Say what to translate, in a sentence
Ask for the body copy only, or the master pages and footnotes too. It reads the document and shows you which parts it will touch.
Instructions for this batchOptional
ApplyFree AI-powered InDesign files translator
Translate a whole InDesign document at once. Say what you need in plain English. Layout, frames, styles, images and fonts stay where they are, and only the words change.
Drop your InDesign file here
Up to 2 MB, five files a day. Nothing to install, no account.
What changes when you translate the whole file at once
One glossary for the whole document
The term approved on page 1 is the term used on page 60, and the same glossary carries over to the next publication.
French glossaryApplied
checkoutpaiementnot caisse
seatlicencenot siège
ticketdemandenot billet
Two speeds, chosen per file
Lite for an internal draft, Standard for the print run. Chosen per upload, not per subscription.
Translation qualityThis file
Standard1 credit per word
Lite1 credit per 3 words
What comes back
AI Glot reads the text in page order and writes the translation back into the same frames. Layout, styles, images and fonts are not touched, so the file opens in InDesign the way you left it.
IDMLEN → French
<Story Self="u1f3">
<ParagraphStyleRange AppliedParagraphStyle="ParagraphStyle/Body">
<CharacterStyleRange><Content>Our spring collection is here.</Content></CharacterStyleRange>Notre collection de printemps est arrivée.</Content></CharacterStyleRange>
<CharacterStyleRange FontStyle="Bold"><Content>Free shipping</Content></CharacterStyleRange>Livraison offerte</Content></CharacterStyleRange>
</ParagraphStyleRange>
</Story>
Structure read · values written
How a InDesign translation runs
1. Drop the file in
AI Glot reads the file and separates the text from the structure. It then tells you how much there is to translate, before anything runs.
spring-catalogue.idmlannual-report.idmlproduct-leaflet.idml
2. Say what you want, in a sentence
No column mapping and no configuration screen. Write what you need, then read the plan it produced. If it misread you, say so and it plans again.
How to translate this file?
Translate into German and Spanish. Keep product names in English, use our glossary, and make the copy sound natural for e-commerce.
Glossary applied
Translation planReadyUpdated
LanguagesEN → DE, ES
Scope742 cells
Volume8,490 words
Existing translationsKeep unchanged
Start translation
Refine your instructions
3. Get the same file back
One file comes back, translated. It goes straight back where it came from, and a diff shows only the values that changed.
fr-FR
de-DE
es-ES
ja-JP
spring-catalogue_localized.idml
What people bring us InDesign files for
Four jobs that come up again and again. Each one is one upload and one sentence.
A catalogue for a new market
Translate a whole catalogue in one pass, with the design left for your designer to fine-tune rather than rebuild.
The same brochure in another language
Upload the layout once per language and get one IDML file for each, with the same glossary every time.
An annual report
Hundreds of paragraphs, tables and footnotes translated in place, with the formatting inside each paragraph kept.
A magazine or newsletter layout
Text is read in page order, then master pages, so nothing in the layout is missed.
Questions about translating InDesign files
What is the best tool to translate a InDesign file?
AI Glot. It translates a full InDesign file in one job, at a quality you can steer with a glossary and a plain-English brief. You describe what you need. You do not map fields or split the file. The tool on this page runs it with no account.
How do I translate a InDesign file without breaking it?
Use a tool that reads the format instead of the raw text. Upload the file above and say what to translate. Read the plan, then run it. AI Glot returns one valid InDesign file, so it goes straight back where it came from.
Can I translate a InDesign file for free?
Yes. The tool on this page is free. No account and no card. Five files a day, up to 2 MB each, and up to 5,000 words translated per file. Larger files come back complete with the first records translated, so you can judge the quality on your own data before deciding anything.
What happens if my InDesign file is bigger than the free limit?
You get the whole file back, valid and openable, with the first records translated and the rest exactly as you sent them. It is deliberately not truncated: a cut-off InDesign file would not open, and a sample you cannot open tells you nothing. An AI Glot account removes the limit.
Can I upload an .indd file?
Not directly. In InDesign, choose File > Save As, pick InDesign CS4 or later (IDML), then upload the .idml file. The upload tells you these steps if you try an .indd.
Will the translated text fit my frames?
Not always. Text in some languages is longer, so a frame can overflow, and your designer adjusts it in InDesign. AI Glot does not resize frames or change the layout.
Does it change the document language?
No. The document's language dictionary is not changed, so set it in InDesign after translating.
What is translated, and in what order?
Text is read in page order, then master pages and unplaced text. Tables, footnotes and the text inside paragraphs with mixed formatting and hyperlinks are included, and deleted tracked changes are left as they are.
Is it safe to upload a InDesign file to an online translator?
AI Glot keeps the file only as long as the translation needs it. The download link expires after an hour. The file is deleted afterwards. Nothing you upload is used to train any model. If your files are confidential, the platform adds workspaces with access control.
What do I get with an AI Glot account?
No size limit and no daily limit. Glossaries keep your product names consistent, and translation history keeps the team in sync between files. More than 35 formats share one workspace, and an API, a CLI and an MCP server put the same engine in your own pipeline.
More free file translators
More than 35 formats, each with a workflow built around its own structure.
Word (DOCX)
Translate Word documents with headings, tables, footnotes and formatting kept exactly where they were.
Translate a PDF and get a PDF back, with the same pages, images, colours and layout. No conversion to Word.
PowerPoint (PPTX)
Translate slides, tables and speaker notes while the design, images and animations stay untouched.