10-Step Guide to Managing your First Translation Project

Why this guide?

At first glance, managing a translation project may seem simple: send a document to a translator and receive the translated version a few days later. In reality, a successful translation project involves much more than converting words from one language to another—especially when working with a new translator or translation agency for the first time.

This quick guide will help you navigate the key steps of a successful translation project so you can avoid common pitfalls, save time and achieve the results you’re looking for.

Did you know that a quality translation enhances your organization’s image and reputation, making it easier to attain your objective?

THE STEPS

1. Gather all the necessary documents, including the final documents for translation, reference documents and previous translations.

First and foremost, it’s best if you provide your document for translation in a modifiable format, such as a Word or PowerPoint file, before any formatting or graphic design has been done. If not, the translator will have to convert the document to Word format, which creates problems related to poor text recognition and complicated formatting, making inserting the translation harder.

If the document has already been formatted, note that certain translation tools are able to process Adobe InDesign files (namely, IDML files), which means that the translator can translate the entire document without needing a Word version. This leaves the graphic designer with very few modifications to make to the translated version. However, unless a translator is skilled with InDesign, they will not be able to view the formatted content as they’re working on it. In these cases, the translator will have to do a final proofread of the translated PDF after the graphic designer has made all the necessary tweaks.

*Pro tip: The document you provide to your translator must be the final version. If you make changes during or after the translation process, most translators and agencies will charge you for the time spent making the modifications.

Lastly, provide any reference documents—such as previous translations, termbases, a bilingual website or related documents—that the translator can refer to for terminology and background information.

2. Decide if you’ll need a reviser.

When you have a document that needs to be translated, one of the first things you must ask yourself is whether a second translator should revise the initial translation. This comes as a surprise to most people: if a professional translator translates the document, why should someone else have to go over their work? It’s a good point, but the fact is that the original document most likely underwent numerous revisions by multiple people, and the same principle applies in translation.

*Pro tip: As a rule of thumb, the more eyes that will see the translation, the more revision becomes necessary. Once you’ve decided this point, you can be more precise when describing your project to the translator or agency for a quote.

3. Determine the confidentiality level.

Since the translators you contact will want to see the documents to be translated before giving a quote, you may want to consider having them sign a confidentiality agreement. Confidentiality agreements guarantee that the information you provide to the translator or translation agency is safe and will not be distributed to anybody else by any means.

*Pro tip: Additionally, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are used by agencies to ensure that subcontractors do not disclose any information they come across during their project. If you decide to do business with a translation agency, you will want to ensure that their translators have signed an NDA.

Note that using free tools such as Google Translate, DeepL or ChatGPT may constitute a breach of those agreements. In Google Translate’s Terms of Service, for example, you retain ownership of any intellectual property rights that you hold to the content that you upload or submit to Google Translate. However, Google Translate’s Terms of Service allow the company to analyze and store the content that is input for various purposes, including improving the service and potentially sharing it with third parties. This means your input is not strictly confidential and may be used for purposes beyond translation.

DeepL, for its part, states in its Privacy Policy: “Customer may use the Services solely for the purpose agreed between the Parties. In particular, Customer may not […] transmit any data to DeepL which may not be transmitted to or processed by DeepL due to data protection laws, contractual or statutory confidentiality obligations, export restrictions or other statutory provisions or third-party rights” (February 2025).

*Pro tip: It is important to note, these days, that even the best translators use machine translation tools. You’ll want to consider what would happen if your information entered the public domain, and whether you want to protect yourself by having your translator sign an agreement.

4. Search for a translator or translation agency.

Do you know where to look to find a translator or translation agency with the qualifications that will meet your specific needs?

First, know where to look. The best way to find a translator is to ask colleagues or professional acquaintances who work with translators for a recommendation. Or, if you know a translator who works in a different language combination, it is almost certain that they will be able to recommend a colleague.

You can also do a random internet search or search translation portals such as Proz.com or other crowdsourcing platforms; however, translation quality is variable and, in this case, you should look for client testimonials and verify that the translator has the necessary skills and qualifications (see tip no. 5 for more information).

*Pro tip: Most countries have translators’ associations with searchable directories on their websites. Not all members will be certified since certification is only necessary for official documents, but certification is a good indicator of professionalism.

5. Get quotes.

Once you’ve vetted a few potential translators or agencies, contact them for a quote. Explain the project, the purpose of the document, the target audience and your deadline.

Here are a few things that translators consider to determine the price and turnaround time:

– Does the document contain specialized language or creative content (for example, marketing content and slogans) that would require additional time to research or adapt to the target language?

– Is formatting or additional work required, such as using graphic design software, website content management platforms or MailChimp?

– What is the size of the project (word count) and deadline? In some cases, a translator may negotiate a longer deadline for a lower price. Conversely, an urgent project will require a rush rate.

*Pro tip: If you don’t have the budget for the quotes received, consider scaling back your project and selecting only the essential information for translation.

A word of caution: Be wary of extremely low quotes. Inexperienced translators who aren’t familiar with market prices, or people who don’t make a living translating (meaning they are hobbyists), will charge lower rates, but the fact that they are unaware of the cost of a quality translation is a good indicator that they don’t know what goes into producing an excellent translation, either.

6. Choose your translator or translation agency.

Do you know exactly who you’re trying to reach, and does your translator have the skills and knowledge to do so?

Once you’ve narrowed down your options, you should verify a few points with the translator.

1. Is the translator a native speaker of the target language?

Just because someone was raised speaking two languages “fluently” does not mean that they can write equally well in their second language, which is an essential skill for translators. The ability to write well requires a mastery of grammar, a knowledge of idiomatic expressions and, of course, a large vocabulary, and it is very rare to find a translator who can translate equally well in both directions.

2. Does the translator specialize in your field and have experience with similar projects or clients?

Translators should be comfortable with the texts they are translating. If a translator has subject matter expertise, they are able to accurately translate texts that require knowledge of basic concepts and specific terminology.

3. Is the translator familiar with your target audience?

Having an awareness of your target reader’s culture and dialect ensures that your translation will pack the same punch as the original message, which is especially important for marketing content.

7. Provide a contact person for questions.

As the translator works on the document, questions will invariably arise related to specialized terms, the terminology that your company or organization uses, and style rules. If the translator doesn’t have any questions, it can even be a red flag that they aren’t being thorough. Give the translator the contact information of someone within your organization who will answer their questions.

8. Get your finished translation.

Once the translator has finished the translation and had it revised by a second translator, if necessary, read over the translation carefully. If you believe that something has been poorly translated or you simply don’t like how something sounds, contact the translator and ask them to propose another translation.

*Pro tip: A good translator will readily make revisions if the client is not satisfied. Most importantly, don’t make the changes yourself as you risk inserting grammatical errors or incorrect terms.

9. Do a final check.

In the case of website copy, you may want to have the translator proofread the translated content once it has been published on your website. Have the translator check all titles, internal and external links, and forgotten text, since they will more be likely to catch typos and provide suggestions after seeing the final product.

In the case of PDFs, it is also a best practice to have the translator read over the final document to ensure that no errors were made when the translation was copy and pasted.

10. Call on the same translator for future projects.

To the extent possible, continue to call on the services of the same translator or translation agency to ensure that your brand image in your foreign language is consistent and harmonizes with your previously translated content. As the saying goes, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” Similarly, the translator will already be aware of your preferences for certain terms and should be able to provide you with a list of terms that they have compiled.

If your regular translator isn’t available, ask them for a recommendation since their familiarity with your company or organization will help them identify a colleague who matches your needs.

Still have questions?

Contact us to see how we can help with your project.