diff --git a/.github/workflows/i18n.yaml b/.github/workflows/i18n.yaml
index c823770adb..dbe34e8788 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/i18n.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/i18n.yaml
@@ -1,19 +1,17 @@
 name: Update Locales
 
 on:
+  # Manual dispatch for urgent translation updates  
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  # Only trigger on PRs to main/master - additional branch filtering in job condition
   pull_request:
-    branches: [ main, master, dev* ]
-    paths-ignore:
-      - '.github/**'
-      - '.husky/**'
-      - '.vscode/**'
-      - 'browser_tests/**'
-      - 'tests-ui/**'
+    branches: [ main ]
+    types: [opened, synchronize, reopened]
 
 jobs:
   update-locales:
-    # Don't run on fork PRs
-    if: github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+    # Branch detection: Only run for manual dispatch or version-bump-* branches from main repo
+    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' || (github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository && startsWith(github.head_ref, 'version-bump-'))
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
     - uses: Comfy-Org/ComfyUI_frontend_setup_action@v2.3
diff --git a/src/locales/CONTRIBUTING.md b/src/locales/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 76fe98fe19..68beacb382 100644
--- a/src/locales/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/src/locales/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -84,8 +84,9 @@ npm run locale
 
 #### Option B: Let CI Handle It (Recommended)
 - Create your PR with the configuration changes above
-- Our GitHub CI will automatically generate translation files
-- Empty JSON files are fine - they'll be populated by the workflow
+- **Important**: Translation files will be generated during release PRs, not feature PRs
+- Empty JSON files are fine - they'll be populated during the next release workflow
+- For urgent translation needs, maintainers can manually trigger the workflow
 
 ### Step 3: Test Your Changes
 
@@ -110,11 +111,23 @@ npm run dev        # Start development server
 
 ## What Happens in CI
 
-Our automated translation workflow:
+Our automated translation workflow now runs on release PRs (version-bump-* branches) to improve development performance:
+
+### For Feature PRs (Regular Development)
+- **No automatic translations** - faster reviews and fewer conflicts
+- **English-only development** - new strings show in English until release
+- **Focus on functionality** - reviewers see only your actual changes
+
+### For Release PRs (version-bump-* branches)
 1. **Collects strings**: Scans the UI for translatable text
-2. **Updates English files**: Ensures all strings are captured
+2. **Updates English files**: Ensures all strings are captured  
 3. **Generates translations**: Uses OpenAI API to translate to all configured languages
-4. **Commits back**: Automatically updates your PR with complete translations
+4. **Commits back**: Automatically updates the release PR with complete translations
+
+### Manual Translation Updates
+If urgent translation updates are needed outside of releases, maintainers can:
+- Trigger the "Update Locales" workflow manually from GitHub Actions
+- The workflow supports manual dispatch for emergency translation updates
 
 ## File Structure