Collect lets you create your forms in any global and local language. This can be particularly useful if you are running a data collection across geographies or if you want to create a form in the local language that your respondents would be able to understand.

In this article, we will take a few cases and discuss how you can create a form in different languages.


Case 1. You already have your form translated in the language you want


In this case, you can directly copy the text and paste it onto your survey form on Collect. The translated text will then be visible in your form.

Note: With multi lingual forms, it becomes important to add keywords and option codes in your forms.


Case 2. You do not have the translated text


In this case you will need to first translate your form into the language you want. Here is how you can do that:

  1. Using Google Sheets/Translate: Copy the questions from your survey on a Google sheet in one column. In the next column, apply the formula "=GOOGLETRANSLATE()". This will translate your text to the language selected directly on the Google Sheet. Read more about the formula here. This is a list of language codes you can refer to while using the formula.
  2. Getting it translated by a person: You can also get someone with proficiency in the language to translate the text for you. In such cases, please ensure that the script used to type the translated text is UTF-8 encoded. We recommend that the script for the text be downloaded from here.


Frequently Asked Questions


Ques. My text on the form appears as special characters. What do I do?


Ans. Text may appear as special characters on the form due to encoding issues. Please ensure that the text is encoded in UTF-8. As a quick check, try pasting the text on Google. If it appears as special characters on Google, it will also not work on Collect. In such cases, please get the translation done using the script downloaded from here.


Ques. My downloaded data shows responses in different languages as special characters. What do I do?


Ans. Text in a regional script may appear in special characters in reports due to encoding issues. Here are a few ways to troubleshoot it:

  1. Save your file as UTF-8 encoded following the steps in this article.
  2. Using a free spreadsheet tool called Libre Office will ensure that the files open correctly. Here's the link to download the tool.