A Work Unit is one file, in one language pair, moving through one workflow. Splitting a Work Unit divides its segments into two or more independently assignable parts — useful when a single file has too many words for one vendor to finish on time, or when you want several vendors translating the same file at the same time.
💡 Who is this for? This guide is for Project Managers and Account Admins who need to split a large Work Unit into smaller parts that can be assigned to different vendors within the wxrks platform.
Key terms
Term | Meaning |
Work Unit | One file, in one language pair, on one workflow — a single row on the project's Overview tab. |
Task | The unit that actually gets assigned to a vendor. An unsplit Work Unit has one Task; a split Work Unit has one Task per part. |
Part | One slice of a split Work Unit's segments — technically its own Task, tracked and delivered independently. |
What splitting actually does
Splitting a Work Unit does not create additional Work Units. It divides that Work Unit's segments into two or more parts, each a separate Task that can be assigned to a different vendor, tracked separately, and opened individually in the wxrks Editor. The file itself stays a single Work Unit entry in the project — once split, its row on the Overview tab becomes expandable so you can open it and manage each part underneath.
This is the same feature behind the Split file button described in the Actions/Options Bar article — Split file is the button, splitting a Work Unit is what it does. Today, the only way to split is Into X Parts, which divides the segments proportionally across the number of parts you choose. Splitting by a fixed number of segments per part or by a target word count per part is not currently available in the wxrks interface.
When to use it
Consider splitting a Work Unit when:
It contains a very large number of words or segments, and one vendor alone would not finish it by the deadline.
You want to spread the workload for one file across multiple vendors working in parallel.
Before you can split
The project must be in Draft or Pending status — the Split file button is hidden once a project moves past that point.
The Work Unit must not already be split, and none of its tasks can be assigned or in progress — every task on it must still be Pending. Once a Work Unit has been split, it can no longer be selected to split again.
The Work Unit needs at least 2 segments, since with only one segment there's nothing to divide.
How to split a Work Unit
Open the project's Overview tab and select the checkbox next to the Work Unit you want to split.
Click Split file in the actions bar above the table.
The Split file modal opens, showing:
Split type — currently locked to Into X Parts, the only option available.
Total segments — the Work Unit's total segment count, so you can judge how big each part will be.
Number of parts — how many parts to split into. Enter 2 or more (entering 1 wouldn't actually divide anything). wxrks won't let you request more parts than there are segments, and distributes the segments as evenly as possible between them, keeping their original order.
Enter the number of parts and click Split file to confirm. The split runs immediately and cannot be undone.
Task Feedback and splitting
If Task Feedback is enabled for the project, wxrks checks whether the review workflow is still compatible with the split before you confirm it. It's compatible only if the review workflow either has the same number of splits as this one, or isn't split at all.
If neither is true, wxrks shows a warning directly in the modal, and disables Task Feedback for the file once you split.
What happens after the split
The Work Unit's row now expands (using the chevron on the left) instead of showing a checkbox — open it to see and manage each part. Each part:
Keeps its own slice of the segments in their original order — one part covers the first range of segments, the next part picks up where it left off, and so on.
Is assigned, tracked, and delivered independently, the same as any other task — see Assigning Tasks to Users for the steps and Task Assignment Eligibility Rules for who can be assigned.
Opens individually in the wxrks Editor, and can be combined with other tasks using Join in Editor.
Gets its own logfile once one is created for it. Because each part is then analyzed on its own, splitting can reduce the repetition and cross-file leverage matches wxrks would otherwise find across the whole file — see All about Logfiles and Project Costs for how that affects cost.
Troubleshooting
Split file is greyed out. Either no Work Unit is selected, the selected Work Unit is already split, or one of its tasks is no longer Pending (assigned or in progress). Check the project's status too — Split file only shows while the project is Draft or Pending.
"Split already in progress" error. wxrks locks a Work Unit while a split request is processing, so a second click before the first finishes is rejected rather than run twice. Wait a moment and refresh the Overview tab.
The checkbox is gone and only a chevron shows. That Work Unit has already been split — open the chevron to manage its parts instead.
Quick reference
Requirement | Detail |
Project status | Draft or Pending |
Work Unit state | Not already split; all its tasks Pending |
Minimum segments | 2 |
Split type available | Into X Parts (proportional, by segment count) |
Number of parts | 2 up to the Work Unit's total segment count |
Reversible? | No — the split runs immediately and can't be undone |
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