Sync translations

Translations run automatically. Every 15 minutes Atender checks each knowledge base that has an active secondary language and translates whatever is missing or out of date — new articles, edits to published articles, categories, subcategories and sections. There is no button to press: you watch the sync on the Translation Sync card. Each run only translates what changed, so it never re-does completed work.

Before you start

• A user role that can edit Knowledge Base settings.
• At least one secondary language added and enabled — see Enable a language. Languages start disabled when you add them, and the automatic sync only translates into active languages.

Check the sync

1. Open Settings → Knowledge → Markets & Languages → Languages.
2. Find the Translation Sync card. Under Coverage per secondary language it shows one row per language:
   articles — e.g. 0 / 25 articles for a freshly added language
   categories — 0 / total categories
   subcategories — 0 / total subcategories
   sections — 0 / total sections
3. The line at the top of the card reads Translations run automatically every 15 minutes. followed by Last run and the date and time of the most recent successful sync — with started by and a name when a person started that run — or No run yet. This is separate from the live progress shown below it: progress reflects the running or latest job, while Last run reflects the last sync that completed successfully.
4. While a run is in progress, the card shows its status and progress counters and refreshes every few seconds. A queued run shows This translation starts automatically as soon as the translation service is free until it begins.

Job statuses

• pending — Queued, not yet started
• scanning — Inventorying what needs translation
• translating — AI translation in progress
• completed — Done; coverage panel updated
• failed — Hit an error — usually transient; the next automatic run picks up what’s still missing

Depending on KB size, a full sync takes minutes (small KB, ~50 articles) to longer (hundreds of articles). While a run is still in progress, the automatic sync doesn’t start another one for that knowledge base.

Keeping translations current

• Article edits translate automatically. When you publish an edit, the original-language article updates at once; active secondary languages pick up the new version on the next automatic run, usually within 15 minutes.
• New articles translate automatically. Published articles are translated into every active language on the next automatic run. Drafts aren’t translated.
• Disabled languages keep their translations. The Translation Sync card and its coverage stats stay visible even while a language is toggled off, but the automatic sync doesn’t translate into a disabled language. Once you enable it again, the sync catches it up.

For what counts as “fully translated” for each entity, see Translation completeness.

Re-translate all

If you need to start over — for example after changing protected terms or making structural content updates — a super admin can click Re-translate all on the Translation Sync card. It regenerates every translation in each active language, replacing existing ones. This costs significantly more and runs longer than the automatic sync, so reserve it for those cases; the automatic sync covers everything else, including edits.

Common gotchas

• Translation doesn’t run on save. Saving an article doesn’t translate it immediately. The next automatic run picks up the change, usually within 15 minutes, and longer for a large knowledge base or a busy queue.
• A failed job is usually transient. You don’t need to retry it; the next automatic run picks up what’s still missing.
• Sync covers every active language. There’s no per-article re-translate button — each run covers every active language in the knowledge base for everything that needs work.

See also

• Enable a language
• Translation completeness reference
• Why is my translation not appearing?
• Manage protected terms