Translate text in a Google Docs document

AI-generated Key Takeaways

• This quickstart guide demonstrates how to build a Google Docs add-on using Apps Script that translates selected text within a document.

• The add-on allows users to select text, choose source and target languages, and obtain the translation, with an option to insert the translated text directly into the document.

• Users need a Google Account and a web browser to utilize this add-on, which involves setting up a script, running it, and authorizing permissions.

• The add-on provides a user interface within a sidebar in Google Docs for easy interaction and language selection.

• Further resources are available for extending Google Docs functionality with Apps Script and exploring the Document service for more advanced customizations.

This quickstart creates a Google Docs Editor add-on that translates selected text in a document.

Objectives

• Set up the script.
• Run the script.

Prerequisites

To use this sample, you need the following prerequisites:

• A Google Account (Google Workspace accounts might require administrator approval).
• A web browser with access to the internet.

Set up the script

1. Create a Google Docs document at docs.new.
2. Click Extensions > Apps Script.
3. Click Untitled project.
4. Rename the Apps Script project Translate Docs and click Rename.
5. Next to the Code.gs file, click More > Rename. Name the file translate.
6. Click Add a file > HTML. Name the file sidebar.

7. Replace the contents of each file with the following corresponding code, then click Save .

   translate.gs

   docs/translate/translate.gs

   View on GitHub

   /**
    * @OnlyCurrentDoc
    *
    * The above comment directs Apps Script to limit the scope of file
    * access for this add-on. It specifies that this add-on will only
    * attempt to read or modify the files in which the add-on is used,
    * and not all of the user's files. The authorization request message
    * presented to users will reflect this limited scope.
    */
   
   /**
    * Creates a menu entry in the Google Docs UI when the document is opened.
    * This method is only used by the regular add-on, and is never called by
    * the mobile add-on version.
    *
    * @param {object} e The event parameter for a simple onOpen trigger. To
    *     determine which authorization mode (ScriptApp.AuthMode) the trigger is
    *     running in, inspect e.authMode.
    */
   function onOpen(e) {
     DocumentApp.getUi().createAddonMenu()
         .addItem('Start', 'showSidebar')
         .addToUi();
   }
   
   /**
    * Runs when the add-on is installed.
    * This method is only used by the regular add-on, and is never called by
    * the mobile add-on version.
    *
    * @param {object} e The event parameter for a simple onInstall trigger. To
    *     determine which authorization mode (ScriptApp.AuthMode) the trigger is
    *     running in, inspect e.authMode. (In practice, onInstall triggers always
    *     run in AuthMode.FULL, but onOpen triggers may be AuthMode.LIMITED or
    *     AuthMode.NONE.)
    */
   function onInstall(e) {
     onOpen(e);
   }
   
   /**
    * Opens a sidebar in the document containing the add-on's user interface.
    * This method is only used by the regular add-on, and is never called by
    * the mobile add-on version.
    */
   function showSidebar() {
     const ui = HtmlService.createHtmlOutputFromFile('sidebar')
         .setTitle('Translate');
     DocumentApp.getUi().showSidebar(ui);
   }
   
   /**
    * Gets the text the user has selected. If there is no selection,
    * this function displays an error message.
    *
    * @return {Array.<string>} The selected text.
    */
   function getSelectedText() {
     const selection = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getSelection();
     const text = [];
     if (selection) {
       const elements = selection.getSelectedElements();
       for (let i = 0; i < elements.length; ++i) {
         if (elements[i].isPartial()) {
           const element = elements[i].getElement().asText();
           const startIndex = elements[i].getStartOffset();
           const endIndex = elements[i].getEndOffsetInclusive();
   
           text.push(element.getText().substring(startIndex, endIndex + 1));
         } else {
           const element = elements[i].getElement();
           // Only translate elements that can be edited as text; skip images and
           // other non-text elements.
           if (element.editAsText) {
             const elementText = element.asText().getText();
             // This check is necessary to exclude images, which return a blank
             // text element.
             if (elementText) {
               text.push(elementText);
             }
           }
         }
       }
     }
     if (!text.length) throw new Error('Please select some text.');
     return text;
   }
   
   /**
    * Gets the stored user preferences for the origin and destination languages,
    * if they exist.
    * This method is only used by the regular add-on, and is never called by
    * the mobile add-on version.
    *
    * @return {Object} The user's origin and destination language preferences, if
    *     they exist.
    */
   function getPreferences() {
     const userProperties = PropertiesService.getUserProperties();
     return {
       originLang: userProperties.getProperty('originLang'),
       destLang: userProperties.getProperty('destLang')
     };
   }
   
   /**
    * Gets the user-selected text and translates it from the origin language to the
    * destination language. The languages are notated by their two-letter short
    * form. For example, English is 'en', and Spanish is 'es'. The origin language
    * may be specified as an empty string to indicate that Google Translate should
    * auto-detect the language.
    *
    * @param {string} origin The two-letter short form for the origin language.
    * @param {string} dest The two-letter short form for the destination language.
    * @param {boolean} savePrefs Whether to save the origin and destination
    *     language preferences.
    * @return {Object} Object containing the original text and the result of the
    *     translation.
    */
   function getTextAndTranslation(origin, dest, savePrefs) {
     if (savePrefs) {
       PropertiesService.getUserProperties()
           .setProperty('originLang', origin)
           .setProperty('destLang', dest);
     }
     const text = getSelectedText().join('\n');
     return {
       text: text,
       translation: translateText(text, origin, dest)
     };
   }
   
