Get started

When you install Kotiko, it opens a welcome page. It asks three things: the languages you read, how to look words up, and the first word you'd love to learn. This page explains each step. You can do everything later from Kotiko's Settings too.

1. The languages you read

Kotiko swaps words on pages written in the languages you read. It starts with your browser's languages. Tick the ones you read, or select Another to add one; you can have up to four.

A word's meaning is kept in your language: a Spanish reader learning Japanese sees 犬 on Spanish pages where "perro" was; an English reader sees it where "dog" was.

2. How Kotiko looks words up

Pick one of three ways. You can change it at any time in Settings, Word lookups.

No key: type words with their meaning

Select Skip: I'll type meanings myself. You add words as word = meaning, like perro = dog or спасибо (spasibo) = thanks. Nothing leaves your browser. This always works, even with a key set up.

A free OpenRouter key (recommended)

An AI looks words up for you, so you can ask in your own words: "how do you say cat in Japanese", "hola", "dog in Arabic". OpenRouter gives free access to several AI models.

Select Get a free key. It opens OpenRouter's keys page.
Sign in to OpenRouter and create a key. Copy it.
Back in Kotiko, select Paste an OpenRouter key (free) and paste it.

Step by step, with what the free tier allows.

Another service, your own model or your own server

Select Another service or my own model to use OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Groq, Ollama, LM Studio or any OpenAI-compatible service: see Choosing a service. Select My Kotiko server if you run your own server.

3. Your first word

Kotiko asks: "What's the first word you'd love to learn?" Type a word or a question in any language, then select Ask:

You type	Kotiko finds
`how do you say hello in Japanese`	こんにちは (konnichiwa)
`hola`	the Spanish word for hello
`dog in Arabic`	كلب (kalb)
`merci = thank you`	merci, with your meaning, no lookup needed

Check the result and select Make it my first word. Kotiko shows how the word will look on a page, and from now on it shows up wherever the word in your language does. Select Try it on a page to see it on Wikipedia.

4. Pin Kotiko

Kotiko's toolbar button is where you add words, turn Kotiko on and off, and pause it on a site.

Chrome, Edge and Brave: select the puzzle piece, then the pin next to Kotiko.
Firefox: select the extensions button, then the gear next to Kotiko, then Pin to Toolbar.

What next

Add more words, or add a whole list.
Choose which languages show.
If a word looks wrong, open it from your word list and fix it, or undo it.