Google Docs Translation Help

Quick Start

  1. Install Funshow Translation add-on
  2. Open your Google Doc
  3. Select text or translate entire document
  4. Click Extensions → Funshow Translation
  5. Choose language and mode (Standard, Technical, Creative, Formal)
  6. Click "Translate" (avg. 4 minutes for 50-page doc)

What Gets Preserved

✓ Always Preserved

  • • Font styles (bold, italic, underline)
  • • Font sizes and families
  • • Text colors and highlighting
  • • Paragraph formatting
  • • Heading styles (H1, H2, H3)
  • • Lists (numbered and bulleted)
  • • Tables and borders
  • • Images and positioning
  • • Headers and footers
  • • Page breaks

ℹ Optional Settings

  • • Comments (can preserve or translate)
  • • Suggestions (can keep or remove)
  • • Track changes (optional)
  • • Links (preserve URLs)
  • • Footnotes and endnotes

Translation Modes

Standard Mode

Best for: General business documents, reports, emails

Balanced translation that maintains professional tone while being accessible.

Technical Mode

Best for: Technical documentation, user manuals, specifications

Preserves technical terminology and industry-specific jargon accurately.

Creative Mode

Best for: Marketing copy, blog posts, creative writing

Adapts content for cultural relevance while maintaining brand voice.

Formal Mode

Best for: Legal documents, official letters, contracts

Maintains formal language and legal terminology precision.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1Prepare Your Document

  • Review document for errors
  • Remove unnecessary track changes
  • Ensure images are properly placed
  • Back up original document

2Select Content

You can either:

  • Entire Document: No selection needed
  • Specific Text: Highlight the text you want to translate
  • Multiple Sections: Hold Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) and select multiple ranges

3Configure Translation

Open Funshow Translation sidebar:

Extensions → Funshow Translation

Set options:

  • Target language
  • Translation mode
  • Preserve comments (Yes/No)
  • Include suggestions (Yes/No)

4Review & Refine

After translation completes:

  • Review technical terms for accuracy
  • Check proper nouns and brand names
  • Verify links still work
  • Ensure formatting looks correct
  • Review any flagged items

Troubleshooting

Formatting looks different after translation

Funshow preserves all formatting. If you notice differences, it may be due to:

  • Text length differences in target language
  • Font compatibility issues (some fonts don't support all characters)
  • Table cell wrapping due to longer text

Solution: Adjust column widths, use fonts with Unicode support, or manually adjust spacing.

Some text didn't translate

By design, these items are typically not translated:

  • URLs and email addresses
  • Code snippets
  • Variables and placeholders
  • Brand names (unless specified)

If regular text wasn't translated, check if it's in a text box or special element.

Translation quality needs improvement

Try these solutions:

  • Switch to a different translation mode
  • Simplify complex sentences in source document
  • Use glossary feature for technical terms
  • For critical content, consider professional human review
Images or tables are misplaced

Cause: Text expansion in translation can affect layout.

Solution: After translation, adjust image anchoring and table positioning manually. Use "Wrap text" options for better control.

Pro Tips

  • 💡
    Use Version History: Google Docs automatically saves versions. You can always revert if needed.
  • 💡
    Create Templates: For recurring document types, translate once and save as a template.
  • 💡
    Batch Processing: Translate multiple documents by opening them in separate tabs.
  • 💡
    Style Guide: Maintain a style guide for consistent translations across documents.

Need More Help?

Contact our support team or explore more help articles.

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