`gt translate`](/docs/cli/reference/commands/translate#flags), including the source-scanning flags for framework projects. The most commonly used flags are below; the linked reference above lists the full set.

| Parameter                   | Description                                                 | Type       | Optional | Default          |
| --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | -------- | ---------------- |
| `--api-key <key>`           | Production API key.                                         | `string`   | Yes      | `GT_API_KEY`     |
| `--project-id <id>`         | Project ID.                                                 | `string`   | Yes      | `GT_PROJECT_ID`  |
| `-c, --config <path>`       | Path to the config file.                                    | `string`   | Yes      | `gt.config.json` |
| `--locales <locales...>`    | Extra target locales, appended to the config locales.       | `string[]` | Yes      | —                |
| `--default-locale <locale>` | Source locale for the project.                              | `string`   | Yes      | `en`             |
| `--dry-run`                 | Parse and validate without calling the API.                 | `boolean`  | Yes      | `false`          |
| `--tag [value]`             | Tag the run; auto-resolves from git when no value is given. | `string`   | Yes      | —                |
| `-m, --message <message>`   | Message attached to the translation tag.                    | `string`   | Yes      | —                |

## Example [#example]

```bash
# Stage translations for human review
npx gt stage

# Stage and tag the run for tracking in the dashboard
npx gt stage --tag v2.1.0 -m "Q3 release"

# After translations are approved, download them
npx gt translate
```

## Other notes [#notes]

* `stage` is only useful when human review is enabled on your Project.
* Staging sets the [`stageTranslations`](/docs/cli/reference/config#stage) config key. See [Stage translations for review](/docs/cli/guides/managing-translations#review).