diff --git a/tools/i18n/.gitignore b/tools/i18n/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..47eea657d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/i18n/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+missing/
+patches/
diff --git a/tools/i18n/README.md b/tools/i18n/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d65e929de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/i18n/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# i18n fill-missing tool
+
+One-shot helper for bringing every locale file in `apps/web/src/assets/i18n/`
+to full coverage of `en.json`.
+
+## How it works
+
+`en.json` is the source of truth. For every other locale, the script:
+
+1. Walks `en.json` in order (top-level + nested).
+2. For each leaf key:
+    - Keeps the locale's existing translation if present.
+    - Otherwise pulls the translation from `tools/i18n/patches/<lang>.json`
+      (a flat object keyed by dotted path).
+    - If neither exists, leaves the key absent and exits non-zero.
+3. Writes the merged tree back to the locale file with 4-space indent and a
+   trailing newline.
+
+Existing translations are never overwritten.
+
+## Workflow
+
+```bash
+# 1. Generate one missing-strings dump per locale (flat dotted-path → EN string)
+node tools/i18n/fill-missing.mjs --emit-missing
+# → tools/i18n/missing/<lang>.json
+
+# 2. Translate each missing/<lang>.json into the equivalent patch file
+#    in tools/i18n/patches/<lang>.json (same shape: { dotted.path: translated }).
+
+# 3. Merge patches into the locale files
+node tools/i18n/fill-missing.mjs
+
+# 4. Verify
+node -e "
+const fs=require('fs');
+const en=JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('apps/web/src/assets/i18n/en.json','utf8'));
+const collect=(d,p='')=>Object.entries(d).flatMap(([k,v])=>v&&typeof v==='object'?collect(v,p?p+'.'+k:k):[p?p+'.'+k:k]);
+const enKeys=new Set(collect(en));
+for(const f of fs.readdirSync('apps/web/src/assets/i18n').filter(x=>x.endsWith('.json')&&x!=='en.json')){
+  const k=new Set(collect(JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('apps/web/src/assets/i18n/'+f,'utf8'))));
+  console.log(f,'missing:',[...enKeys].filter(x=>!k.has(x)).length,'extra:',[...k].filter(x=>!enKeys.has(x)).length);
+}"
+```
+
+## Translation rules
+
+- Preserve `{{interpolation}}` placeholders verbatim.
+- Preserve any inline HTML tags.
+- Match the locale's existing punctuation, casing, and terminology.
+- Keep brand names (IPTVnator, Xtream, Stalker, M3U, EPG, MPV, VLC) untranslated.
+- Short UI strings stay short — no length blow-up.
diff --git a/tools/i18n/fill-missing.mjs b/tools/i18n/fill-missing.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c6dcab187
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/i18n/fill-missing.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+/**
+ * Mechanical i18n merger.
+ *
+ * Modes:
+ *   node tools/i18n/fill-missing.mjs --emit-missing   Dump tools/i18n/missing/<lang>.json
+ *                                                    listing every missing key with the EN value.
+ *   node tools/i18n/fill-missing.mjs                  Merge tools/i18n/patches/<lang>.json into
+ *                                                    apps/web/src/assets/i18n/<lang>.json,
+ *                                                    preserving existing translations and the
+ *                                                    key order from en.json.
+ *
+ * The script never invents translations. If a key is missing from both the locale file
+ * and the patch file, it is left absent and the script exits non-zero.
