Product guide · 2026-04-23 · Reading time ~ 9 min
Pagera's translation request system: a complete guide
Pagera lets readers request translations. But how are requests ordered, when does actual translation start, and when do completion notifications arrive? A full inside-view guide.
Pagera Editorial
When a reader hits a Pagera book that doesn't yet have a Korean translation, a "request translation" button is one click away. But what happens next — how requests are prioritised, why some books get translated quickly and others take longer — isn't widely documented. This post opens up Pagera's request system from the inside.
The basic flow
| Step | Reader side | Pagera side |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Click "request translation" on a book page | request count +1, priority queue recomputed |
| 2 | (Optional) watch an ad → +0.5 weighting | ad_watched flag stored |
| 3 | Wait | Translation starts when priority rises to top |
| 4 | - | After 5-axis 98-point pass → upload to GCS + DB |
| 5 | Receive completion via email or push | Send notification + collect first-reader feedback |
How priority is calculated
Pagera's translation queue is not simply "most-requested first." Ordering uses a priority score summing five components.
priority = base + recency + starvation + adRatio + popularity
- base: request count itself (log scale — 10 requests = 1pt, 100 = 2pt)
- recency: bonus for requests in the last 7 days (old requests decay naturally)
- starvation: bonus for books that have sat in the queue for a long time — so every book gets a shot
- adRatio: +0.5 when requests include ad views (monetisation signal)
- popularity: small bonus when the original is already well-read on Pagera (translation amplifies reach)
The formula deliberately avoids a pure "most requests first" ordering, which would strand the long tail forever. The starvation term compensates long waits.
What triggers actual translation
When priority score rises to the top of the queue, translation is triggered automatically. Internal thresholds:
- Priority score ≥ 2.0 (roughly 10–30 cumulative requests)
- Or 60+ days in the queue with ≥ 5 requests (starvation trigger)
- Within the monthly translation budget
Exceptions: books with clear issues (unclear copyright, degraded source quality, spammy request patterns) are manually reviewed and removed from the queue.
What the ad view actually does
Watching an ad with a request adds +0.5 to priority. We get asked whether this is "buying your way up the line" — it isn't. Pagera is free, and translation costs are in fact paid from ad revenue. A reader watching an ad is literally contributing to the translation they asked for, so giving a small weighting is fair. Requests without ads remain fully valid.
Completion notifications
Two channels when a translation lands:
- Email: sent to readers with "email notifications" on (default on)
- Push: sent to readers who accepted browser push
Notifications include the book page link. If you miss the notification, the "My requests" section after login always shows current status.
How long does it take
Realistic expectations, as of April 2026.
- Immediate entry (priority 3+): 50+ cumulative requests with many ad views. Typically complete within 2 weeks.
- Normal queue: 10–30 cumulative requests. Typically 4–12 weeks.
- Long tail: 1–5 requests, waiting on starvation trigger. Can take 6+ months.
The translation itself, including passing the 5-axis 98-point gate, averages 3–5 days. Longer novels (600+ pages) run 7–14 days.
Multiple readers requesting the same book
Requests on the same book stack. One per account, but different accounts each count. A book page shows "N readers have requested this," and this count feeds the base component of priority. If friends or a book club request the same title, that book moves up.
Which books can be requested
Pagera only translates works whose original is in the public domain. Currently copyrighted new releases and bestsellers cannot be translated even if requested. Generally requestable:
- Books on Project Gutenberg (~76,000 titles)
- Books on Aozora Bunko (~17,000 titles)
- Other classics whose copyright has expired in Korea, UK, or US
Not translatable: living authors, works still in copyright.
When a request is declined
- Source is not in the public domain
- Source text can't be obtained from our data providers
- Source quality is too poor to translate (scan errors, missing chapters)
- Pattern indicates spam
We email the reason, and suggest alternatives when possible.
Requesting multiple titles
Per-account concurrent limit is 10 books. More become possible only after an existing request completes or is cancelled. The cap prevents a single reader from dominating the queue.
Cancelling after you've requested
Use "My requests" after sign-in. Cancelling doesn't subtract from the book's cumulative request count (others' requests remain), so priority for other readers is unaffected.