Summary: This article is for network administrators of multilingual networks. It covers the subscription prerequisite for Google Translate in Speakap, how to switch it on in Network Settings, and what employees see once translation is active.
Automatic or Manual translation
Speakap offers two translation options:
- Automatic Translate: translated content is visible by default. Users click a See original button to view the post in its original language.
- Manual Translate: users click a See translation button to see the translated content.
Read more about how automatic translation behaves in Automatic Translations.
1. Before you start: contact your CSM
If your company has an international workforce, employees will post updates, comments, and news items in different languages. To break down those language barriers, Speakap integrates with Google Translate.
Before you activate the feature, reach out to your Customer Success Manager at csm@speakap.com. Google Translate is a paid premium add-on and needs to be added to your contract before the setting appears in your dashboard.
2. Turn on Google Translate
Once your Customer Success Manager has added the feature to your contract, network administrators can switch it on for the whole network in seconds. Because this changes a network-wide setting, it must be done in a desktop web browser:
- Log in to your Speakap network.
- Click your avatar in the top-right corner and select Network Settings.
- In the menu on the left, click Preferences.
- Scroll down and check the Enable Google Translate checkbox.
- Click Save.
3. What employees see
As soon as you save the setting, employees in all locations can translate content on demand.
- Translating a post: a See translation link appears below any post or comment written in another language, in the Feed or in news. Clicking or tapping it translates the text right away.
- With Automatic Translate: posts show translated by default, and a See original link appears below the post or comment. Clicking or tapping it brings back the original text.
- Target language: on desktop, posts are translated into the preferred language chosen in the employee's Personal Settings. On the iOS and Android apps, posts are translated into the device's system language.
- What can be translated: updates in the Feed, news items, comments and replies, and document text captions.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I see the Google Translate option in my Network Settings?
The checkbox only appears once Speakap has enabled the feature for your network. If it is missing from the Preferences page, check that your organization has added the translation add-on to its contract, then contact your Customer Success Manager at csm@speakap.com.
Can employees translate news items and individual comments?
Yes. Employees can translate updates in the Feed, news items, comments and replies, and document text captions.
A post translates into the wrong language. How do employees change their language?
On desktop: click your avatar, then the gear wheel (Settings), then Personal Settings, open the Preferences tab, and change the Language dropdown. On mobile, translations follow the device language, so change the system language in your iPhone or Android settings.
Does enabling Google Translate change the original message?
No. The original post stays exactly as the author wrote it. The translation is only shown to the employee who clicked the See translation link.
Still stuck?
Email us at support@speakap.com with your network name and a screenshot of your Preferences page, and we'll help you out. For questions about adding the add-on to your contract, contact your Customer Success Manager at csm@speakap.com.