Translating Documentation to Other Languages

Automatically translate your documentation to any language.

Required: Premium subscription ($29 one-time)

What Is Automatic Translation?#

Docsbook can translate all your documentation to other languages automatically.

Just select the languages — AI does the rest.

Example:

Original documentation in English
                ↓
Select: Spanish, French, German
                ↓
All pages translated automatically
                ↓
Visitors see a language selection menu

Supported Languages#

Docsbook can translate to 100+ languages:

Main languages:

English
Español (Spanish)
Français (French)
Deutsch (German)
Italiano (Italian)
Português (Portuguese)
Русский (Russian)
日本語 (Japanese)
中文 (Chinese)
한국어 (Korean)
العربية (Arabic)
ภาษาไทย (Thai)

Plus 80+ other languages.

Enabling Translations#

Step 1: Check Premium#

Translation is only available in the Premium subscription.

Open settings (Float Widget)
Check status — should show "Premium"
If Free — upgrade

Step 2: Open Translation Settings#

Click Float Widget → Settings
Find Translation Languages

Step 3: Select Languages#

☑ English (default)
☐ Español
☐ Français
☐ Deutsch
☐ Italiano
☐ Português
☐ Русский
☐ 日本語
... and more

Check the languages you need
Click Save
Docsbook starts translating

Step 4: Wait#

Translation takes:

Small documentation (< 10 pages): 1-2 minutes
Medium (10-50 pages): 5-10 minutes
Large (> 50 pages): 15-30 minutes

When done — translated versions appear on the site.

How Is Translation Used?#

Your site will have a language selector:

[EN ▼]  ← click to select another language

Clicking opens the list:

▼ English
  Español
  Français
  Deutsch
  Italiano

URLs of Translated Pages#

Translated pages are available at different paths:

English:  docs.example.com/page
Spanish:  docs.example.com/es/page
French:   docs.example.com/fr/page
German:   docs.example.com/de/page

What Gets Translated?#

✅ All text content
✅ Headings
✅ Image descriptions
✅ Tables
✅ Navigation (sidebar)
❌ Code blocks (stays as is)
❌ URLs and links (stay as is)
❌ Inline code (stays as is)

Translation Quality#

How Does It Work?#

Uses artificial intelligence (Claude from Anthropic) for translation.

Quality: Good for technical documentation

What translates well:

Instructions and guides
Technical explanations
Lists and tables
Simple language

What may need editing:

Idioms and expressions
Cultural references
Specific slang

Example Translation#

Original English:
"Getting started is a breeze. Just plug in your URL and boom,
you're done!"

Translated Spanish:
"Comenzar es muy fácil. Solo ingresa tu URL y listo, ¡hemos terminado!"

Updating Translations#

When Does Translation Update?#

When you update documentation:

Edit file in English
Commit to GitHub
Docsbook notices changes
Translates updates to other languages
Done! Translated versions are updated

This happens automatically — you don't need to do anything.

How to Update Manually?#

If you want to override automatic translation:

Download translations
Edit the files
Upload back
Docsbook uses your version

(Contact support@docsbook.io for help)

SEO & Translations#

Search Engines#

Each language:

Fully indexed by Google
Separate pages in search
Automatically adds hreflang tags

Result: Spanish speakers find your documentation in Spanish in Google.

Traffic to Other Languages#

Adding translations can:

📈 Increase visits
🌍 Expand audience
🔍 Improve SEO ranking

Best Practices for Translation#

1. Write Clearly#

✅ Good (easy to translate):
"To install the package, run the command."

❌ Bad (hard to translate):
"Just pip this bad boy and you're golden!"

Plain English translates better.

2. Avoid Idioms#

✅ Good:
"The setup process is simple."

❌ Bad:
"It's a piece of cake to set up."

Idioms often get lost in translation.

3. Use Structure#

✅ Good structure translates better:
- Short paragraphs
- Clear headings
- Lists and tables

4. Keep Code Comments in English#

# Good — keep English
def setup():
    """Configure the system."""
    pass
 
# Bad — mixing languages
def setup():
    """Configurar el sistema."""
    pass

5. Use ISO Date Format#

✅ ISO format: 2024-03-25
❌ Local: 25/03/2024

ISO format is consistent everywhere.

Managing Translations#

Add a New Language#

Open Settings
Click "Add language"
Select language
Save

Docsbook translates current pages to the new language.

Remove a Language#

Open Settings
Click ✕ next to the language
Save

Pages in that language disappear from the site. History is saved and can be restored.

Change Default Language#

Default is English. To change it:

Open Settings
Select from Default Language
Save

Visitors see this language first.

URL Examples#

Structure of Translated Sites#

Without custom domain:

docsbook.io/user/repo              — English
docsbook.io/user/repo/es           — Spanish
docsbook.io/user/repo/fr           — French
docsbook.io/user/repo/de/guides    — German (subpage)

With custom domain:

docs.example.com                    — English
docs.example.com/es                 — Spanish
docs.example.com/fr                 — French
docs.example.com/de/api/overview    — German (subpage)

Analytics by Language#

Which Language Is Most Popular?#

(Will be built-in soon)

For now you can track via Google Analytics:

Add GA code to the site
Filter by URL (/es, /fr, /de)
See traffic by language

Contact support@docsbook.io for help.

Translation FAQ#

Q: Can AI translation be wrong?

A: Yes, sometimes. Especially with technical terms or specific content. You can edit translations manually.

Q: How long does translation take?

A: 1 to 30 minutes depending on volume.

Q: Can I edit translations manually?

A: Yes, download translations, edit, upload back.

Q: What if I need a rare language?

A: Docsbook supports 100+ languages. For a specific one — contact support@docsbook.io.

Q: Is translation free?

A: Included in Premium subscription. No extra charges.

Q: Will translation update when I update docs?

A: Yes, automatically on the next update.