Most translation mistakes happen before you press the button. Wrong file format, missing glossary, no context for the AI, confidential data handled the wrong way. This guide collects every question worth asking — organized by topic so you can use it as a pre-translation checklist or scan straight to what you need.
Every answer is grounded in what Lara Translate actually does. Where a support article or guide exists, the question links directly to it.
TL;DR
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File Format & Compatibility
1. Is my file format supported?
Lara Translate supports over 70 file formats including Word (DOC, DOCX), Excel (XLSX), PowerPoint (PPTX), PDF, InDesign (IDML), FrameMaker (MIF), XLIFF, SRT, JSON, HTML, Markdown, and many more. Check the full format list.
2. Can I translate a PDF?
Yes. Lara translates standard PDFs and preserves the original layout. If your PDF contains scanned pages or text inside images, you need to enable the “Translate images” toggle at upload — otherwise that text is skipped.
3. Does Lara translate text inside images in a PDF?
Only if you explicitly enable the “Translate images” toggle when uploading. Lara runs OCR on the image, translates the extracted text, and reconstructs it back into the document. Characters extracted this way count toward your usage quota. Learn more about image translation inside PDFs.
4. Can I translate a password-protected PDF?
Yes. When you upload a locked PDF, Lara prompts you to enter the password directly in the interface. The password is used to unlock the file for processing and is never stored or shared.
5. My Word document has tracked changes. What happens?
Lara detects tracked changes and comments in DOCX files and prompts you to accept all revisions before translation proceeds. This ensures the translation reflects the clean, finalized version of the text, not the messy in-progress one.
6. What happens to comments and footnotes in a Word document?
Comments can be extracted along with the main body text — via the API you can pass extractComments: true inside extractionParams to include them in the translation job. Footnotes are part of the document body and are translated as normal text. Make sure you’ve accepted or dismissed tracked changes first, since Lara prompts you to do this before proceeding.
7. Will Excel formulas be translated?
No. Lara automatically detects formulas in XLSX files and skips them, so your calculations stay intact. Only visible cell content is translated.
8. How do I keep certain rows in an Excel file untranslated?
Hide or protect those rows in the XLSX file before uploading. Lara only translates visible rows.
9. Can I translate a PowerPoint presentation?
Yes. Lara supports PPT and PPTX (plus PPTM, PPSX, PPSM, POTX, POTM) and preserves slide layouts, text boxes, and formatting. See how to translate a PowerPoint with Lara.
10. Does Lara support XLIFF files for localization?
Yes. Standard XLIFF up to version 2.0 (and v1.2) is fully supported. However, proprietary CAT tool formats like MQXLIFF (memoQ) and SDLXLIFF (Trados Studio) are not standard XLIFF and must be processed through the official Lara plugins for those tools — not uploaded directly. Read about XLIFF translation in Lara.
11. Can I translate InDesign or FrameMaker files?
Yes. Lara supports IDML (Adobe InDesign), ICML (InCopy), and MIF (FrameMaker) — formats typically used in desktop publishing workflows.
12. Can I translate subtitle files?
Yes. SRT, VTT, and SBV (YouTube subtitles) are all supported. Timecodes are preserved exactly as-is, so no re-syncing is needed after translation.
13. Can I translate a CSV file?
Yes. Make sure the file is UTF-8 encoded, uses commas as separators, and wraps any values containing commas in double quotes. How to translate a CSV with Lara.
14. Can I translate an XML file while preserving extra spaces?
Yes, but you need to add the xml:space="preserve" attribute to the relevant elements in your XML document before uploading. Without it, XML may collapse extra whitespace during translation. How to preserve spaces in XML translations.
15. Can I upload Apple iWork files (Pages, Numbers, Keynote)?
Yes. PAGES, NUMBERS, and KEYS are all supported formats.
16. Can I translate multiple documents at once?
Yes. Lara supports bulk file upload, letting you upload multiple documents simultaneously and translate them into one or more target languages in a single batch. How multiple document translation works.
17. Will the original formatting be preserved after translation?
Yes. Lara preserves layouts, tables, images, captions, and embedded elements across all supported formats. The translated document is designed to match the original visually and structurally.
18. Will hyperlinks and URLs inside my document be preserved after translation?
Yes. Lara treats hyperlinks as non-translatable elements and preserves them as-is in the output document. The anchor text around a link is translated normally, but the URL itself is not modified. If you have links that point to language-specific pages and need to be swapped for the target locale, you’ll need to update those manually after translation.
