Export Metadata Translation Files
To easily translate your metadata, create files for your translators that contain your Salesforce org’s translatable metadata. Examples of translatable metadata include custom field labels, report type names, and picklist values.
Required Editions
Before you can export metadata translation files, you must enable Translation Workbench.
| Available in: Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience |
| Available in: Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer Editions |
| User Permissions Needed | |
|---|---|
| To export or import translation files: | Manage Translation AND Create Documents |
Exported files count toward your file storage limit. Before exporting, review the file storage limits for your org.
- From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Export, and then select Export.
- If data translation is enabled in your org, select the Metadata translation type.
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Select the Salesforce Setup components and date filters that you want to export.
All Setup Components Used as the default filter for creating translations. Includes all Salesforce Setup components in the translation files.
Selected Setup Components Used to filter Salesforce Setup components. Add and remove available Salesforce Setup components to the translation files.
All Time Used as the default date filter for creating translations. Includes text from all time.
Source Last Modified Date Used as a date filter for creating translations. Includes text from a date range of when the source text was last modified.
To include all records that were modified after the start date, omit the end date. To include all records that were modified before the end date, omit the start date.
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Select the export type.
Source Used as the initial source for creating translations. Creates a single file that contains a list of all your translatable customizations.
Outdated and untranslated Used to make updates. Creates a set of files that contain only metadata labels that haven’t been translated, including new and modified labels.
One file is created for each language. These files are then compressed into .zip files.
Bilingual Used for reference and reviewing all your untranslated and translated customizations. Creates a list of all the translatable metadata labels in their current translated or untranslated state.
One file is created for each language. These files are then compressed into .zip files.
The content in each file is divided into Untranslated and Translated sections. Each translatable label is in the Untranslated or the Translated section, according to its translation state. The Translated section includes the out-of-date status for each label.
Note Exported translation file content is in your org’s default language. - If you selected Outdated and untranslated or Bilingual, select the languages to include in the output text file.
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Select a format.
Salesforce recommends the XML Localization Interchange File Format (XLIFF) because it contains more information than the .stf format, such as the field width.
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Click Export.
A status message tells you that the export is being processed. Wait for it to finish before you submit another export request. When the export is complete, an email is sent to the address specified in your profile.
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Locate the exported .stf, .xlf, or .zip file. You can retrieve exported metadata
translation files from either the My Personal Documents folder in Salesforce Classic or a
link that’s emailed to you.
- In Salesforce Classic, go to Your name | Documents | Document Folders | My Personal Documents | Go!.
- In the email sent to you, click the link.
The names of the exported files indicate the export option and include a timestamp. Individual files end with a .stf or .xlf extension. Multiple files are grouped into .zip files.
Find the exported files under the sort letter.
B Bilingual export option, for example: Bilingual_2020-01-23_11:20.zip. S Source export option, for example: Source_en_US_2020-01-23_11:20.stf. O Outdated and untranslated export option, for example: Outdated_and_untranslated_2020-01-23_11:20.zip. When you retrieve the files from My Personal Documents, each uncompressed file is limited to 5 MB. If your org’s metadata translations exceed 5 MB, then the metadata is exported into multiple files, and each file name is timestamped and numbered. For example, Outdated and untranslated 2020–09–20 05:13_part 1 of 2.zip.
When you retrieve the files from the emailed link, each export request is limited to 1 GB of data and 100,000 records. Individual uncompressed files are limited to 25 MB each. If your org’s metadata translations exceed 25 MB, the metadata is exported into multiple files, and each file name is date-stamped and numbered. For example, Bilingual_zh_CN_2025-05-08 1036_1.xlf, Bilingual_zh_CN_2025-05-08 1036_2.xlf.
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Save the files for translation by your translators or translation agency. Click View | Save File | OK.
The file is saved to the location specified by your browser. For example, C:/Users/username/Downloads.
- Send the files to your translators or translation agency for bulk translation.
Use Import to update your labels.
