Multilingual Surveys

About Multilingual Surveys

You can create a multilingual survey with different languages by adding your own translations. Respondents can choose the language they’re most comfortable with or you can send a link that opens the survey to a specific language.

This article outlines how to translate surveys and how to specify which language each respondent sees.

We recommend that you translate your survey when you're completely finished building your survey. If you make edits after translating, make sure you also edit the translations accordingly.

Adding Survey Languages

You can add multiple languages when you're creating your survey. However, you can also add them after the survey has been created, all you have to do is:

1. Go to your survey and select settings on the side menu. If the menu is closed, click on the menu icon () to open it first.
2. Under languages, you'll see the current language(s) your survey has. Click on them.
3. Select the language(s) you want to add and click save.

Translate Survey Elements and Background Variables

All survey elements in your content overview that are not translated will be marked by this icon:

If you have created background variables, you need to translate those yourself as well.

You can view and edit your survey elements in each language by going to your survey, selecting content on the side menu, and switching language in the upper right corner. However, to translate your survey elements and background variables easily, you have to:

1. Go to your survey and select settings on the side menu. If the menu is closed, click on the menu icon () to open it first. Under languages, click on translations.
2. In the upper right corner, select the language you want to translate. The left column will display each element in its default language. The right column will display the language that you are translating.
3. All elements that are not translated will read 'Translation missing' in light gray.
4. Click on the element you want to translate in the right column and enter the translation.
5. Your changes will be saved immediately.

You can easily navigate to the next item by using the Tab key on your keyboard.

You can use the Translation tool to easily change texts in the default language as well.

Translate Survey Messages

If you're sharing your multilingual survey via email, organization, or Digital Post, you need to translate your survey message. First things first, make sure to create an invitation message and even a reminder message. 

To translate your message, you have to:

1. Go to your survey and select responses on the side menu. If the menu is closed, click on the menu button () to open it first.
2. Click on the options menu and select messages.
3. Click on the message you want to translate.
4. Under text, you'll see a list of the different languages in your survey. Click on the one you want to translate.
5. Click on the text you want to translate and enter the translation, you will be able to see a preview to the right. To review the text from the default language, click on the translate icon.

Specifying the Respondent Language

Once everything is translated, you have different ways to ensure that respondents see the survey, as well as invitations and reminders in their respective languages.

SPECIFYING LANGUAGE IN THE RESPONDENT LIST

If you know your respondents’ preferred languages beforehand, you can upload this information as part of your respondent list by adding a language column to your respondent list CSV file.

In the language column of your contact list, you’ll insert the appropriate language code for each participant. The available language codes are:

Removing Languages

You can always remove a language from your survey, all you have to do is:

1. Go to your survey and select settings on the side menu. If the menu is closed, click on the menu icon () to open it first.
2. Under languages, you'll see the current language(s) your survey has. Click on them.
3. Deselect the language(s) you want to remove and click save.