# How to Fix Issues with AI

> Repair ICU syntax errors, missing plural categories, and placeholder mismatches without retranslating: per row or across the project.

Source: https://stringlane.app/docs/fix-with-ai
Last updated: 2026-08-19

The AI Issue Fixer corrects **structural** problems in your translations (broken ICU syntax, missing plural categories, mismatched `{placeholder}` names) while preserving your translated text. It's the right tool when a translation is *almost* right but won't compile or pass validation.

## When it shows up

A **Fix with AI** button appears on any row in the Issues Panel where the issue is structural:

| Issue | What it means | Fix-with-AI does |
|---|---|---|
| **ICU parse error** | Unclosed brace, malformed plural/select clause | Repairs the syntax |
| **Missing plural category** | A required CLDR category is absent (e.g. `other`) | Adds the missing category, fills its text |
| **Placeholder mismatch** | Base has `{name}`, translation has `{username}` or nothing | Restores the correct placeholder name and position |
| **Format placeholder mismatch** | iOS `%@` / Android `%s` / `%1$d` mismatch | Restores the correct specifier |
| **Malformed placeholder** | Unclosed `{name` | Closes the brace |

Missing translations and same-as-source warnings have a separate **✨ Auto-translate** button. Those flows do retranslate.

## Per-row fix

Open the Issues Panel (**⌘J**), find the row, click **Fix with AI** on it.

- A spinner replaces the button.
- The AI returns either a fixed value (applied immediately, auto-saved) or a `cannotFix` reason (shown inline next to the row).
- The cell rail in the detail pane recomputes: usually the issue clears, the badge disappears, and the next row in the panel becomes selectable.

![Issues Panel with Fix with AI button visible on an ICU parse error row](/docs-screenshots/issues-panel-right.webp)

## Fix all with AI

The Issues Panel footer shows **Fix all with AI** whenever there's at least one AI-addressable row. Clicking it:

1. Phase 1: runs deterministic autofix on placeholder and malformed-placeholder rows (no AI call needed).
2. Phase 2: buckets remaining issues by `(locale, code-class)`. Each bucket dispatches a single bulk AI call (up to 20 items per call), so a project with 60 ICU errors across three locales does ~3 calls instead of 60.
3. Phase 3: applies fixes as they arrive; failed buckets surface their error in the summary but don't stop other buckets.

Cancel between buckets keeps everything written so far.

## What "preserves your translation" means

Fix-with-AI is given the translation as input, not regenerated. The prompt asks the model to keep the user's text and only correct the structure. In practice:

- An ICU plural with `other {Готово}` and a malformed `one` returns with `Готово` intact.
- A placeholder swap from `{name}` to `{username}` puts your translated sentence back together with `{name}` in the right position.
- A missing `other` category gets a freshly-translated default: rare, but the only structural fix that does need new content.

If preserving content is not possible (rare: usually a catastrophic parse failure), the row reports a `cannotFix` reason instead of writing junk.

## Configure the provider

Fix-with-AI uses the same provider configured in **Settings → App → AI Providers** as the rest of the AI flows. Cloud (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Groq, Mistral, DeepSeek, xAI) and **Local LLM** all work; pick whichever matches your privacy and cost requirements.

## Related

- [How to Use the Issues Panel](/docs/use-issues-panel): where Fix-with-AI lives.
- [How to Read Validation Badges](/docs/read-validation-badges): what each issue type means.
- [Working with ICU Plurals and Select Forms](/docs/working-with-icu-plurals): the most common source of fixable issues.
- [How to Translate with a Local LLM](/docs/use-local-llm): run Fix-with-AI fully offline.