   /**
    * Replaces the text of the current selection with the provided text, or
    * inserts text at the current cursor location. (There will always be either
    * a selection or a cursor.) If multiple elements are selected, only inserts the
    * translated text in the first element that can contain text and removes the
    * other elements.
    *
    * @param {string} newText The text with which to replace the current selection.
    */
   function insertText(newText) {
     const selection = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getSelection();
     if (selection) {
       let replaced = false;
       const elements = selection.getSelectedElements();
       if (elements.length === 1 && elements[0].getElement().getType() ===
         DocumentApp.ElementType.INLINE_IMAGE) {
         throw new Error('Can\'t insert text into an image.');
       }
       for (let i = 0; i < elements.length; ++i) {
         if (elements[i].isPartial()) {
           const element = elements[i].getElement().asText();
           const startIndex = elements[i].getStartOffset();
           const endIndex = elements[i].getEndOffsetInclusive();
           element.deleteText(startIndex, endIndex);
           if (!replaced) {
             element.insertText(startIndex, newText);
             replaced = true;
           } else {
             // This block handles a selection that ends with a partial element. We
             // want to copy this partial text to the previous element so we don't
             // have a line-break before the last partial.
             const parent = element.getParent();
             const remainingText = element.getText().substring(endIndex + 1);
             parent.getPreviousSibling().asText().appendText(remainingText);
             // We cannot remove the last paragraph of a doc. If this is the case,
             // just remove the text within the last paragraph instead.
             if (parent.getNextSibling()) {
               parent.removeFromParent();
             } else {
               element.removeFromParent();
             }
           }
         } else {
           const element = elements[i].getElement();
           if (!replaced && element.editAsText) {
             // Only translate elements that can be edited as text, removing other
             // elements.
             element.clear();
             element.asText().setText(newText);
             replaced = true;
           } else {
             // We cannot remove the last paragraph of a doc. If this is the case,
             // just clear the element.
             if (element.getNextSibling()) {
               element.removeFromParent();
             } else {
               element.clear();
             }
           }
         }
       }
     } else {
       const cursor = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getCursor();
       const surroundingText = cursor.getSurroundingText().getText();
       const surroundingTextOffset = cursor.getSurroundingTextOffset();
   
       // If the cursor follows or preceds a non-space character, insert a space
       // between the character and the translation. Otherwise, just insert the
       // translation.
       if (surroundingTextOffset > 0) {
         if (surroundingText.charAt(surroundingTextOffset - 1) !== ' ') {
           newText = ' ' + newText;
         }
       }
       if (surroundingTextOffset < surroundingText.length) {
         if (surroundingText.charAt(surroundingTextOffset) !== ' ') {
           newText += ' ';
         }
       }
       cursor.insertText(newText);
     }
   }
   
   /**
    * Given text, translate it from the origin language to the destination
    * language. The languages are notated by their two-letter short form. For
    * example, English is 'en', and Spanish is 'es'. The origin language may be
    * specified as an empty string to indicate that Google Translate should
    * auto-detect the language.
    *
    * @param {string} text text to translate.
    * @param {string} origin The two-letter short form for the origin language.
    * @param {string} dest The two-letter short form for the destination language.
    * @return {string} The result of the translation, or the original text if
    *     origin and dest languages are the same.
    */
   function translateText(text, origin, dest) {
     if (origin === dest) return text;
     return LanguageApp.translate(text, origin, dest);
   }

   sidebar.html

   docs/translate/sidebar.html

   View on GitHub

   <!DOCTYPE html>
   <html>
   <head>
     <base target="_top">
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://ssl.gstatic.com/docs/script/css/add-ons1.css">
     <!-- The CSS package above applies Google styling to buttons and other elements. -->
   