19. What happens if my document is too large to upload?
The Free plan has a maximum file size of 200 MB per document. If your file exceeds the size limit, the most practical options are to split the document into smaller sections before uploading, or to compress embedded images inside the file to reduce its size. For very large or complex documents, the API workflow — upload, poll, download — is designed to handle heavier files more reliably than the web interface.
20. Can I translate only part of a document, not the whole file?
Lara translates the entire document when you upload a file — there is no built-in option to select specific pages or sections for translation. The practical workaround is to extract the section you need into a separate file before uploading. For Word documents, copy the relevant pages into a new DOCX. For PDFs, use a PDF editor to extract the pages you want. Then upload only that extracted file.
21. How do I handle a document that mixes two languages?
Lara detects language at the segment level, so it can handle documents where different paragraphs or sections are written in different languages. Set the target language you want to translate into, and Lara will identify which segments need translation and which are already in the target language. For best results, specify the primary source language explicitly rather than leaving it on auto-detect, especially if one language dominates the document.
Translate your first document with Lara
Upload any file and see how Lara handles your format, layout, and terminology — no setup required.
Translation Quality & AI Model
22. What AI model does Lara use for document translation?
Lara uses advanced Neural Machine Translation (NMT) powered by Large Language Models (LLMs). The default model is Lara Base, which balances speed, cost, and quality for most workflows.
23. Is there a higher-quality model available for critical documents?
Yes. Lara Think is a reasoning-oriented model that performs multi-step linguistic analysis and detects and corrects around 80% of major linguistic issues. It takes roughly 10 times longer to run than the Base model, making it suited to documents where accuracy is non-negotiable — legal filings, medical reports, official communications.
24. Which translation style should I choose?
Lara offers three translation styles: Faithful (literal, structure-preserving — best for legal, technical, and medical content), Fluid (natural and readable — best for business communication), and Creative (expressive and free — best for marketing and transcreation). You choose the style at upload. Read about translation styles in Lara.
25. How do I tell the AI what the document is about?
Use the Add Context feature to supply a brief description of the content — the industry, the audience, the tone, any abbreviations or currency conventions. This helps Lara disambiguate terms and produce more accurate output. What context to provide to Lara, and common use cases with examples.
26. How does Lara evaluate translation quality automatically?
Lara runs an automatic Linguistic Quality Assessment (LQA) and tags each translation as Excellent, Good, or Ambiguous Source. An “Ambiguous Source” tag means the source text itself was unclear, which is useful to know before you publish. How to evaluate translation quality.
27. How do I know if my translated document is ready to publish or still needs review?
Lara’s automatic LQA score gives you an immediate signal — an Excellent rating means the translation is clean and ready; Ambiguous Source means the source text had unclear phrasing that the AI had to interpret, and those segments deserve a human check before publishing. For anything going to a regulated or public-facing context, combining the LQA score with a human review step is the safest approach. How to request a human review in Lara.
28. Can I edit the translation output?
Yes. Lara lets you edit the translated text directly in the interface. Edits can be saved to a Translation Memory so the same correction applies to all future translations. How to edit translations in Lara.
29. Can I retranslate only the updated parts of a document without redoing the whole file?
Yes, if you have a Translation Memory set up. Lara matches each segment against your TM before translating — segments that already have an approved translation are reused, and only new or changed segments are sent through the AI. This is how version updates work efficiently in practice: upload the revised document with your TM attached, and only the delta gets translated. It saves both time and quota.
30. Is a human review option available?
Yes. You can request a human review on top of any AI translation. A professional reviewer checks the output, corrects errors, and returns the polished document. This is the right step for any document going to print, legal submission, or regulated publication. How to request a human review in Lara.
31. What languages does Lara support?
Lara Translate supports over 200 languages, including full Right-to-Left (RTL) language support with correct bidirectional text rendering. Languages supported by Lara.
32. What if I don’t know what language the source document is in?
Lara includes a language detection feature. Upload the document or paste the text and Lara identifies the source language automatically before translating.
33. Can I get alternative translations for specific words in a document output?
Yes. In the text editor, underlined words in the output can be clicked to reveal a dropdown of alternative translations, each with a contextual explanation of why it might fit. This is useful for reviewing ambiguous terminology after a document translation without having to retranslate the whole file. How alternative translations work.
Terminology, Glossaries & Translation Memories
34. Does Lara enforce specific terminology during translation?
Yes. You can create and attach a Glossary to any translation job. Glossary terms are enforced exactly as specified, case-sensitively. This is the right tool for product names, legal terms, brand-specific vocabulary, or any word that must never be translated differently. How glossaries work in Lara.
