---
title: translate mode
description: "The `translate` mode propagates translated content to other language stores. Use it when content should be translated and remain language-specific. ## At save time - For non-container fields, writes only when the target value is empty. - Uses machine translation…"
url: "https://www.wp-polyfields.com/docs/field-translation-modes/translate-mode/"
updated: "2026-07-05"
category: Field Translation Modes
---

# translate mode

The `translate` mode propagates translated content to other language stores. Use it when content should be translated and remain language-specific.

## At save time

- For non-container fields, writes only when the target value is empty.
- Uses machine translation when available.
- Small saves (below workload thresholds): machine translation runs synchronously during the request.
- Large saves (above thresholds): machine translation is queued and runs in the background after the source save completes.
- For container fields (`repeater`, `flexible_content`, `group`, `clone`), keeps structure aligned across languages.

## During import

- Copies source value to the default-language store only when the default-language value is empty.
- Queues machine-translation jobs when DeepL is available (always with first-use assistant; only above import workload thresholds with WP-CLI).
- Small WP-CLI imports below thresholds translate synchronously instead of queuing jobs.
- Queued jobs skip targets that already have a value.
- For container fields (`repeater`, `flexible_content`, `group`, `clone`), keeps structure aligned across languages.

## When to use

Use `translate` for content that should be manually translated and kept language-specific over time, such as headings, body text, and marketing copy. See [Field translation overview](https://www.wp-polyfields.com/docs/field-translation-modes/field-translation-overview/) for recommended settings across all modes.