A straightforward whole PDF
If the file fits Google’s documented limits, follow the Google steps first and inspect the download. You may already have everything you need.
Follow the Google stepsDocument translation guide · Checked October 25, 2026
How to translate a PDF with Google—and what to do when it doesn’t fit
Start with the file you have. Follow the document steps, check for scanned pages, and choose a workflow that gives you a usable translation.
By Scanfile, a document translation service. This is an independent guide, not a Google product or endorsement.
Quick answer: Google’s document tool accepts PDFs up to 10 MB and 300 pages on a computer. Image text and scanned pages are not translated. Open Documents, select languages, upload, translate and download. Google’s current instructions.
Optional · Free · No account
Check your PDF before translating
Check the page count, file size and pages without extractable text. Runs in this browser: up to 50 MiB, 300 pages and two million extracted characters. This does not perform OCR or test translation quality.
The check does not send file contents, names, sizes or results. Anonymous interaction events follow your privacy settings. Upload starts only if you choose the Scanfile upload button.
Translate and download a PDF with Google
- On a computer, open Google Translate’s Documents view.
- Select the original and target languages; automatic source detection is available.
- Select your PDF, run the translation, then use the download control when processing finishes.
- Open the downloaded file beside your original. Review missing text, names, figures, tables and page order before using it.
The Google steps above follow its desktop help. This guide does not document a new side-by-side translation benchmark.
If Google leaves scanned PDF text unchanged
OCR turns text in an image into machine-readable text. First try selecting a sentence and copying it into a plain-text editor. Test several pages: a PDF can mix scans, ordinary text and a hidden OCR layer. Copying one heading is not proof that the rest is readable.
For a small scan, Google Drive can open a PDF with Google Docs to extract text. Google recommends a file of 2 MB or less; tables, columns and notes may not carry over. Correct the extracted text before translating it. See Google Drive’s OCR guidance.
For dense layouts, keep the original visible during review. Check that OCR has not confused digits, units or similar-looking letters. A scan with blur or cropped lines may need a better source rather than another translation attempt.
If the PDF is too large or too long
Save a separate copy of the pages you actually need using your PDF application. Keep the original page numbers in your notes so that an excerpt can be matched back to its source. Reducing image resolution may reduce size, but can also make OCR worse.
If your goal is to read a chapter or section, Scanfile’s PDF translator lets you select pages and review the credit amount. Its upload limit is shown on that page; file size alone does not guarantee processing success. The local check above has its own smaller limits.
Choose by the result you need
Selected pages with source comparison
Use Scanfile to translate chosen pages and compare them beside the source. Eligible files can try the first three pages; other selections use the credits shown before confirmation.
Open selected-page translationEditable presentation slides
Ask for the original PPT or PPTX. Translating a slide exported as PDF does not reconstruct editable PowerPoint text boxes.
Inspect a native PPTX exampleA book you will read in an ebook app
If an authorized EPUB is available, work from that file to keep a book-oriented reading workflow. Review chapter navigation and text in your own reader.
Inspect an EPUB exampleCheck the result before you rely on it
- Compare a dense page and a page containing figures or tables, not only the title page.
- Check labels, names, numbers and text inside images independently.
- Look for omitted paragraphs, broken reading order and text that no longer fits.
- Save the original and translated files with enough context to identify the source edition.
Scanfile provides AI translation for reading and review. It does not certify the document or replace a qualified reviewer where one is required.
Common questions
Why is the Documents tab missing on my phone?
Google’s help limits document translation to larger screens. Use a computer for the documented workflow. Translating a website or a photo is a different feature.
Does the local check tell me whether translation will succeed?
No. It reads size, page count and extractable text. It does not run Google or Scanfile translation, recognize image text, validate OCR accuracy or judge the quality of the final document.
Is the Scanfile alternative free for the whole PDF?
No. An eligible trial covers the first three pages. Further translation follows the displayed credits. You can begin as a guest; sign in when required for downloads and account access.
Will Google Drive OCR preserve a complex layout?
Do not assume that it will. Review the extracted document against the scan before translating. In particular, check tables, multi-column reading order and notes.