     <style>
       .branding-below {
         bottom: 56px;
         top: 0;
       }
       .branding-text {
         left: 7px;
         position: relative;
         top: 3px;
       }
       .col-contain {
         overflow: hidden;
       }
       .col-one {
         float: left;
         width: 50%;
       }
       .logo {
         vertical-align: middle;
       }
       .radio-spacer {
         height: 20px;
       }
       .width-100 {
         width: 100%;
       }
     </style>
     <title></title>
   </head>
   <body>
   <div class="sidebar branding-below">
     <form>
       <div class="block col-contain">
         <div class="col-one">
           <b>Selected text</b>
           <div>
             <input type="radio" name="origin" id="radio-origin-auto" value="" checked="checked">
             <label for="radio-origin-auto">Auto-detect</label>
           </div>
           <div>
             <input type="radio" name="origin" id="radio-origin-en" value="en">
             <label for="radio-origin-en">English</label>
           </div>
           <div>
             <input type="radio" name="origin" id="radio-origin-fr" value="fr">
             <label for="radio-origin-fr">French</label>
           </div>
           <div>
             <input type="radio" name="origin" id="radio-origin-de" value="de">
             <label for="radio-origin-de">German</label>
           </div>
           <div>
             <input type="radio" name="origin" id="radio-origin-ja" value="ja">
             <label for="radio-origin-ja">Japanese</label>
           </div>
           <div>
             <input type="radio" name="origin" id="radio-origin-es" value="es">
             <label for="radio-origin-es">Spanish</label>
           </div>
         </div>
         <div>
           <b>Translate into</b>
           <div class="radio-spacer">
           </div>
           <div>
             <input type="radio" name="dest" id="radio-dest-en" value="en">
             <label for="radio-dest-en">English</label>
           </div>
           <div>
             <input type="radio" name="dest" id="radio-dest-fr" value="fr">
             <label for="radio-dest-fr">French</label>
           </div>
           <div>
             <input type="radio" name="dest" id="radio-dest-de" value="de">
             <label for="radio-dest-de">German</label>
           </div>
           <div>
             <input type="radio" name="dest" id="radio-dest-ja" value="ja" checked="checked">
             <label for="radio-dest-ja">Japanese</label>
           </div>
           <div>
             <input type="radio" name="dest" id="radio-dest-es" value="es">
             <label for="radio-dest-es">Spanish</label>
           </div>
         </div>
       </div>
       <div class="block form-group">
         <label for="translated-text"><b>Translation</b></label>
         <textarea class="width-100" id="translated-text" rows="10"></textarea>
       </div>
       <div class="block">
         <input type="checkbox" id="save-prefs">
         <label for="save-prefs">Use these languages by default</label>
       </div>
       <div class="block" id="button-bar">
         <button class="blue" id="run-translation">Translate</button>
         <button id="insert-text">Insert</button>
       </div>
     </form>
   </div>
   
   <div class="sidebar bottom">
     <img alt="Add-on logo" class="logo" src="https://www.gstatic.com/images/branding/product/1x/translate_48dp.png" width="27" height="27">
     <span class="gray branding-text">Translate sample by Google</span>
   </div>
   
   <script src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.9.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
   <script>
     /**
      * On document load, assign click handlers to each button and try to load the
      * user's origin and destination language preferences if previously set.
      */
     $(function() {
       $('#run-translation').click(runTranslation);
       $('#insert-text').click(insertText);
       google.script.run.withSuccessHandler(loadPreferences)
               .withFailureHandler(showError).getPreferences();
     });
   
     /**
      * Callback function that populates the origin and destination selection
      * boxes with user preferences from the server.
      *
      * @param {Object} languagePrefs The saved origin and destination languages.
      */
     function loadPreferences(languagePrefs) {
       $('input:radio[name="origin"]')
               .filter('[value=' + languagePrefs.originLang + ']')
               .attr('checked', true);
       $('input:radio[name="dest"]')
               .filter('[value=' + languagePrefs.destLang + ']')
               .attr('checked', true);
     }
   
     /**
      * Runs a server-side function to translate the user-selected text and update
      * the sidebar UI with the resulting translation.
      */
     function runTranslation() {
       this.disabled = true;
       $('#error').remove();
       const origin = $('input[name=origin]:checked').val();
       const dest = $('input[name=dest]:checked').val();
       const savePrefs = $('#save-prefs').is(':checked');
       google.script.run
               .withSuccessHandler(
                       function(textAndTranslation, element) {
                         $('#translated-text').val(textAndTranslation.translation);
                         element.disabled = false;
                       })
               .withFailureHandler(
                       function(msg, element) {
                         showError(msg, $('#button-bar'));
                         element.disabled = false;
                       })
               .withUserObject(this)
               .getTextAndTranslation(origin, dest, savePrefs);
     }
   
     /**
      * Runs a server-side function to insert the translated text into the document
      * at the user's cursor or selection.
      */
     function insertText() {
       this.disabled = true;
       $('#error').remove();
       google.script.run
               .withSuccessHandler(
                       function(returnSuccess, element) {
                         element.disabled = false;
                       })
               .withFailureHandler(
                       function(msg, element) {
                         showError(msg, $('#button-bar'));
                         element.disabled = false;
                       })
               .withUserObject(this)
               .insertText($('#translated-text').val());
     }
   
     /**
      * Inserts a div that contains an error message after a given element.
      *
      * @param {string} msg The error message to display.
      * @param {DOMElement} element The element after which to display the error.
      */
     function showError(msg, element) {
       const div = $('<div id="error" class="error">' + msg + '</div>');
       $(element).after(div);
     }
   </script>
   </body>
   </html>

Run the script

1. In your Docs document, reload the page.
2. Click Extensions > Translate Docs > Start.
3. When prompted, authorize the add-on. Upon authorization, the add-on will restart.
4. Type some text into your document and select it.
5. In the add-on, click Translate. To replace the text in the document, click Insert.

Next steps

• Extending Google Docs with Apps Script
• Document service reference