---
title: Translation segments: how do they work in CAT tools
description: Translation segments are a piece of text that a CAT tool handles separately from others. They may be a sentence or software string. Get more details here!
canonical: https://www.smartcat.com/blog/what-is-segment/
language: en
updated: 2026-07-20
---

# Translation segments: how do they work in CAT tools

A piece of text that a [CAT tool](https://www.smartcat.com/cat-tool/) handles separately from others. In common translation, a segment is most often identical to a sentence. In [software localization](https://www.smartcat.com/software-localization/), it can be either a sentence or a whole string , even if it includes several sentences. This behavior is often configurable. The process of splitting a piece of content into segments is called parsing.

*Example: Text parsed into segments in Smartcat's built-in editor.*

*Also known* as parsing.

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