> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. > For a complete documentation index, see https://help.sigmacomputing.com/llms.txt. > For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://help.sigmacomputing.com/_mcp/server. # Manage workbook localization > Translate Sigma UI text, configure translations for user-added text, and format dates and numbers in workbooks and embeds. By default, Sigma displays text in English. You can translate the text in the Sigma user interface (UI), such as menu labels, into other languages. You can also configure translations into other languages for user-added text when exploring or viewing the published version of a workbook. An admin can also create organization-level translations that apply to all workbooks in your Sigma organization. For more information about organization-level translation files managed by your admin, see [Manage organization translation files](/docs/manage-organization-translation-files). ## Requirements To manage workbook translations, you must be granted **Can edit** [access to the workbook](/docs/folder-and-document-permissions). Any user with a workbook or embed URL and a valid [language URL parameter](#apply-translations-and-formatting-with-a-url-parameter) can view a translated workbook. ## Supported languages Sigma supports the following languages: | Language | Language code | | :----------------------- | :------------ | | Chinese (Simplified) | zh-cn | | Chinese (Traditional) | zh-tw | | Dutch | nl-nl | | English (United States) | en | | English (Australia) | en-au | | English (Canada) | en-ca | | English (Ireland) | en-ie | | English (United Kingdom) | en-gb | | French | fr | | French (Canada) | fr-ca | | German | de | | Italian | it | | Japanese | ja | | Korean | ko-kr | | Polish | pl | | Portuguese | pt | | Portuguese (Brazil) | pt-br | | Russian | ru | | Spanish | es | | Spanish (Mexico) | es-mx | | Swedish | sv-se | | Thai | th | | Turkish | tr-tr | ## Current limitations * Translations for a custom view of a workbook are not supported. ## Create a workbook translation To add a translation for your workbook, open the workbook settings and choose the language you want to add: To translate the user interface text in your workbook, such as menu labels and modal text, add a new language. To translate any user-added text in your workbook, such as element titles and descriptions, complete the steps to [add a translation for user-added text](#add-translations-for-user-added-text-in-your-workbook). 1. Open the workbook for editing. 2. In the editor panel with no elements selected, click **Workbook settings**. 3. Click **Manage translations**. 4. To add a new language, click **Add new language** (**+**), then select a language from the dropdown menu. ## Add translations for user-added text in your workbook Before adding translations for user-added text in your workbook, you must have one of the following: * A language defined [at the workbook level](#create-a-workbook-translation) * A language defined by an admin at the [organization level](/docs/manage-organization-translation-files) * A custom translation [added as a language variant to the workbook](#add-a-custom-language-variant). User-added text translations are only applied when viewing or exploring the workbook. When editing a workbook in Sigma, user-added text is not translated. ### Download a JSON-formatted file of user-added text To add a translation for user-added text, first download the key-value pairs of user-added text and translations for the workbook: 1. Open the workbook for editing. 2. In the editor panel with no elements selected, click **Workbook settings**. 3. Click **Manage translations**. 4. For a language, click **More** (![](https://sigma-docs-screenshots.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Icons/more.svg)) and select the relevant option: | Option | What to expect | When to use | | --------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Download** | This option appears if no organization-level translation file exists. The resulting JSON-formatted file contains all key-value pairs for custom strings in the workbook. | Choose this option to define translations for your user-added text when your admin has not defined any translations that apply to the entire organization. | | **Download untranslated strings** | If an organization-level translation file exists, this option allows you to download a JSON-formatted file that contains only the key-value pairs for custom strings in the workbook that do not match keys in the organization-level translation file. Translations that exist in an organization-level translation file are omitted. Keys that are not translated in the organization-level file are shown with either the English values (if no custom translation has been provided) or the previously defined translations for this workbook. | Choose this option when you want to avoid overwriting any values defined at the organization-level. | | **Download all strings** | If an organization-level translation file exists, this option allows you to download a JSON-formatted file that contains all key-value pairs for custom strings in the workbook. Any keys that are translated in the organization-level file show the values defined in that file. Any keys that are not translated in an organization-level file show the translations defined for this workbook, if any, or show the English values if no translation has yet been provided. Any keys that are translated in both an organization-level file and the workbook-level file show the translations defined for this workbook. | Choose this option when you want to see all translations that apply to the custom strings in this workbook, or if you want to overwrite any organization-level translations with different translations for this workbook. | ### Add user-added text translations to your workbook To add user-added text translations to your workbook, do the following 1. Open the downloaded file. 2. In the JSON-formatted [list of key-value pairs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSON#Syntax), update the values to the appropriate translations. Do not edit any of the keys. ![JSON-formatted key-value pairs, identifying the first string in the list as a key and the second string following a colon as the value.](https://fdr-prod-docs-files-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sigma.docs.buildwithfern.com/25c1096cf94a075d3e3a57466e84cac1cf89e6a1cb546122d05e7d27c5c401a4/assets/docs-images/e24ef59-5.png?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA6KXJSKKNFOCF7G4B%2F20260914%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260914T205649Z&X-Amz-Expires=604800&X-Amz-Signature=37cc0dd5a08c12d311bc705ffc6469e524bf47c95d326a6d5534863a263ee89c&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject) 3. Save your file. Do not change the filename. 4. Return to your workbook in Sigma, and open it for editing. 5. In the editor panel, select **Workbook settings** and click **Manage translations**. 6. For the language for which you want to add a custom translation, click **More** (![](https://sigma-docs-screenshots.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Icons/more.svg)), then click **Upload**. 7. In the file browser, select your updated JSON-formatted file. 8. After uploading, select **More** (![](https://sigma-docs-screenshots.