+ */
+import {
+    existsSync,
+    mkdirSync,
+    readdirSync,
+    readFileSync,
+    writeFileSync,
+} from 'node:fs';
+import { dirname, resolve } from 'node:path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+
+const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+const REPO_ROOT = resolve(__dirname, '..', '..');
+const I18N_DIR = resolve(REPO_ROOT, 'apps/web/src/assets/i18n');
+const PATCH_DIR = resolve(__dirname, 'patches');
+const MISSING_DIR = resolve(__dirname, 'missing');
+
+const args = new Set(process.argv.slice(2));
+const EMIT_MISSING = args.has('--emit-missing');
+
+function readJSON(path) {
+    return JSON.parse(readFileSync(path, 'utf8'));
+}
+
+function writeJSON(path, obj) {
+    writeFileSync(path, JSON.stringify(obj, null, 4) + '\n');
+}
+
+function collectLeaves(obj, prefix = '') {
+    const leaves = [];
+    for (const [key, val] of Object.entries(obj)) {
+        const path = prefix ? `${prefix}.${key}` : key;
+        if (val && typeof val === 'object' && !Array.isArray(val)) {
+            leaves.push(...collectLeaves(val, path));
+        } else {
+            leaves.push(path);
+        }
+    }
+    return leaves;
+}
+
+function getByPath(obj, path) {
+    return path
+        .split('.')
+        .reduce((cur, k) => (cur == null ? cur : cur[k]), obj);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Build a new object whose shape mirrors `template` (key order + nesting),
+ * pulling values from `existing` first, then `patch`. Keys absent from both
+ * are pushed to the `missing` array and skipped.
+ */
+function mergeOrdered(template, existing, patch, missing, prefix = '') {
+    const out = {};
+    for (const [key, val] of Object.entries(template)) {
+        const path = prefix ? `${prefix}.${key}` : key;
+        if (val && typeof val === 'object' && !Array.isArray(val)) {
+            const merged = mergeOrdered(val, existing, patch, missing, path);
+            if (Object.keys(merged).length > 0) out[key] = merged;
+        } else {
+            const fromExisting = getByPath(existing, path);
+            if (typeof fromExisting === 'string') {
+                out[key] = fromExisting;
+            } else if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(patch, path)) {
+                out[key] = patch[path];
+            } else {
+                missing.push(path);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return out;
+}
+
+function listLocaleFiles() {
+    return readdirSync(I18N_DIR)
+        .filter((f) => f.endsWith('.json') && f !== 'en.json')
+        .sort();
+}
+
+function emitMissing(en, enKeys) {
+    if (!existsSync(MISSING_DIR)) mkdirSync(MISSING_DIR, { recursive: true });
+    for (const file of listLocaleFiles()) {
+        const lang = file.replace(/\.json$/, '');
+        const localePath = resolve(I18N_DIR, file);
+        const localeData = readJSON(localePath);
+        const localeKeys = new Set(collectLeaves(localeData));
+        const missing = enKeys.filter((k) => !localeKeys.has(k));
+        const dump = {};
+        for (const k of missing) dump[k] = getByPath(en, k);
+        writeJSON(resolve(MISSING_DIR, `${lang}.json`), dump);
+        console.log(`emit  ${file.padEnd(10)} missing=${missing.length}`);
+    }
+}
+
+function mergeAll(en) {
+    let failed = false;
+    for (const file of listLocaleFiles()) {
+        const lang = file.replace(/\.json$/, '');
+        const localePath = resolve(I18N_DIR, file);
+        const patchPath = resolve(PATCH_DIR, `${lang}.json`);
+        const localeData = readJSON(localePath);
+        const patch = existsSync(patchPath) ? readJSON(patchPath) : {};
+
+        const stillMissing = [];
+        const merged = mergeOrdered(en, localeData, patch, stillMissing);
+        writeJSON(localePath, merged);
+
+        if (stillMissing.length > 0) {
+            failed = true;
+            console.log(
+                `FAIL  ${file.padEnd(10)} still missing ${stillMissing.length} keys: ${stillMissing
+                    .slice(0, 3)
+                    .join(', ')}${stillMissing.length > 3 ? '…' : ''}`
+            );
+        } else {
+            console.log(`ok    ${file.padEnd(10)} fully merged`);
+        }
+    }
+    if (failed) process.exit(1);
+}
+
+const en = readJSON(resolve(I18N_DIR, 'en.json'));
+const enKeys = collectLeaves(en);
+console.log(`en.json: ${enKeys.length} leaf keys`);
+
+if (EMIT_MISSING) emitMissing(en, enKeys);
+else mergeAll(en);