Lingowl
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User guide

From install to your first lookup in about five minutes, including where to get a key and how to cap your spend.

Updated 2026-10 · for v1.0

Install

Add Lingowl from the Chrome Web Store or Edge Add-ons. The settings page opens on first install. Pages that were already open need a refresh before you can select words.

Manual install (developer mode)

Until the store listings are live, you can install from the package:

  1. Download the package and unzip it to a folder you won’t delete or move.
  2. Open chrome://extensions (edge://extensions in Edge) and switch on Developer mode in the top-right corner.
  3. Click Load unpacked and choose the folder.

Manual installs don’t update automatically. When a new version comes out, download it from the release page, unzip it over the old folder, and click Reload on the extensions page. If you switch to the store version later, export your word list first: data doesn’t carry over from a manual install.

Tip

Pin Lingowl to the toolbar: click the puzzle icon, then the pin next to Lingowl.

Choose a provider and add a key

Lingowl doesn’t ship an AI. You bring one. Click the Lingowl icon in the toolbar to open Settings, pick a provider under AI provider, paste your key and press Test connection. If it fails, you’ll see why (invalid key, network, out of credit, and so on).

Supported providers: DeepSeek (the default), OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenRouter, and any custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint. You choose or type the model. You pay the provider directly; Lingowl never handles the money.

DeepSeek

  1. Sign in to the DeepSeek platform and open API Keys.
  2. Create a key and copy it. Most providers show it only once.
  3. Back in Lingowl Settings, choose DeepSeek and paste it into the Key field.
Set a spending cap

Create a dedicated key for Lingowl and give it a monthly limit in the provider's console. Lookups are cheap, but a cap keeps the bill predictable.

OpenAI

Create an API key in the OpenAI developer console and make sure the account has credit. The rest is the same as above.

Anthropic

Create an API key in the Anthropic Console and make sure the account has credit. Choose Anthropic in Lingowl Settings and paste it.

Google Gemini

Create an API key in Google AI Studio, then choose Gemini in Lingowl Settings and paste it.

OpenRouter

Create a key on OpenRouter and add credit or a limit to the account. Choose OpenRouter in Lingowl Settings, paste the key and enter the model you want to use.

Custom endpoint

Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint works. After you enter its URL and model, the browser asks you to grant access to that domain. This is expected: Lingowl never requests access to sites you don’t use.

# Example base URL
https://api.example.com/v1

Master password (optional)

Under Security and privacy in Settings you can set a master password that encrypts the key stored on your computer. Once it is on, you unlock Lingowl each time you reopen the browser.

Your first lookup

Open any page with text in a language you are reading, then select a word. A card appears next to it with the pronunciation, part of speech, the meaning in this sentence, and a one-line definition in the original language. Inflected words show their base form, for example ran → run. English words have US and UK pronunciations you can switch between on the card.

Press Esc or click outside to close it.

Good to know

The whole sentence goes to your chosen AI along with the word, which is why ambiguous words resolve correctly. If the selection is already in your target language, no card appears by default; turn on "Explain same-language text" in Settings if you want one.

Browsers don’t let extensions run on internal pages such as chrome:// or on the extension store, so nothing happens when you select text there.

Triggers, context menu and shortcuts

Pick a trigger under Selection in Settings. You can also turn automatic lookups off, or blocklist sites.

Mode How it triggers
On select Drag or double-click shows a card (default).
Double-click Only a double-click translates; dragging to copy is left alone.
Hold Alt Hold Alt while selecting.
Click the icon A small icon appears after you select; click it to translate.

The context menu and the shortcut are explicit requests, so they ignore the trigger mode, the blocklist and the automatic-lookup switch:

  • Context menu: right-click a selection and choose Translate with Lingowl. You can hide this item in Settings.
  • Shortcut: press Alt + Shift + L (macOS: Option + Shift + L) to translate the selection. Text selected with the keyboard (Shift + arrow keys) works too.
  • Change the keys: open chrome://extensions/shortcuts. You can also assign a shortcut there for turning automatic lookups on and off; it has none by default.

While automatic lookups are off, the toolbar icon shows an OFF badge.

Word list and export

  • Click “Add to word list” on a card to save the word. Different example sentences of the same word (matched by base form and source language) are merged, up to 5 per word.
  • The word list stays on your computer: it is never synced or uploaded. Each entry keeps the pronunciation, examples, meanings, and the source page’s title and URL with the query string removed.
  • On the Word list page you can search, delete a word or clear everything. Open it from the toolbar popup or Settings.
  • Export CSV for Anki, JSON as a backup, or Markdown notes grouped by date. Import accepts only JSON exported by Lingowl and merges it with what you have, never overwriting.
  • When local storage is more than 80% full, Lingowl suggests exporting or cleaning up.

Troubleshooting

What you see Cause and fix
Invalid key The key is mistyped, expired or revoked. Paste it again in Settings and press Test connection.
Out of credit or rate-limited Check the balance and limit in the provider’s console, then retry later.
Network error Check your network and proxy. For a custom endpoint, confirm you allowed the domain in the browser prompt.
No card appears Refresh the page (pages opened before install or update need it). Check that you aren’t on a chrome:// page, that the site isn’t blocklisted, and that automatic lookups are on.
No card for text in your own language The selection is already in your target language, so no card appears by default. See above.
Still stuck?

Use Send feedback in the Lingowl popup. It opens your email client with the version and browser pre-filled, and never includes page content, settings or keys; you can review it before sending. Or write to alpacatomoon@gmail.com.