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Icons/more.svg)), then click **Preview** to open a workbook preview with translated text in a new tab. ## Update a workbook translation To keep your custom workbook translations updated, each time you publish text changes to your workbook you must download, add or update translations, and upload a new JSON-formatted translation file. Newly added strings appear at the bottom of the JSON-formatted file. Follow the steps in [Add a translation for user-added text in your workbook](#add-translations-for-user-added-text-in-your-workbook) to update the translations. ## Add a custom language variant You can maintain multiple separate translations for a given language. A custom translation for a language is also referred to as a language variant. For example, if you want to translate the strings in your workbook differently for different consumers of embedded charts, add a custom translation. You can also inherit custom translations from organization-level files added by a Sigma admin. To add a custom translation for a language: 1. Open the workbook for editing. 2. In the editor panel with no elements selected, click **Workbook settings**. 3. Click **Manage translations**. 4. To add a new language, click **Add new language** (**+**). 5. In the dropdown menu, select **Add custom translations**. 6. Select either **Create new language** (to create a new custom translation) or **Select from organization languages** (to use an existing [organization translation file](/docs/manage-organization-translation-files)). 7. If you selected **Create new language**: 1. Enter a name for your custom translation file. 2. Select a **Base language** to specify the language to use for all standard Sigma interface text, such as menu labels and modal text. To inherit a custom set of organization-level translations for this language, use the **Select from organization languages** option and select the desired language. Alternatively, enter the same name and base language as the custom organization-level translation file. 8. If you selected **Select from organization languages**, select your desired organization language from the **Choose language** dropdown. 9. Click **Add**. To add custom translations for this newly-added language that translate the user-added text in your workbook, follow the steps in [Add a translation for user-added text in your workbook](#add-translations-for-user-added-text-in-your-workbook) for the language variant. ## Translations for version tagged workbooks When you tag a workbook version, any workbook-level translations that exist when you tag the workbook are used for the tagged version. If a workbook-level translation does not exist, the latest organization-level translation file is used. ## Use Markdown and dynamic text in a translation file To support rich text in your translations, you can use Markdown and add dynamic text formula to your JSON values. To add rich text, apply formatting to the text in your workbook, then download the user-added text strings. Based on the Markdown syntax in the user-added text strings, modify the formatting for the translated text that you add as needed. Not all user-added text supports rich text formatting.
Displayed Markdown syntax
I love **bold** text. I love **bold** text.
*Italics* are great too. *Italics* are great too.
Visit the [Sigma documentation](https://help.sigmacomputing.com) . Visit the [Sigma documentation]( [https://help.sigmacomputing.com](https://help.sigmacomputing.com) ).
* Bullet points * Make bulleted lists \* Bullet points \ \* Make bulleted lists
1. Numbers 2. Make numbered lists 1\. Numbers \ 2\. Make numbered lists
To add a dynamic text formula to a JSON value, add the dynamic text formula in the workbook first, then retrieve the generated formula ID from the downloaded strings of user-added text. Reference the same formula ID in your translations, using the following syntax: ``` [={formula-id}] ``` ## Apply translations and formatting with a URL parameter You can localize a workbook or embed by using the `:lng` query string parameter in the URL with the syntax `:lng=`. For example, `:lng=fr` for French. Language codes are case sensitive. The `:lng` parameter translates the Sigma UI text, such as menu labels and modal text, into that language. It also formats dates and numbers according to the locale associated with the language code. If a translation file is defined for that language [for the workbook](#create-a-workbook-translation) or [for all workbooks in the organization](/docs/manage-organization-translation-files#add-a-translation-file), you can also translate user-added text in the workbook with any translations in the file. User-added text translations only apply when viewing or exploring the workbook. If you want to use a [custom language variant](#add-a-custom-language-variant), specify the name of the variant with the `lng_variant` query string parameter in the URL with the syntax `:lng_variant=`. User-added text follows the variant file exclusively, while Sigma UI text follows the base `:lng` language. Use URL encoding for any special characters in the name of the language variant. The name of the custom translation is case sensitive. ### Example embed API code To apply French Canadian to an embedded workbook: ```javascript searchParams += '&:lng=fr-ca'; ``` To apply French Canadian to a workbook and use a `Custom Québécois` language variant for user-added text translations, add the `lng_variant` parameter. You must URL-encode special characters in the file name. For example: ```javascript searchParams += '&:lng=fr-ca&:lng_variant=Custom+Qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois'; ``` To preview a workbook with the URL parameters, use the following URL format: ``` https://app.sigmacomputing.com/{organization-slug}/workbook/{workbookName}-{workbookId}?:embed=true&:lng={language-code} ``` For more details about applying query string parameters for an embed, see [Embed URL parameters](/docs/embed-url-parameters). A translation file is not required to apply a language. Even if no translation file has been defined at the workbook or organization level, you can use the `:lng` parameter to apply a language, translate Sigma UI text such as menu labels and modal text, and format dates and numbers according to the locale associated with the language code. For example, if your workbook is written in Japanese and the source data it displays is also in Japanese, you can set the `&:lng=ja` parameter so that the menu labels and other UI text in the workbook also display in Japanese. ## Apply translations in workbook or report export attachments (Beta) The ability to translate a document export is in public beta. This documentation describes one or more public beta features that are in development. Beta features are subject to quick, iterative changes; therefore the current user experience in the Sigma service can differ from the information provided in this page. This page should not be considered official published documentation until Sigma removes this notice and the beta flag on the corresponding feature(s) in the Sigma service. For the full beta feature disclaimer, see [Beta features](/docs/sigma-product-releases#beta-features). After adding translations to a workbook or report, you can select one of those translations to apply when exporting content. Localized number settings are also applied when exporting content. See [Send or schedule workbook exports](/docs/send-or-schedule-workbook-exports) and [Share and export reports](/docs/share-and-export-reports) for more information on exporting workbooks and reports.