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Enable workflows for human translation in Power BI reports

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When you create multiple-language reports for Power BI, you can work quickly and efficiently by using Translations Builder and by generating machine translations. However, machine generated translations alone are inadequate for many production needs. You need to integrate other people acting as translators into a human workflow process.

Translations Builder uses a translation sheet, which is a .csv file that you export to send to a translator. The human acting as a translator updates the translation sheet and then returns it to you. You then import the revised sheet to integrate the changes into the current data model.

Translations Builder generates a file for a selected language using a special naming format, for example, PbixProjectName-Translations-Spanish.csv. The name includes the data model name and the language for translation. Translations Builder saves the generated translation sheet to a folder known as the Outbox.

Diagram shows Translations Builder exporting two sheets to the Outbox for different languages.

Human translators can make edits to a translation sheet using Microsoft Excel. When you receive an updated translation sheet from a translator, copy it to the Inbox folder. From there, you can import it to integrate those updated translations back into the data model for the current project.

Diagram shows Translations Builder exporting sheets a translator who works on them and returns them and sends them to the Inbox for import.

Configure import and export folders

By default, folder paths for Outbox and Inbox in Translations Builder are the Documents folder of the current user. To configure settings used as targets for export and import operations, follow these steps.

  1. From the Dataset Connection menu, select Configure Settings to display the Configuration Options dialog box.

    Screenshot shows the Dataset Connection menu with Configure Settings selected.

  2. Select the set buttons to update the settings for Translations Outbox Folder Path and Translations Outbox Folder Path.

    Screenshot shows the Configuration Options dialog box with the set button and Save Changes button highlighted.

  3. After you have configured paths, select Save Changes.

After you configure the folder paths for Outbox and Inbox, you can begin to export and import translation sheets by using the Export/Import Translations options.

Screenshot shows Translations Builder with the Export/Import Translations pane highlighted.

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