> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.askyazi.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.askyazi.com/study-types/languages-and-translation.md).

# Languages and translation

Run one study in several languages, set up the language question, check and edit translations, and get results back in one language.

One Yazi study can run in several languages at once. You write it once, Yazi translates it, each participant picks their language, and the answers come back together with a translation into your reporting language.

{% hint style="info" %}
**In short:**

* Turn on **Multi-Language Support** in **Study configuration > Participant experience**. Yazi adds a language question at the start and translates the study automatically. Every translation stays editable.
* Translations go live only when you publish. Hand-edited translations are never overwritten.
* Every broadcast template you send (invites, reminders, between-activity invites) needs its own Meta-approved version in each language.
  {% endhint %}

## How it works

1. You write the study in your default language.
2. You choose the extra languages. Yazi translates questions, answer options and your messages into each one, in about a minute per language.
3. You review and edit the translations.
4. Each participant is asked which language they want. Everything after that, including Yazi's own system messages (prompts, error messages, progress and completion), runs in their language. An AI interview asks and probes in their language too.
5. Answers are stored as the participant wrote or said them, with a translation into your chosen reporting language (**Translate responses into**) alongside for analysis.

Check which languages are supported end to end, and how well, on [Language support](/study-types/language-support.md).

## Set up a multi-language study

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Turn on languages

On the **Build** tab, open **Study configuration > Participant experience** and turn on **Multi-Language Support** ("Enable translations for survey questions"), then add the languages you need. In a multi-activity study, languages are set once for the whole study and every activity follows them.

The same panel has two related settings:

* **Campaign Language**: the language participants receive Yazi's system messages in by default, such as validation errors and the completion message.
* **Translate responses into**: the language answers are translated into so you can read them in results and exports. Participants never see this. The default is the same as your default language.

<figure><img src="https://358667285-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzMRQUXiGQlBwWdg6WEmG%2Fuploads%2FSdXaTmjp5y14GbYZXdMK%2Fparticipant-experience-panel.webp?alt=media&amp;token=a89dfcc4-82de-4ffd-8f93-899b748d8f2c" alt="Participant experience settings, including Builder Mode, Campaign Language and Translate responses into"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Check the language question

Yazi adds a language question at the start of the study automatically, so you do not need to write it. If you prefer, one of your own questions can act as the language question instead, with each of its answer options mapped to a language.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Review the translations

Open each question and check its translations. Pay most attention to brand names, product terms, sector vocabulary and anything culturally specific. For important or sensitive studies, ask a native speaker to review.

<figure><img src="https://358667285-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzMRQUXiGQlBwWdg6WEmG%2Fuploads%2FGfVnmDRnasxm2jz4V9aQ%2Fquestion-translations.webp?alt=media&amp;token=47ec01fd-54fb-4607-a974-f5c434d98c58" alt="A single select question with its translations listed and marked complete"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

To send translations to an outside reviewer, use **Export** on the **Build** tab and choose **Word, with translations** or **Excel, with translations** (these appear only when the study has a second language). Each line is labelled **Manual translation**, **AI translation** or **Reviewed**, and the file includes your welcome, closing and completion messages.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Edit or paste in your own translations

Edit any translation directly in the builder. If you already have approved translations, for example from a translation agency, you can paste them into Ask Yazi and ask it to apply them; it checks the language and question before writing anything. See [Ask Yazi](/build-a-study/ask-yazi.md).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Approve your templates in every language

Invites, reminders and between-activity invites are WhatsApp templates, and Meta approves each language separately. Create and submit each language version early. A reminder can be translated in one click and submitted; until the translated version is approved, people get the default language version. See [Broadcast templates](/reach-participants/broadcast-templates.md) and [Reminders](/reach-participants/reminders.md).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Test every language

In the Test Simulator, the first message asks which language you want, exactly as a participant sees it. Run through the study once in each language. See [Test your study](/study-types/test-your-study.md).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Publish

Translations reach participants only when you publish. See [Publish and go live](/study-types/publish-and-go-live.md).
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Keeping translations up to date

* **When you reword a question or option**, its translations refresh the next time you publish. Only the questions that changed are redone.
* **Hand-written translations are never overwritten** by automatic translation.
* **If one language fails to translate**, the others are kept and the status reads **Partly Translated**. Use **Generate translations** to try again.
* **Adding a matrix column** gets it translated as well. Default numeric scale points (1 to 5) do not need translating; worded scale labels do.

## The language question in a multi-activity study

Participants choose their language once, at the start of the first activity. Every later activity starts straight away in that language. They are asked again only if a later activity does not offer the language they chose.

## What participants see in their language

Once a participant picks a language, these follow it:

* Questions, answer options, statements and your welcome, completion and screen-out messages
* Custom "None of the above" and "All of the above" wording
* Yazi's system messages: validation prompts (for example when an answer is not one of the options), welcome-back, already-completed and between-activity messages, progress and completion
* Reward links and reward confirmations sent after the 24-hour window
* AI interview questions and probes

<figure><img src="https://358667285-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzMRQUXiGQlBwWdg6WEmG%2Fuploads%2FxYB3C6eWjy2epYkFSR2r%2Fwhatsapp-invite-language.webp?alt=media&amp;token=3abab5e0-a1aa-4755-9264-ec7f4feb6d70" alt="What a participant sees: a broadcast invite followed by the language choice"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

For a few languages, some system messages still fall back to English. See [Language support](/study-types/language-support.md).

## Getting answers back in one language

### In Yazi

* **Table Data** shows each answer as the participant gave it, with a translated column alongside. Voice notes and videos have a transcript in the original language and a translation.
* AI interviews have a **Translated Transcript** column.
* Answers to closed questions (single and multi-select) chart under one option whatever language they were given in.
* **Translate responses into** (in **Participant experience**) sets the language answers are translated into for results and exports. In a multi-activity study it is set once for the whole study.
* If translations look missing or out of date, open **Data Actions** on **Table Data**, which offers **Translate Responses** and **Retranslate All**. See [Table Data](/results-and-reporting/table-data.md).

### In exports

When you export Table Data, choose an answer language:

* **Translate to English** puts English answers in the main answer columns. Closed answers use your own scripted wording for each option, so results line up across countries. Open answers are translated by AI.
* **Leave as written** keeps answers in the participant's language.

You can also export with translations included. See [Exports](/results-and-reporting/exports.md).

## Limits and things to know

* **Set languages before launch.** Yazi does not detect a participant's language on the fly. If someone answers in a language the study was not set up for, the answer may not be transcribed or translated properly. Enable every language your participants might use.
* **One language per participant.** A participant uses the language they chose for the whole study.
* **Longer text can hit WhatsApp limits.** Translations are often longer than the original and can exceed button or option length limits. Check for builder warnings after translating. See [WhatsApp limits](/build-a-study/whatsapp-limits.md).
* **Gendered languages.** There is no automatic gender-aware translation, for example for Spanish adjectives. Use neutral wording or noun forms.
* **Translation is by AI.** Quality varies by language. It is a strong starting point, not a substitute for a native reviewer on critical wording.

## Related

* [Language support](/study-types/language-support.md)
* [Broadcast templates](/reach-participants/broadcast-templates.md)
* [Reminders](/reach-participants/reminders.md)
* [Exports](/results-and-reporting/exports.md)
* [Test your study](/study-types/test-your-study.md)