35. How do I upload a glossary?
Glossaries must be uploaded as UTF-8 encoded CSV files. The first row must contain ISO 639-1 language codes (e.g., en-US, it-IT). Values containing commas must be wrapped in double quotes. CSV formatting guidelines for glossaries.
36. What is a Translation Memory and why does it matter for documents?
A Translation Memory (TM) stores previously translated segments. When Lara encounters the same or similar sentence again, it reuses the approved translation instead of re-translating from scratch. This enforces consistency across long documents, version updates, and repeat jobs. What is a Translation Memory.
37. Can I import an existing TMX file into Lara?
Yes. You can import TMX files via the API, the MCP Server, or by contacting Lara support. Once imported, the TM is available to attach to any document translation job.
38. Does Lara learn from my corrections?
Yes, in Learning Mode. When you edit a translation output, Lara stores the correction as a new Translation Unit in your Personal Memory, and that segment is reused in future jobs. Learning Mode vs. Incognito Mode.
39. Can I apply both a glossary and a Translation Memory to the same document?
Yes. When uploading a document you can select specific Translation Memories and Glossaries to apply simultaneously, alongside your chosen translation style.
Privacy, Security & Data Handling
40. Is my document stored after translation?
By default, Lara operates in Learning Mode, which means translated data is encrypted and stored to update your Translation Memories and improve the model. If you don’t want any storage, switch to Incognito Mode before uploading. Translation Modes: Learning vs. Incognito.
41. What is Incognito Mode?
Incognito Mode is a zero-retention privacy mode. Translations are processed and immediately deleted from Lara’s servers. Nothing is stored, logged, or used for model training. It’s the right choice for confidential documents, legal materials, or anything covered by NDA. How Incognito Mode works.
42. Is Lara GDPR-compliant?
Yes. Lara Translate is an Italian company and is fully GDPR-compliant. A Data Processing Addendum (DPA) is available for enterprise agreements, including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and alignment with the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. Lara and GDPR compliance.
43. Can I trust Lara with sensitive business documents?
Yes, especially with Incognito Mode enabled. Lara uses encrypted storage, and the company holds no data after deletion in Incognito sessions. For additional assurance, you can review Lara’s subprocessor list and request a DPA. Is Lara trusted? and Privacy and data protection.
44. Where is my data processed?
Lara’s infrastructure runs on AWS. Full details on subprocessors and data processing locations are publicly available. Subprocessors and data processing locations.
45. Does my password for a locked PDF get stored anywhere?
No. Passwords entered to unlock password-protected PDFs are used only to access the file for processing and are never stored or shared.
Translate confidential documents without data retention
Enable Incognito Mode and Lara deletes your translation the moment it’s done. No storage, no training, no trace.
Plans, Quotas & Billing
46. Is there a free plan for document translation?
Yes. The Free plan includes 4 document pages per day with a maximum file size of 200 MB. What’s included in the Lara Free plan.
47. How many document pages can I translate per month on a paid plan?
The Pro plan includes 100 pages per month. The Team plan includes 300 pages per user per month.
48. What counts as a “page” for billing purposes?
This is based on Lara’s internal page-counting logic applied to the uploaded file. For API usage, billing is calculated by character count with a minimum of 20,000 characters per document on paid plans — meaning a 12,000-character document is billed as 20,000 characters. The Free plan has a hard cap of 10,000 characters per document via API.
49. Does the Team plan pool document pages across members?
Character quotas for text translation are pooled across Team members, but document page limits apply per user (300 pages/user/month).
Workflow & Integrations
50. Can I translate documents directly inside a CAT tool like Trados or memoQ?
Yes. Lara has official plugins for both Trados Studio (available on the RWS AppStore) and memoQ. Both plugins include a 24-hour translation cache — so re-translating the same segment within a day doesn’t cost extra — and real-time Translation Memory updates. Lara for memoQ.
51. Does Lara integrate with a Translation Management System (TMS)?
Yes. Lara integrates natively with TranslationOS for continuous localization workflows. Third-party connectors via Blackbird.io, Locize, Crowdin, and Custom.MT extend Lara’s reach into platforms like Smartling. What is a Translation Management System.
52. Can I translate documents inside Google Docs or Google Slides?
Yes, via the Lara Translate Chrome Extension. The extension integrates natively with Google Docs (highlights and replaces formatting-rich text) and Google Slides (translates all text boxes on a slide at once) — without needing to download, upload, or re-import the file. Using the Lara Chrome Extension.
