Dynamic Preview
The wxrks Editor can show a live preview of the file you're working on, right next to the segments you're translating. The preview automatically picks the mode that matches the file type — a rendered image for a PSD-based file, a spreadsheet grid for an XLSX file, a rendered page for an HTML file, and so on — so you can check formatting, layout, and context without leaving the Editor or downloading the original file.
💡 Who is this for? Any user who can open a work unit in the wxrks Editor — Vendor, Project Manager, or Account Admin. The preview panel uses the same permission as opening the Editor itself, so if you can open a work unit, you can open its preview.
Opening the Preview
To open the preview panel:
Open the work unit in the wxrks Editor.
In the Editor header, click the eye icon and choose Show/Hide preview.
The preview opens in a side panel next to your segments.
Once the panel is open, a toolbar along its edge gives you these controls:
Hide Preview — closes the panel (the eye icon in the header does the same thing).
Open in new window — pops the preview out into a separate browser window, useful on smaller screens or a second monitor.
Fullscreen — hides the other Editor panels and expands the preview to fill the screen. Click it again (it becomes Exit Fullscreen) to go back.
Expand / Reduce — grows or shrinks the panel's width relative to the segment list.
A Source/Target switch (the arrows icon) with a SOURCE/TARGET badge — toggles whether the preview renders the original file content or your translated content. Not every preview mode uses both sides; when a mode only supports one, the switch has no effect.
Preview Modes
The Editor chooses a preview mode automatically based on the work unit's file type. When more than one mode could apply, a Preview Mode menu lets you pick.
Mode | Used for |
Media Preview | PSD-based work units — shows a rendered image of the design. |
Web Preview | HTML content, or any work unit with a rendered preview URL. |
Docs Preview | Word, PowerPoint, OpenDocument, PDF, Visio, Keynote, Pages, and Numbers files. |
Spreadsheet Preview | XLSX, XLSM, XLSB, XLS, CSV, and TSV files. See wxrks XLSX Preview for the full feature set. |
Video Preview | Supported video files, and subtitle files (SRT, VTT, ASS, SSA) attached to a media transcription work unit. |
Code Preview | Text, code, and other structured files that don't match a more specific mode. This is also the fallback when no other mode applies. |
Marketo Preview | Supported Marketo email files. |
InDesign Preview | IDML work units, when a matching PDF preview guide was uploaded alongside the file. |
Some file types (for example, Figma-linked work units) get an automatic dedicated preview that doesn't appear in this menu — the Editor just renders it directly, with no mode to pick.
Changing the Preview Mode
Open the preview panel.
Click the Preview Mode menu.
Select the mode that matches the content you want to inspect.
Use the menu only when more than one mode is genuinely available for that file — for most work units there's a single correct mode and no menu choice to make.
Previewing PSD-Based Work Units
PSD-based work units use Media Preview, rendering the visual result of the design without requiring you to download it.
Open the work unit's preview.
Use the Source/Target switch in the preview toolbar to compare the original, untranslated file (SOURCE) against a render built from the current translations (TARGET).
After you edit a translation, click Refresh in the preview header to re-render the image with your latest changes — the preview does not update automatically as you type.
While a render is in progress, the preview shows a loading state ("Rendering the original file..." or "Rendering preview with the latest translations...") and the image is disabled/blurred until it finishes. Keep the preview open and avoid clicking Refresh repeatedly while it's rendering.
[SCREENSHOT PLACEHOLDER: Media Preview mid-render, showing the loading overlay text]
Rendered previews are approximate — fonts and formatting may not exactly match the final exported file.
Previewing Other File Types
For other file types, select the mode that matches the content you need to inspect. The preview usually loads automatically when the work unit opens; use Preview Mode if another compatible mode is available and you want to switch.
If a file has no compatible preview, the panel shows a preview error instead. You can still use the work unit's normal file actions (like downloading the file) to inspect it outside the Editor.
Troubleshooting
The preview panel isn't visible
Click the eye icon in the Editor header to Show/Hide preview. If the icon isn't there at all, your account doesn't have permission to open the Editor's preview — the same permission that lets you open the work unit in the Editor.
The preview shows the original instead of the translation
Use the Source/Target switch in the preview toolbar. For PSD-based work units, also click Refresh after saving a translation change — the render only updates when you ask it to.
The preview is still rendering
Wait for the render to finish. Repeatedly clicking preview controls while a render is in progress won't speed it up and can leave the panel in a confusing state.
The preview can't be loaded
Try again after confirming the file's tags are properly configured. If the error continues, verify the work unit's file format is one of the supported types listed above, then contact your Account Admin or wxrks support.
Quick Reference
Need to... | Action |
Open or close the preview | Click the eye icon and choose Show/Hide preview |
Select another view | Open Preview Mode and choose a mode |
Compare original vs. translated | Use the Source/Target switch |
Update a PSD preview after editing | Click Refresh |
Enlarge the preview | Choose Fullscreen |
Use a separate browser window | Choose Open in new window |
For a full walkthrough of the Editor itself, see wxrks Editor.