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Step 2: Translate a Document - Simply Readable Walkthrough

Upload a document and translate it into another language

Walkthrough progress

Step 2 of 5 • 5 minutes

Step 2 5 minutes

Translate a Document

Upload a document and watch Amazon Translate convert it into another language while preserving the original formatting.

Upload a .docx file and select one or more target languages
The translation completes in seconds and appears in the history

Expected outcome

  • You have uploaded a .docx document
  • You have selected a target language and started the translation
  • You can see the translation progress in the dashboard
  • You have downloaded the translated document

Preparing your document

You will need a .docx document to upload. Any short Word document will work -- a letter, a policy document, or a council notice. If you do not have one to hand, create a simple document with a few paragraphs of text.

Tip: Start with a short document (1 to 2 pages) for your first translation. This will complete in under a minute and lets you see the full workflow quickly.

Uploading and translating

  1. Navigate to Translation

    From the dashboard, click "Translation" in the sidebar navigation. Then click "Create Translation" or the equivalent button.

  2. Upload your document

    Click the upload area or drag and drop your .docx file. The file will be uploaded to S3 via the Cognito-authenticated session.

  3. Select a target language

    Choose a target language from the dropdown. Recommended choices for testing:

    • Welsh (Cymraeg) -- a common requirement for UK councils
    • Polish -- one of the most requested community languages
    • French -- easy to verify accuracy if you have some knowledge
  4. Start the translation

    Click "Translate" or "Submit". This triggers an AWS Step Functions workflow that orchestrates the translation process.

  5. Watch the progress

    The dashboard will show the job status updating in real-time via the AppSync GraphQL subscription. You will see the status change from "Submitted" through "Processing" to "Complete".

    What happens behind the scenes

    1. Your document is stored in S3 (identity-scoped to your user)
    2. A DynamoDB record tracks the job status
    3. EventBridge Pipes detects the new job and triggers Step Functions
    4. Step Functions calls Amazon Translate with your document
    5. The translated document is saved back to S3
    6. The dashboard updates in real-time via AppSync subscriptions
  6. Download the result

    Once the status shows "Complete", click on the job to view the result. Download the translated document and open it to verify the translation and formatting have been preserved.

What to look for

When you open the translated document, notice:

  • Formatting preserved -- headings, bullet points, and paragraph styles are maintained
  • Full document translated -- all text content has been converted to the target language
  • Fast turnaround -- what traditionally took days or weeks completed in seconds

Cost comparison

Method Cost per document Turnaround
Traditional human translation £160 Up to 19 days
Simply Readable (Amazon Translate) £0.07 Under 14 minutes

Source: AWS Case Study (opens in new tab). Swindon's Paediatric Therapy team reduced annual translation costs from £64,000 to £27.

Troubleshooting: Translation stuck on "Processing"

If the translation appears stuck:

  • Wait 2 to 3 minutes -- larger documents take longer to process
  • Refresh the page to check if the status has updated
  • Check the Step Functions console for the execution status
  • Ensure you uploaded a valid .docx file (not .doc or .pdf)

Need help?

If you're stuck, check the troubleshooting section or contact us.