---
title: "Understanding Multilingual Translation"
description: "Once you've enabled multilingual HelpDocs you can translate all your docs into as many languages as you like ✨"
url: "https://support.helpdocs.io/article/NjjPixGLuy-translating-your-docs"
category: "Multilingual Translation"
updated_at: "2025-10-08T13:29:12Z"
---

# Understanding Multilingual Translation

Translating your docs into multiple languages means you can help customers all over the globe. We've got a few handy tools built in to make it easy to keep docs updated whichever language your customers speak.

Multilingual is available on [selected plans](https://www.helpdocs.io/pricing)

Learn about translating [articles](/article/h7v4sf98br-translating-articles), [categories](/article/vabx5db7i3-translating-categories), and [common strings](/article/w4ieCxqX9X-changing-the-language-in-common-phrases)

### Understanding Multilingual Translation

When you start using Multilingual you'll see a common theme—all translated articles are based off a default language. Think of the default language as the original copy.

With Multilingual you start branching off the original and translate what you **already** have into a different language.​

![](https://files.helpdocs.io/Ytt2uahFxY/diagrams/xr78xg9qiw.svg?cb=1759930230)

We'll use the visitor's browser language if it's a good match. Otherwise we'll send them to your default language.

All articles in a secondary language **must** be published in your default language first

#### What Happens If I Disable Multilingual Afterwards?

If you decide you don't wanna use multilingual anymore after writing your articles in a different language customers going to the language URL (e.g. /l/pt/article-slug) will be redirected to the default version of the article (i.e. /article-slug) instead.

### Navigating Multiple Languages

Now you've got multiple languages you'll see a handy language switcher to the left. That'll let you switch your language from anywhere in the app.

You'll notice your first language will have `(Default)` next to it. This is your default language and you'll need to write every article in this language before you can translate it. Because of this we recommend choosing a language you're well versed in.

[Embedded iframe](https://player.vimeo.com/video/1125529301)