53. Can I translate spreadsheet cells in Google Sheets?
Yes. The Lara Google Sheets extension provides dedicated cell formulas: =LARATRANSLATE() for translation and =LARAEVAL() for automatic quality scoring of any translation. How to use Lara in Google Sheets.
54. Does Lara work with CMS platforms like Drupal?
Yes. Lara integrates with Drupal via the Translation Management Tool (TMGMT). Additional CMS integrations are available through connector platforms like Blackbird.io and Crowdin. What is a CMS and how does Lara integrate.
55. Can I use Lara in Wordfast or Matecat?
Yes. Lara is available as an AI Engine option in both Matecat and Wordfast Anywhere via API key. Lara integration with Wordfast Anywhere.
56. Can Lara translate e-learning course files?
Yes. Lara integrates natively with Parta.io for e-learning course translation, with full support for glossaries and translation styles. Lara integration with Parta.io.
57. Can I automate document translation with GitHub Actions?
Yes. Lara provides a CLI tool and a native GitHub Actions integration, making it possible to build document and file translation directly into CI/CD pipelines for localization workflows. This is particularly useful for software teams that need to translate resource files, JSON strings, or HTML content as part of a release process.
58. Is there an n8n integration for automated document workflows?
Yes. The n8n-nodes-lara-translate community node allows no-code and low-code automation of text and document translation tasks within n8n workflows. You can use it to build pipelines that trigger document translations automatically — for example, when a new file lands in a folder or a form submission arrives.
59. Can I translate a document on my phone?
Yes. The Lara Translate mobile app is available on iOS and Android. You can also set Lara as your default translation app at the OS level, which adds a “Translate with Lara” option to the copy/paste menu system-wide. Lara on iOS and Lara on Android.
60. What is a CAT tool and do I need one to use Lara?
No — a CAT tool is not required. You can use Lara directly via the web interface, mobile app, or API. CAT tool integration is available for professional translators who already work in Trados, memoQ, or similar environments and want to use Lara as the AI engine inside their existing workflow. What is a Computer-Assisted Translation tool.
API & Developer Questions
61. How does document translation work via the API?
Document translation via API is asynchronous: you upload the file, poll the API to check status, then download the translated file when ready. This three-step flow is designed for reliability with large files — the upload returns immediately with a job ID, and your system checks back until the job completes. Lara API documentation.
62. Which programming languages have an official Lara SDK?
Lara provides native SDKs for Python (≥3.8), Node.js (≥12), Java (≥1.8), PHP (≥5.6), Go (≥1.16), .NET (≥8.0), and Swift (≥5.5). All SDK requests are automatically encrypted and signed.
63. Is there a minimum billing for documents via API?
Yes. On paid plans, the document translation API applies a minimum threshold of 20,000 characters per file. A 5,000-character document is still billed as 20,000 characters. This minimum does not apply to the Free plan, which caps document API translation at 10,000 characters per file.
64. Can I receive the translated PDF back as a PDF instead of a DOCX?
Yes. When translating a PDF via API, pass outputFormat: "pdf" to receive the output as a PDF file. The default API behavior returns an editable DOCX, which is useful if you need to make post-translation edits before converting back to PDF.
65. Can I auto-accept tracked changes in a DOCX via API?
Yes. Pass acceptRevisions: true inside the extractionParams field in your API request to automatically accept all tracked changes before translation begins. This is the API equivalent of what the web interface prompts you to do manually.
66. How do I keep confidential documents private when using the API?
Pass "noTrace": true in your API request (or no_trace: true in the SDK). This activates Incognito Mode: Lara will not store the source text, retain the translation, or use the data for model training. Incognito Mode for API.
67. Can I attach Translation Memories to API document requests?
Yes. Pass specific TM IDs in your API request to enforce consistent terminology and style across the document. This is especially important for version-updated documents where you want previously approved translations to carry over automatically.
68. What is the API rate limit for document translation?
1,000 characters per second on the Free plan, and 10,000 characters per second on paid plans. Accessing Lara’s API.
69. How do I generate an API key?
API keys (Access Key ID and Access Key Secret) are generated via the Lara dashboard. The secret is displayed only once at creation — store it immediately. API key for Lara’s API. If you lose it: how to recover a lost API key.
70. Is there a free API tier?
Yes. The Free API tier includes 10,000 characters per month with a rate limit of 1,000 characters per second. Web outputs on the Free tier include a “Translated with laratranslate.com” signature. Lara API Free plan details.
