# Translate an article

_Category: Languages_

Translate an article by hand, one language at a time. Each translation has its own title, text and web address, and readers see it only after you release it.

**Who can do this:** Owners, Admins, Editors and Translators · **Plans:** Growth and Catalyst

## Translate an article

1. In **Articles**, open the article you want to translate.
2. In the **Language** bar above the title, click the language to translate into.
3. Type the translated title and text.
4. When it's ready for readers, turn on **Released**.

![Screen recording. In the language bar, pick the language to translate into. Type the translated title and text. Turn on Released when it is ready for readers.](https://helpcenter-io.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/self/18hOZ1J4eDIxqToTetSQ6w3eOYEnTZjYNpfNmYId.gif)
Released translations are marked Live in the language bar.

If the article is published and you have edits you haven't saved yet, turning **Released** on or off asks **Publish your other edits too?** Click **Update and release** (or **Update and hide**) to save everything and make those edits live too, or **Cancel** to change nothing. With nothing unsaved, the switch acts right away. If the article is published, readers can read the translation right away. If the article is still a draft, the translation goes live together with the article when you publish it.

To change a released translation later, edit it and click **Update**. If your help center uses [staged changes](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/staged-changes), edits to a live article, including new translations and their release, go live when you click **Publish changes**.

## What the language bar tells you

| Label | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| **Default** | Your default language, the version other languages are translated from. |
| **Not translated** | No title or text in this language yet. |
| **Draft** | Translated but not released. Readers don't see it. |
| **Live** | Released to readers. |
| **Outdated** | The default-language version changed after this translation was saved. Check it and bring it up to date. |
| **Staged** | This language has staged changes that aren't published yet. |
| **Source** | The article was written in this language instead of your default one, so the other languages are translated from it. |

## Set the web address and search snippet for each language

Each language has its own slug and search appearance. With the language selected in the bar, open **URL and search** in the right-hand panel. Change the **Slug** there, or open **Search and social preview** to set the title and description search engines show for that language.

## Translate categories

Category names and descriptions are translated separately from articles.

1. In **Articles**, select the category in the sidebar, then click **Edit category**.
2. In the **Editing** bar at the top, click the language.
3. Type the translated name and description, then click **Save** followed by the language name, for example **Save German**.

A category you don't translate shows its default-language name and description.

## Find articles that still need translating

In **Articles**, open the language menu (the globe button in the toolbar) and pick a language. The button shows how much of that language is released, for example **German · 40%**. In the list, articles without a released translation are marked **Not translated**, and translations whose default-language version has changed are marked **Outdated**.

## Good to know

- **Translators** can edit articles in your additional languages only. The default-language version stays read-only for them, and they can't change categories.
- **Unreleased translations stay hidden** from readers, search and the widget.
- **Many translations waiting?** Release them all at once from **Localization**. See [Release translations and change your default language](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/manage-languages).
- **Want a first draft?** On the Catalyst plan, [AI can translate the article](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/ai-translation) for you to review.

## Troubleshooting

**"Add a title and some content before releasing this translation."** A translation needs both a title and text in that language before you can release it.

**There's no language bar in the editor.** The bar appears once your help center has more than one language. See [Add a language to your help center](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/add-a-language).

**The translation doesn't show on my help center.** Check that the article is published and **Released** is on for that language. See [A translation doesn't show](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/translation-not-showing).

## Related articles

- [Translate articles with AI](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/ai-translation)
- [Release translations and change your default language](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/manage-languages)
- [Add a language to your help center](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/add-a-language)
- [A translation doesn't show](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/translation-not-showing)