MTPE is a process through which a machine-translated text undergoes human editing before publication. The translator becomes a post-editor. There are two types of MTPE:

Light post-editing: involves minimal interventions by the post-editor that are strictly necessary to help users understand the meaning of the text. Clients may use it when the text is urgently needed, or when its content is short in length.

Full post-editing: involves a higher degree of intervention by the post-editor to achieve the quality agreed upon between the client and the post-editor. The resulting text is not only comprehensible, but also appropriately presented in its style, so that it can be used for assimilation and even for publication.