71. How do I track API usage?
Lara provides a usage dashboard inside your account where you can monitor API consumption over time — characters translated, documents processed, and remaining quota. This matters most on the Pro plan, where API usage is pay-as-you-go, and on the Team plan, where the character pool is shared across members. How to track API usage on Lara.
Image & Standalone Image Translation
72. Can I translate text inside a standalone image file?
Yes. Lara’s Image-to-Image translation extracts the text from an image, translates it, and reconstructs the image with the translated text in the original format. Supported formats include PNG, JPG, WEBP, AVIF, HEIC, and others. Translating images with Lara Image-to-Image.
73. How is image translation billed?
For standalone image files, billing is at a flat rate of 1,500 characters per image (equivalent). Via API, pricing varies by reconstruction mode: overlay (€0.15/image), inpainting — the default, which cleanly reconstructs the background — (€0.20/image), and image-to-text extraction with translation (€0.02/image).
74. Does OCR inside a PDF translation use the same image-to-image feature?
No. OCR inside PDFs is a separate feature triggered by the “Translate images” toggle at upload. Standalone image translation (Image-to-Image) is a distinct product for translating image files directly. Both use OCR under the hood but operate differently. OCR in document translation.
Teams & Collaboration
75. Can I share a Lara account with my team?
Yes. The Team plan supports multiple users under a shared organization. You can invite team members and assign Admin or Member roles. How to invite team members.
76. What is the difference between a Team Admin and a Team Member?
Admins can manage the team itself — inviting or removing members, adjusting settings, and overseeing billing and quotas. Members can use Lara Translate within the organization’s quota but don’t have access to team management functions. If you’re setting up Lara for a team, you’ll need at least one Admin. Full breakdown of Team Admin vs. Team Member permissions.
77. Is Single Sign-On (SSO) available for enterprise teams?
Yes. SSO is available on Custom and Team plans. It supports identity payload routing to direct enterprise users to specific regional or departmental workspaces — useful when different business units need to operate under separate TMs and glossaries.
Troubleshooting
78. I’m getting a 404 error when I try to download my translated document. What do I do?
This is a known temporary link issue. Right-click the “Download” button, select “Copy link address,” open a new browser tab, paste the link into the address bar, and press Enter to force the download manually.
79. My XLIFF file from memoQ or Trados is not translating correctly. Why?
MQXLIFF and SDLXLIFF files contain proprietary metadata not found in standard XLIFF. Uploading them directly is not supported and may break reimportation into the CAT tool. Use the official Lara plugin for memoQ or the Lara plugin for Trados Studio instead. Lara for memoQ and migrating from ModernMT to Lara in Trados or memoQ.
80. My Excel formula cells were translated. What went wrong?
Formulas in XLSX files are normally auto-detected and skipped. If formulas were translated, check that the cells in question were actually formatted as formula cells and not as plain text containing formula-like strings. Re-formatting those cells as formulas and re-uploading should resolve it.
81. The spacing in my XML translation looks wrong. How do I fix it?
Add the xml:space="preserve" attribute to the affected elements in your XML file before uploading. Without it, XML processors may collapse whitespace during translation. How to preserve spaces in XML translations.
82. My translated document looks different from the original layout. What could cause this?
A few things can break layout preservation. Embedded fonts that are not available in the target language script may cause text to reflow, especially when translating into languages with different character widths (Chinese, Arabic, Japanese). Text expansion is also common — some languages produce significantly longer strings than English for the same content, pushing text outside text boxes in PowerPoint or InDesign files. For DTP formats like IDML or MIF, a post-translation layout review in the native application is always recommended.
83. The translation seems correct word-for-word but reads awkwardly. What should I try?
You’re likely using the Faithful style, which prioritizes literal accuracy over natural flow. Switch to Fluid for general business content, or add context about the audience and tone using the Add Context feature. For marketing or creative content, the Creative style gives the AI more latitude to produce natural, idiomatic output rather than a close literal rendering. Translation styles in Lara.
84. A term in my document keeps being translated wrong. How do I fix it permanently?
Add the term to a Glossary. Glossary entries are enforced exactly and case-sensitively across every translation that uses that glossary. If you’ve already received the wrong translation and corrected it manually in the output, save that correction to your Translation Memory so the fix carries forward to future jobs too. The combination of a Glossary for terminology and a TM for approved segments is the most reliable way to lock in consistent output across a document series. How glossaries work in Lara.
