Microsoft SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint includes built‑in capabilities that allow you to create translated copies of documents stored in SharePoint document libraries. This enables organizations to collaborate more effectively across languages and deliver consistent, multilingual content directly within SharePoint, without exporting files or relying on external translation tools.
Learn More: Document translation in Microsoft 365 (feature overview)
Documents can be translated either manually on demand or automatically using SharePoint document library rules, depending on your workflow requirements.
How document translation in SharePoint works
When document translation is used in SharePoint, the process follows a defined workflow that keeps the original document intact while creating translated copies in the document library.
- Translation can be initiated manually by a user or automatically through a document library rule, such as when a file is added or when metadata changes.
- The document content is securely sent for neural machine translation, preserving structure and formatting.
- SharePoint creates separate translated files and stores them alongside the original document or in designated locations, depending on library configuration.
Manually translate a document
Users can manually translate documents directly from a SharePoint document library. This option is ideal for ad‑hoc or one‑off translations where automation is not required.
For step‑by‑step instructions on manually translating a document, see: Translate a document on demand
Automatically translate documents using rules
SharePoint document libraries can be configured with rules to automatically translate documents when specific conditions are met, such as:
- When a new file is added to a library
- When the value of a metadata column changes
Automatic translation is well suited for workflows where documents must be translated consistently as part of content creation, review, or publishing processes.
To learn how to configure library rules for automatic document translation, see: Create a rule to automatically translate a file in a document library
Common Use Cases:
Organizations commonly use document translation in SharePoint to:
- Translate employee communications and internal documentation
- Automatically localize approved or published content
- Maintain language consistency across regional SharePoint sites
- Support collaboration among multilingual and geographically distributed teams
Document translation in SharePoint is powered by Azure AI Translator, a secure, enterprise‑grade neural machine translation service used across Microsoft products to deliver high‑quality translations across more than 100 languages.
Next steps
To enable and configure document translation in your SharePoint environment, see: Set up and manage document translation
