---
name: "intltool-update"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "intltool"
version: "0.51.0-6"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/intltool-update/8"
---

# intltool-update(8)

updates PO template file and merge translations with it

## NAME

intltool-update - updates PO template file and merge translations with it

## SYNOPSIS

**intltool-update** *\[option\]...*\
 **intltool-update** *LANGCODE*

## DESCRIPTION

**intltool-update** generates new po file templates from source code, and merges existing translations with these new po templates.

You must change working directory to the subdirectory containing translations (usually "*po/*") before running **intltool-update**.

## OPTIONS

When executing **intltool-update** , only one mode of operation is allowed each time.

### Mode of operation

- **-p**

  - **--pot**

  Generate po template (.pot) only.

- **-s**

  - **--headers**

  Executes [**intltool-extract**(8)](/intltool-extract/8.md) to extract strings inside XML/INI style files listed in **POTFILES.in**, and writes the extracted strings into header files, so that the strings can be recognised by [**xgettext**(1)](/xgettext/1.md).

- **-m**

  - **--maintain**

  Search for left out files, which should have been listed in **POTFILES.in** or **POTFILES.skip**. A list of all these files are written into another file called "**missing**".

- **-r**

  - **--report**

  Display a status report for all translations in the software.

- **-d** *LANGCODE*

  - **--dist** *LANGCODE*

  Merge **LANGCODE**.po with existing PO template.

### Other options

- **-g** *NAME*

  - **--gettext-package**=*NAME*

  Manually specify PO template file name, instead of determining the name automatically from source. Useful with **-p**/**--pot** option. This option has an additional effect: the name of current working directory is no more limited to "po" or "po-\*".

- **-o** *FILENAME*

  - **--output-file**=*FILENAME*

  Manually specify output *FILENAME* after merging old translation with PO template. Useful either with **-d**/**--dist** option or without any option.

- **-x**

  - **--verbose**

  Display lots of feedback.

- **--version**

  Show version information.

- **--help**

  Show usage and basic help information.

## EXAMPLES

Creates a new PO template from source code, and name it foo.pot:

```
intltool-update --pot --gettext-package=foo
```

Updates translation file xy.po using existing po template called "bar.pot", and writes output into "xy1.po":

```
intltool-update --dist --gettext-package=bar --output-file=xy1.po xy
```

Creates new PO template and updates translation file xy.po (xy.po is overwritten with new content):

```
intltool-update xy
```

(same as **intltool-update --pot && intltool-update --dist xy**)

## FILES

- **po/POTFILES.in**

  Contains list of source files which contain translatable strings, one file per line.

- **po/POTFILES.skip**

  - **po/POTFILES.ignore** (obsolete)

  Contains list of source files which should be ignored when searching for translatable strings.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to http://bugs.launchpad.net/intltool

## AUTHOR

Darin Adler \<darin@bentspoon.com\>\
 Kenneth Christiansen \<kenneth@gnu.org\>\
 Maciej Stachowiak \<mjs@eazel.com\>

## SEE ALSO

[**intltoolize**(8)](/intltoolize/8.md), [**intltool-prepare**(8)](/intltool-prepare/8.md), [**intltool-extract**(8)](/intltool-extract/8.md), [**intltool-merge**(8)](/intltool-merge/8.md), [**xgettext**(1)](/xgettext/1.md)