A cost estimate is a prediction of a job’s final word-count totals and cost if the job were to be translated via the Project's Default workflow, at the point when the estimate is run.
The Estimate Details gives you the total word count and the total character count of the source strings, along with the total weighted word count, for each workflow step, per language of the job. It's based on the fuzzy estimate for the content in the job, along with the appropriate fuzzy profiles and rate cards. The Estimate Details indicates how large a job is and what it would be likely to cost if translated now, like in the example below.
Estimates are available for 60 days.
For more information on estimations, read our documentation on Word Counts & Estimates Explained.
This article walks you through:
How to get a cost estimate
Cost estimates are only available to Account Owners, Project Managers, and Requesters, assuming all rate card information has been set up. They are accessible when creating a job, before authorizing the job for translation, in the Estimates Details tab of the Job Details page, and in the Estimated Cost card on the left side of the Job Details page.
If a job is created, but not authorized, you will see an empty estimate. Click Create, to generate an estimate.
Clicking View Estimate Details will open the Estimate Details tab.
From the Estimate Details tab, click the downward arrow next to a language to view a detailed breakdown of the cost estimate.
Refreshing estimation details
By default, cost estimates for unauthorized content are calculated as if the content will be translated using the Project Default workflow. If content is added or removed from the job, you’ll see a message indicating that the estimate is outdated and needs to be refreshed.
There may also be other situations where you want to regenerate a cost estimate. Some common use cases include:
- Content has been removed from a job that was in progress, and you'd like to get a new cost estimate.
- Content has been added to the job that is in progress, and now you'd like to get a new cost estimate.
- You want an estimation based on workflows other than the Project Default. Note, content still needs to be unauthorized before an estimation can be regenerated for a specific workflow.
- If you add content to an existing job, and the word count reaches over one million words, you will need to refresh the estimate to get an accurate cost estimate for the job in its new state.
To update the estimation on unauthorized content:
- Click Refresh, under Cost Estimate (pictured below)
- Select the workflows you would like content translated in for each language
- Click Refresh Estimate
Estimates do not automatically refresh while a job is in the “Awaiting Authorization” state. If the cost estimate is outdated, you’ll see a message on the Job Details page prompting you to refresh, as content may have been added or removed from the job.
The Refresh Estimate window will only open if the job contains unauthorized content. If the job is in progress and all content is authorized, clicking the "Refresh" button will simply recalculate the estimate, as the content is already authorized in a particular workflow. Updated estimations can be viewed in the Estimate Details.
Tip: Got an estimate that's missing rate information? Read our guide on Troubleshooting Missing Rate Information on Cost Estimates
Language Quality Estimation levels
For accounts using Smartling’s AI Toolkit, cost estimates also display Language Quality Estimation levels and discounts.
Language Quality Estimation levels are shown in the cost estimate:
- if Language Quality Estimation is enabled for the workflow used to generate the cost estimate, and
- if Language Quality Estimation Level Discounts are set up in the associated Fuzzy Match Profile.
In order for Language Quality Estimation levels to be displayed, the cost estimate is refreshed automatically once all content has gone through the Language Quality Estimation process in the Machine Translation step.
Tip: As Language Quality Estimation levels are applied during the Machine Translation step, any cost estimate generated before the job is authorized does not reflect Language Quality Estimation levels and discounts.
Cost estimates for Desktop Publishing (DTP)
If your job includes files requiring Desktop Publishing (DTP), the estimated cost for this type of work can be displayed in the job's cost estimate. For detailed information, see Cost Estimates for Desktop Publishing.