The Google Drive Connector supports translation of a range of supported file types. Content is synced with a specific folder within Google Drive. Translations are requested from within the Smartling platform, and translated content is automatically sent to a Google Drive specific delivery folder as per your settings.
Once the Google Drive Connector has been connected and set up, you will find Google Drive content in the Google Drive tab in your Smartling project. Here, you will be able to manage the translation process. From the Google Drive Content tab, you will be able to request and authorize content for translation.
File preparation and excluding content
Some file types require preparation before they can be requested for translation. Review the relevant supported file type documentation and prepare your files as needed before requesting translation. In particular, the method for excluding content from translation varies by file type, so review the option that applies to your content before submission:
Google Docs
To exclude content from translation, apply the text style configured in your connector's folder settings to any content that should not be translated in your Google Doc. Keep in mind that this setting applies to the entire source folder. Every Google Doc in that folder will exclude text formatted with the same style.
Example:
Google Sheets
Google Sheets does not support a folder-level setting to exclude content from translation. To exclude specific columns, rows, or headers, format the source cells using a NOTRANSLATE style. This works whether you select Microsoft Excel or Smartling Excel Template as the file processing type when requesting translation because both formats support the NOTRANSLATE style.
Google Slides
Speaker notes cannot be excluded from translation for files processed through the connector and are always included. If speaker notes must be excluded, contact your Smartling representative before submitting the file. This requires a manually configured project template and cannot be configured when requesting translation.
Alternatively, regardless of file type, you can manually exclude strings from translation in the Smartling dashboard after requesting the content for translation and adding it to a new or existing job. Content does not need to be authorized immediately, so you can exclude the strings you do not want translated before authorizing the remaining content for translation.
Request translation
There are two ways in which you can Request Translation:
1) Select the asset > Actions > Request Translation. This option also allows you to select multiple assets for translation.
2) Click the information icon of an asset > Request Translation. This option allows you to request translation for only that individual asset.
Both options will open the Request Translation wizard.
Selecting file processing types
On the file processing selection page, you can specify how the connector should handle certain file types. This is especially useful for spreadsheets and presentations, which can be processed in multiple ways.
For Google Sheets, you can choose between:
- Microsoft Excel - Creates separate translated copies for each language. In the second drop-down menu in the modal, you can select which content to translate.
- Smartling Excel Template - Places all translations into designated columns within a single file. In the second drop-down menu, you can specify whether you’ve included string instructions in column B and character limits in column C.
Be sure to review the file processing options before making your selection. Once a file is requested under a specific processing option, the file type cannot be changed. If you attempt to re-request the file for translation using a different file type, job creation will fail, and the asset status will be set to Failed.
Want to see it in action? Watch a video tutorial here.
For Google Slides, you can choose which content to translate. In the file processing dropdown, you will see “Microsoft PowerPoint,” as the connector converts Slides to .pptx format for processing. Once translation is complete, the files are automatically converted back to Google Slides.
For more details on the different options for presentation files, check out the information within this video tutorial.
Not all files require processing type selection. Simple text files and documents with only one processing option will appear without dropdowns. For files with multiple processing options, such as spreadsheets or presentations, a dropdown menu will allow you to select your preferred format.
The connector remembers your selections for each file, so when you request translation for the same file again, your previously chosen format will be automatically applied. This saves you time, ensures consistency, and determines both how Smartling extracts content for translation and how the translated files are structured when delivered back to Google Drive.
Job selection and authorization
Next, the two-step wizard will appear for you to enter the job details. You can choose to create a New Job or add the asset to an Existing Job.
- Insert the Job Name - the title for the translation task in Smartling.
- Ensure the file selection is correct. Click the X to remove any asset listed.
- Insert a description for the linguists, if desired.
- Select the Target Languages.
- Click Save Job and Continue to create the Job in Smartling.
The next step will display the Job Processing. Once the processing is complete, the Authorize Job button will activate by turning blue. Click Authorize Job to set a Job Due Date, choose the workflow and submit the asset(s) for translation.
Translation delivery to Google Drive
As translations are completed, they are automatically sent to your Google Drive instance, to the folder configured in your settings. Files that have never been translated in Smartling before are delivered back as soon as the file has been translated in Smartling.
Files that have been translated previously but have since been updated, the translations are returned as per your Google Drive Connector configuration - every three hours is the default and recommended frequency.
You can always get the translation to Google Drive manually as well. To perform a manual export of translated content from Smartling to Google Drive:
- From your Google Drive project, click the Google Drive tab
- Select the translated assets to download (Bulk-Select and Export is supported)
- Click Actions and select Export Translation
Important consideration
If you are translating spreadsheets using the Smartling Excel Template, note that all strings for all target locales must be completed and published (or excluded) for translation delivery to occur. This is because this file format places all translations in a single file with one language per column.
Example scenario:
If a Smartling Excel Template file is requested for translation into Chinese, French, and Spanish in Job A, and you later decide that Spanish strings are not needed (i.e., translation is stopped and strings move back to awaiting authorization), translations for Chinese and French will not be delivered unless the Spanish strings are excluded.
If you plan to translate into Spanish at a later date and do not wish to exclude those strings, please contact Smartling Support for assistance. A manual intervention on Smartling's side will be required to trigger translation delivery.
Pre-publishing translations
Enabling pre-publishing for the Google Drive Connector is not recommended due to both technical and user-experience considerations. For example, when pre-publishing is enabled, translated documents may be created in Google Drive before the translation job is complete. Depending on your document sharing settings, users may be able to access translations that are still in progress and have not been reviewed.