Multilingual Surveys

Reach respondents in their preferred language. Create surveys in multiple languages with automatic language detection, professional translation workflows, and seamless language switching.

Quick Start

Create a multilingual survey in three steps:

1. Enable languages - Add languages in Team Settings > Languages
2. Create survey - Build in your default language
3. Add translations - Use the language tabs in the Section Manager and Question Builder to add translations

How It Works

Multilingual surveys adapt to each respondent:

Detection Flow

Respondent opens survey
        ↓
Browser language detected
        ↓
Language available? → Show that language
                  → Show default language
        ↓
Respondent can switch manually

What Gets Translated

All respondent-facing content:

Setting Up Languages

Enable Languages for Team

1. Go to Team Settings > Languages
2. Select the languages you want to support
3. Set your default language
4. Save changes

Available Languages

Common languages include:

• English (en)
• Dutch (nl)
• German (de)
• French (fr)
• Spanish (es)
• Portuguese (pt)
• Italian (it)
• Japanese (ja)
• Chinese (zh)
• And many more

Enable for Specific Survey

1. Open the survey
2. Go to Settings > Languages
3. Toggle on languages for this survey
4. Begin translation

Translation Workflow

Using Language Tabs

Enter translations directly in the survey editor:

1. Open the Section Manager or Question Builder
2. Click the language tabs at the top of the editor
3. Select the target language tab
4. Enter translations for each text field
5. Save the question or section

The editor shows one language at a time. Switch between tabs to enter translations for each language.

What to Translate

For each question, translate:

• Question text
• Answer option labels
• Placeholder text (for dropdowns)
• Matrix row and column labels (for matrix questions)

For each section, translate:

• Section title
• Section description

Language Detection

Automatic Detection

Respondents see their language automatically:

1. Browser sends language preference
2. Srvey checks if that language is enabled
3. If available, survey loads in that language
4. If not, default language is used

Language Priority

Detection order:

1. URL parameter (?lang=nl)
2. Browser language setting
3. Survey default language

Manual URL

Force a specific language:

https://srvey.io/s/your-survey?lang=de

Language Switcher

When a survey has multiple languages enabled, respondents see a language switcher that allows them to change languages during the survey.

The language switcher appears automatically when:

• The survey has multiple languages enabled
• The respondent's browser language is available

Respondents can switch languages at any point while taking the survey.

Real-World Examples

Example: European Market Research

Scenario: Research across multiple European countries.

Languages:
- English (default)
- German
- French
- Spanish
- Italian

Workflow:
1. Build survey in English
2. Use language tabs to enter translations
3. Have native speakers review each language
4. Test survey in each language
5. Publish when all translations complete

Result:
- Consistent questions across markets
- Professional translations
- Respondents comfortable in native language

Example: Bilingual Country

Scenario: Survey in Belgium (Dutch/French).

Languages:
- Dutch (default)
- French

Detection:
- Dutch browsers → Dutch survey
- French browsers → French survey
- Language switcher available

Result:
- Automatic for most respondents
- Easy switching for bilingual respondents

Example: Academic Study

Scenario: Cross-cultural psychology research.

Languages:
- English (US)
- Japanese
- Mandarin Chinese

Workflow:
1. Develop in English
2. Professional back-translation
3. Verify equivalence
4. Pilot in each language

Result:
- Culturally appropriate translations
- Validated instruments
- Comparable data across cultures

Data and Analysis

Response Language

Each response records:

• language: The language used (e.g., "nl")
• All answers in original text

Filtering by Language

In responses view:

1. Click "Filter"
2. Select "Language"
3. Choose specific language
4. View filtered responses

Export Options

Export includes language information:

response_id,language,q1_answer,...
resp_001,en,Very Satisfied,...
resp_002,nl,Zeer Tevreden,...

Plan Availability

Multilingual support is available on all plans.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Wrong language displayed

Symptoms: Survey shows different language than expected.

Solutions:

• Check browser language settings
• Verify language is enabled for survey
• Try using URL parameter (?lang=xx)
• Clear browser cache

Issue: Translation not showing

Symptoms: Default language shown despite translations.

Solutions:

• Verify translation was saved
• Check translation status is "Complete"
• Ensure language is enabled
• Review the specific field

Issue: Incomplete translation

Symptoms: Some text in default language, some translated.

Solutions:

• Check translation status in editor
• Look for missing fields (yellow status)
• Complete all required fields
• Re-import if using bulk translation

Best Practices

• Start with default language - Complete survey before translating
• Use professional translators - Machine translation may miss nuances
• Consider cultural differences - Translation is more than words
• Test in each language - Complete survey in every language
• Keep text simple - Easier to translate accurately
• Use back-translation - Verify critical content
• Update all languages - When changing default, update translations
• Document differences - Note any cultural adaptations