Comparing Multilingual Solutions in Confluence: A Guide for Intranet and Content Collaboration

The ability to manage content in multiple languages within Confluence can significantly enhance collaboration and accessibility. It ensures that all team members, regardless of their linguistic backgrounds, have equal access to company policies, procedures, and collaborative projects. From translating individual pages to managing multilingual content effortlessly, Confluence offers versatile solutions to meet your diverse communication needs. This article explores how you can leverage Confluence’s powerful tools to facilitate language translation of your pages/contents. It delves into use cases, compares existing approaches, and provides insights into the most effective strategies for diverse organizational needs.

Setting Up Confluence for Multilingual Use & User Language Preferences

To begin using Confluence in multiple languages, the first step is to access the language settings. Here, administrators can enable various language options, allowing users to select their preferred language. This flexibility is crucial for teams spread across different countries, ensuring that everyone can work in the language they are most comfortable with.

In Confluence, users can easily set their language preferences in their profile settings. This personalization affects how they view the Confluence interface, including menus, buttons, and help text. Such customization enhances user experience and accessibility, making it easier for non-native English speakers to navigate and use Confluence effectively.

Multilingual Confluence Implementation Approaches

However, the content of Confluence pages will not be translated automatically. But there are apps here to help you out. These tools facilitate seamless content management across different languages. Below, we will explore two different approaches to implementing language translations for your content in Confluence.

Separate Pages for Each Language

With this method, a distinct Confluence page for each language version of the content is created. These pages are then interconnected through links.

Single Page Multiple Translations

With this method, all language versions are on the same Confluence page and you can switch between them using the language button.

Analyzing Solutions: Separate Pages vs. Single Page Translations

Several factors must be considered when deciding between separate pages for each language and a single page with multiple translations. These include collaboration, management complexity, user experience and content discoverability.

Collaboration and Content Management

A single page hosting multiple language translations, as offered with “Translations for Confluence,” fosters easier collaboration among users and allows for a more straightforward review of what translations are missing and which require updates.

While separate pages offer the flexibility of spreading content across various spaces, they pose challenges in maintaining cohesion.

Searchability in Confluence in Confluence and Jira Service Management

The choice of the translation solution also affects what users see when searching for content in Confluence. With a solution that includes separate pages for each translation, users will also see different versions of the same page when searching for keywords present in the different language versions. This problem doesn’t exist for single-page translations, as the translations are all located on the same Confluence page, and the page will only be displayed once when searching for it.

Translation Tools Integration in Confluence

Tools that work with separate Confluence pages for translations (e.g., Easy Translator for Confluence and Lango Translator) work with integrations of translation services such as DeepL or Google Translate. This can speed up the translation process. However, care must be taken to avoid inadvertently exposing sensitive or internal data through these tools. With “Translation for Confluence,” users insert their content manually, which makes it possible to translate sensitive information yourself.

Translation Apps on Atlassian Marketplace on Cloud

Apps for separate pages for translations

• Easy Translator for Confluence
• Lango Translator
• Interlingo – Translator for Confluence

Advantages:

• page titles can be translated
• possible integration of external translation tools

Disadvantages:

• translated pages will all be shown in Confluence searches
• use of external translation services may not comply with the data policies of your company

App for single-page translations

• Translations for Confluence – Cloud

Advantages:

• translated pages will only appear once in Confluence searches
• easy overview of what pages have been translated on one page

Disadvantages:

• translation of titles not possible
• translations need to be inserted manually using your own translation tools

To learn more about how “Translations for Confluence Cloud” works, please review our documentation or the FAQ section. Our best practices and workflows for using “Translations for Confluence – Cloud” will help you to implement translations in Confluence.

Read more: Use Confluence in multiple languages with Translations for Confluence.

Translation Apps/Plugins on Atlassian Marketplace on Data Center

Apps for separate pages for translations

• Scroll Translations for Confluence
• Easy Translator for Confluence

Advantages:

• Suitable for managing translations within a single space, offering a straightforward process for internal and external translation​.
• Support external translations through XLIFF exports, sending content to external translators and then importing back into Confluence (Scroll Translations for Confluence)​.
• Compatible with draw.io (Easy Translator for Confluence).

Disadvantages:

• Managing translations for large-scale documentation projects can become complex, especially when dealing with numerous languages and versions​​.
• With the shift towards Cloud and Data Center versions of Confluence, there’s a note about future development efforts being steered away from Scroll Translations. This might limit future enhancements and support for the server version of the product​ (K15t – Help Center)​.

App for single-page translations

• Translations for Confluence – Data Center

Advantages:

• Scalability for Enterprise: Designed for the Data Center environment, this solution likely offers better scalability and performance for larger organizations or those with extensive documentation needs.
• Integration with Data Center Features: Benefits from being tightly integrated with Confluence Data Center’s features, including advanced permissions, security, and administration capabilities.

Disadvantages:

• There is no integration of 3rd party translation services.

To learn more about “Translations for Confluence Data Center,” please review our documentation or the FAQ section. Our best practices and workflows for using “Translations for Confluence – Data Center” will help you to implement translations in Confluence.

Conclusion: Navigating Multilingual Challenges in Confluence

Choosing the right language translation app/plugin for Confluence is critical for global collaboration. It’s important to consider organizational needs, content discoverability, and the careful use of translation tools. For Confluence Cloud, administrators must choose between solutions offering separate pages for each language or translations on a single page. The appropriate strategy can transform Confluence into a more inclusive and effective platform for teams worldwide.

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