Cursor Lookup

Cursor Lookup is a Pro feature for translating text under the pointer without selecting it first. The built-in Cursor Word Translation workflow captures a word and shows its translation in the mini panel near the source. It works with ordinary text and with visible text inside images, videos, games, and other screen content.

Set the shortcut

1. Open Settings → Shortcuts.
2. Search for Cursor Word Translation.
3. Click its shortcut field, then press the key combination you want to use.

See Shortcuts if the combination conflicts with another action or cannot be registered by the system.

How Cursor Lookup reads text

When the target app exposes usable text, Float Translate reads that text directly. When it does not, Float Translate can recognize the visible screen pixels with OCR. OCR quality can vary with text size, contrast, font, and the content behind the word.

On macOS, these two paths use different system access. Accessibility can provide text exposed by the target app, while Screen Recording allows Float Translate to read screen pixels. If the current task needs access, follow the in-app prompt. You can also open Permissions under Settings in the main panel to review the current status.

Translate a word or sentence

1. Move the pointer over the word you want to translate.
2. Press the Cursor Word Translation shortcut.
3. Float Translate captures the word and opens its translation in the mini panel beside the source.

You do not need to click, drag, or change the focused app first.

When you need more context, press the same shortcut again while the pointer remains over the same word. The current lookup switches from the word to its surrounding sentence. Pressing it again over the same target switches back to the word.

Moving the pointer elsewhere starts a new lookup instead of changing the previous one.

Use the captured text in another workflow

The built-in Cursor Word Translation workflow continues from capture to translation in the mini panel. To send the captured text to an online or local dictionary, or to another text action, customize this system workflow or create another workflow that starts with Cursor Word Capture and adds a compatible capability.

The choices shown in the workflow editor depend on the services and capabilities you have configured and on whether each step can accept the previous step’s output.

Improve recognition

• Keep the pointer near the center of the word.
• Use a frame where the text is sharp and unobstructed.
• Increase the display or content scale when the text is very small.
• For a dense paragraph or a larger region, use Screenshot Translation instead.

If Cursor Lookup does not finish

• Confirm that the signed-in device has access to Pro features.
• Check that the shortcut is active and does not conflict with another action.
• On macOS, follow the in-app permission prompt or review Settings → Permissions if Float Translate cannot read the target text.
• If no text is found, place the pointer closer to clear text or use Screenshot Translation for a larger selected region.
• If text is captured but no translation appears, confirm that at least one suitable translation capability is enabled, configured, and available for the current language pair. See Mini Panel for problems that appear after the panel opens.

Choose the right translation path

• Use Translate Selected Text when the source text can be selected normally or when you want to compare longer results in the full panel.
• Use Cursor Lookup for a word or its surrounding sentence without selecting it.
• Use Screenshot Translation when you want to translate a larger selected screen region.