Choose the right way to bring a chapter into YourTL

Before you import

Open a project's import step, then choose URL, File, Paste, or Screenshot according to whether your source is a webpage, prepared file, clipboard text, or image.

Import a public chapter URL

URL import fetches a public HTTP or HTTPS page, removes obvious page noise, and returns its title, readable text, and an identifiable next-chapter link. Use it for openly readable text present in the page itself.

It requires a signed-in account and configured page fetching. Local and private network addresses are rejected. A fetch can run for 55 seconds and must return at least 50 meaningful characters. URL fetching shares a short-term request allowance with other heavy actions such as extraction and translation, so rapid repeated imports may be briefly rate-limited.

For an access challenge, timeout, or empty result, use the one offered retry and then switch methods. Your browser login session is not carried into the fetch, so signed-in pages may fail.

Upload a TXT file

A .txt upload reads one file as one chapter. Use it for existing plain text or a stable offline copy. The filename becomes the initial chapter title.

The chooser accepts the .txt extension. There is no separate TXT size cap or import-request limit, but non-whitespace text is required. The browser reads the file; UTF-8 encoding avoids decoding surprises.

If reading fails, confirm the format and extension, try a fresh copy, or open it locally and use Paste.

Import chapters from an EPUB

EPUB is the batch option. From an existing project, choose a .epub file; YourTL follows its reading order and creates pending chapters from accepted content documents.

The file must be 10 MB or smaller. A document is included only when more than 200 readable characters are extracted. There is no separate chapter-count or request-rate cap; each accepted document becomes a chapter.

If parsing fails, verify that the file is a readable EPUB rather than a renamed archive or managed-reader download. For missing sections, inspect its reading order and text. A browser extension or desktop tool that builds EPUBs from freely readable, openly published sources can prepare this input; inspect the result before import.

Paste chapter text directly

Use Paste when text is already on your clipboard. Clean headings, navigation labels, or duplicate lines before continuing, and optionally add a title of up to 80 characters.

Paste has no explicit character cap or separate request limit, but requires non-whitespace text. Above 8,000 characters, the planner creates contiguous parts of at most 8,000 characters and prefers nearby natural breaks.

For damaged formatting, clean the text in a plain-text editor first. Review paragraph breaks because they help the planner choose boundaries.

Extract text from screenshots

Screenshot import turns PNG, JPEG, or WebP images into editable text. Select, drop, or paste images; order and crop them, run extraction, then review the result.

One import accepts 10 source images, each up to 15 MB and 40 million decoded pixels. A source may use 12 OCR tiles; the import may use 40 total, with up to four tiles per request. When active, the limit is 45 OCR requests per minute per account.

The option requires configured, available image extraction. For an image that is too tall, large, or tile-heavy, crop to the text column, lower its resolution, or split it between paragraphs. Retry failed tiles; the screen warns before incomplete text can continue.

Which method should I use?

1. 01

   The chapter is openly readable at a stable URL

   Try URL import first. It can bring in the title, chapter text, and a detected next-chapter link without preparing a file.

2. 02

   You already have clean text

   Paste it for quick review, or save it as TXT when you want a reusable source file and filename-based title.

3. 03

   You have a book with several chapters

   Use EPUB to add readable content documents to an existing project in one batch.

4. 04

   The source is in image files

   Use Screenshot when the option is available, then crop, order, extract, and correct the text before translation.

5. 05

   The first method fails

   Retry only where the screen offers it, then move to the method that matches the source form you already have.

Import questions

Why did URL import return no chapter text?

The page may require a login, block automated reading, return fewer than 50 usable characters, or take longer than the fetch timeout. Retry once, then use TXT, EPUB, pasted text, or image import if the source is available to you in that form.

Does a long chapter need to be divided before import?

Usually not. Imported source text longer than 8,000 characters is planned as contiguous chapter parts of up to 8,000 characters, with natural paragraph, line, or sentence boundaries preferred when possible.

Why is screenshot import unavailable?

The import screen checks whether image extraction is configured and available. If that check fails or the service is paused, the option is disabled and another import method is required.

Can I correct imported text before translating?

Yes. URL content and extracted screenshot text are shown in editable text areas before you continue. Pasted text is already editable in place.

Why did an EPUB import fewer sections than expected?

The importer follows the EPUB reading order and skips content documents that cannot be read or contain 200 characters or fewer. Navigation pages, title pages, and other short sections may therefore be omitted.