The most useful thing you can send with a translation request is a little context.
The file tells us what the words say. You can tell us who will read them, what they need to do, and where the finished document will be used. Those details help us make the translation useful to the people receiving it.
Before sending an employee handout, a customer document, or a page from your website, work through this short list.
Choose the current version
Check that the source document is the version your team intends to publish. If several people are still editing it, tell us what may change and when you expect the wording to be settled.
An editable source file is helpful when one is available. A PDF can show the finished appearance, but the working file may make it easier to preserve the layout. Include both if the layout matters.
You don't need to pretend the project is further along than it is. Knowing that a section is still under review helps everyone plan.
Tell us about the reader
‘Spanish’ identifies the language. It doesn't tell us whether we're writing for employees at a U.S. facility, customers in Mexico, or a team in Spain.
Tell us the audience and location, along with anything relevant about how the material will be read. A short sign, a printed handbook, and a form on a phone have different space and readability needs.
Also explain the action the reader should take. Are they finding a room, completing a form, learning a process, or deciding whom to contact? That helps us understand the purpose behind the wording.
Include the company terms
Share approved terminology, product names, department names, and any earlier translations your organization already uses. Point out names or labels that should remain unchanged.
For a recurring project, keeping a small glossary can save a lot of back-and-forth. It also gives reviewers a shared reference when they have different preferences for the same term.
Leave time to review the finished layout
Translated text may take more or less space than the original. A heading that fits neatly in English may need attention in another language. Forms, diagrams, and text inside images deserve a look too.
Give us the date you need the finished material, along with the time your own reviewers will need. Identify who can answer questions about company-specific wording so feedback doesn't get scattered across several versions.
Plan for the questions people will ask
A translated document lets someone read the information. They may still want to talk about it.
If you're introducing a new process or explaining a change, consider whether the rollout also needs an interpreter. Written translation and live interpretation can support the same project without doing the same job.
Workplace Languages provides written translation for workplace materials, websites, and other business content. Send us the file, the audience, the languages, and the date you need it. If you're missing a piece, say so. We can start by sorting out what's needed.
