SharePoint Online Multilingual: The Site Owner, Site Admin, and Translator

SharePoint Online Multilingual is a new feature that enables multilingual experiences for end-users. Organizations will be able to build out their portals on SharePoint communication sites, published pages and news, with important, multilingual content.

SharePoint Online Multilingual ensures employee engagement, providing modern workplaces the ability to be inclusive by catering to a diverse audience. The recognition, application, and utilization of multi-languages will provide the ability to deliver accurate and highly curated content in the preferred language of the end-user for consumption.

On a global scale, the targeted release will be in March 2020 with general availability in May 2020.

Available Out of the Box

With this roll-out, SharePoint Online Multilingual will be available out of the box. With great adoption of the base communication site platform, more advanced features are being enabled. These advanced features will continue and enhance employer/employee engagement and collaboration.

Site Creation

When creating a site, there are two options: Team Site and Communication Site. To create multilingual sites, choose the Communication Site followed by Design.

Next, choose the language of the Communication Site. It is important to understand that when you choose the language of the Communication Site, it becomes the default language for the site. For example, if you choose English as the language, then English becomes the default language and all pages will be created in English. Copies of these pages can then be translated into other languages.

A very important note: The default language of the Communication Site cannot be changed after the site is created.

SharePoint Online Multilingual is supported in Communication Sites only as Communication Sites are the primary portal for communication, which is done through publishing pages and news. Team Sites, on the other hand, are built for collaboration through communication.

Remember: the default language is defined at the site creation level.

Enabling SharePoint Online Multilingual Feature

Go to Site Information and then to View All Site settings. It is in the View All Site settings that you will find Site Language settings. Next, click on Site Language settings.

For existing Communication Sites and new Communication Sites, the Enable pages and news to be translated into multiple languages is defaulted to be disabled. Slide the toggle to turn on the Enable pages and news to be translated into multiple languages and choose the pages and the language that you want them to be translated into.

When SharePoint Online Multilingual is rolled out, existing Communication Sites will be able to access Enable pages and news to be translated into multiple languages. However, the default language of existing Communication Sites cannot be changed.

Once enabled, choose the pre-defined language or languages from the list that is provided by SharePoint, matching those that you want to be available for your end-users. Once the language or several languages have been chosen, assign a translator to each language. Assigning a translator will enhance the communication between the content creator in the default language and the translators who are responsible for translating the content in the site. Translators can be anyone in the Active Directory but not all members of the Active Directory are permitted to edit. If that person that is associated with the language does not have permission to edit but tries to edit the site, they will be redirected to a web page for them to request permission to access.

Once the languages and translators are determined and assigned, select Save to save the settings.

The Translator’s Role

The Translator has an important role in SharePoint Online Multilingual as the Translator manually translates the copies of the default language page into the language(s) specified. Translators are notified via email when copy(ies) of the pages are created. The email is a request for translation and embedded in the email is a link to the default language page and the newly created translation page. Upon receipt of the email, the Translator will:

1. Open the email and select the Start Translating button;

2. Select Edit at the top right of the translation page;

3. Translate the content;

3. Translate the content;

4. Select Save as Draft (if not ready to be visible to readers) or Publish or Post News (if ready to be visible for consumers of that language on the site);

5. Select Submit for Approval (if approval is required before publishing) or Publish Later/Post Later (if scheduling is turned on); and

6. Send email notification to the person who requested the translation.  

Page Updates

What happens when a page is updated after it is published?

If a page is edited and saved, an email will be generated, notifying the associated translator that there has been an update to the original page. Using version control, the translator will be able to see the changes that were done on the page and will be able to apply and translate the same changes on the translated page. 

Oops! I Need to Delete a Translation Page!

Deleting a translation page can be done, but it will require a few extra steps as the association between the default language page and the deleted translation page must be broken. To delete a translation page:

1. Go to the Pages Library for the site;

2. Go to the language folder that is adjacent to the default language page. Here you will find the page you want to delete. The language folder can be identified by the 2 or 4 letter language code;

3. Open the folder and select the page you want. Click the ellipses (…) to the right of the selected page;

4. Click Delete;

5. After the page is deleted, go to the default language page. Make sure you are in edit mode or the remaining steps will not work. At the top right, select Edit;

6. Select Translation which is located at the top of the page;

7. The Translation panel will open with a message stating that an association with the page has been fixed; and

8. Republish the default language page.

Your translated page has now been deleted.

Advanced Settings

The Override Translations has been in SharePoint for a long time and is hidden under the Advanced settings and is a legacy remnant with MUI. Override Translations will remove any rights to translators to perform translations, and therefore, it is not advisable to enable this if you are enabling multi-language and translators.

As a site owner or site admin, your responsibility for SharePoint Online Multilingual is enabling multi-languages and assigning translators. Once this is completed, the process continues with site editors and content creators. Join us in the next article SharePoint Online Multilingual: The Site Editors and Content Creators as we finalize and share content with SharePoint Online Multilingual capabilities.