IntroductionLast updated: 3 February 2025
JCOGS Auto-Translate is a simple to use utility that allows for the automatic translation of EE template output into multiple languages.
The add-on works with ExpressionEngine 6 and 7, is fast, efficient and flexible.
Features
JCOGS Auto-Translate provides a range of simple tag-based methods for delivering machine translation content to your ExpressionEngine CMS based website. It features:
- support for the DeepL, Systran and MS Azure AI Translator machine translation services;
- powerful caching methods to minimise the need for re-translations of text;
- a unified control panel to store api keys, account status information and access to add-on documentation.
Multiple vendors now provide machine translations via API services. Future versions of Auto-Translate will add support for additional services from other providers. Unfortunately Google's terms of operation for its machine translation service are such that it is impracticable for its service to be integrated into an add-on such as Auto-Translate.
Development Tools
In addition JCOGS Image offers several other features that will be of particular value to EE developers:
- tag based tools to obtain information about the language options available for a translation account;
- conditional tools to enable template based decision making about whether to invoke translation or not;
- full control over which languages are translated, plus of caching options and html tag processing from tag parameters allows for tag-by-tag control of your output;
- advanced unified cache ensures that a common block of text used in multiple pages is only translated once;
- active development of, and support for the add-on by JCOGS Design.
Requirements
JCOGS Auto-Translate has been tested and is supported for use on EE6 and EE7 systems. It requires the server hosting the EE installation to be running php 7.4 (or better).
To access the DeepL machine translation service you will need one or more DeepL API keys, which may be obtained from DeepL.
To access the MS Azure AI Translator service you will need one or more Microsoft API keys which may be obtained from Microsoft.
Usage Notes
To facilitate evaluation of their translation services DeepL offer a limited capacity API key at no cost; full translation services require a paid-for account.
Microsoft also offer an introductory arrangement for the MS Azure AI Translator service, but it is more complicated to access and not as useful as the DeepL equivalent.
Installation
Copy the jcogs_mts folder to your system/user/addons folder and then install from the ExpressionEngine Control Panel Add-ons page.
Updating
To update the add-on copy the updated jcogs_mts folder to your system/user/addons folder, replacing the folder that was there before, and then update the add-on from the ExpressionEngine Control Panel Add-ons page.
Usage Notes
Third-party Caching:
When you update JCOGS Auto-Translate it may clear both its own translations cache and the EE Template cache; it does this when this is necessary to ensure that when your site's pages next are accessed the images displayed are the correct ones.
If you have installed a third-party caching tool (such as Speedy or Rocket) or if your site uses an external caching system (Litespeed, Varnish etc.) you will need to ensure yourself that those caches are cleared as appropriate; failure to do so may lead to unpredictable output from your website until such times as those caches reset themselves.
Licensing and Operating Modes
JCOGS Auto-Translate is licensed software, to get full use from it you will need to purchase a license key.
A license key will allow the add-on to operate without limitation on a single EE installation running on a server connected to the public internet and on any number of EE installations linked to servers with local IP ranges or using domains ending in any of these top level domain suffixes: acc, acceptance, demo, example, invalid, loc, local, localhost, sandbox, stage, staging, test, testing, vm.
You can to purchase a license online from the EE Add-on Store. Once purchased, enter your license key and the email address used for the purchase into the appropriate boxes in the System Defaults section of the JCOGS Image add-on control panel pages.
Use with staging servers
To facilitate the development of sites, licensed copies of JCOGS Auto-Translate will offer you the opportunity to register a staging server linked to a separate public internet domain to use alongside the live site. Simply enter the domain name of the staging server into the input field that will appear below the spaces used to register the license key and email address. The license status of the staging server will be recognised automatically when you install a copy of JCOGS Auto-Translate on the staging server.
Using JCOGS Auto-Translate without a license - demonstration mode
When used without a license JCOGS Auto-Translate will operate in a demonstration mode.
While in demonstration mode JCOGS Auto-Translate is fully functional, making it possible for you to fully evaluate the software, however:
- When demonstration mode is enabled JCOGS Auto-Translate will add a text watermark to any content translated. The text watermark takes the form of additional text inserted at random locations within the text sent for translation. See illustration below for an example.
If you encounter any difficulties activating your add-on please contact support@jcogs.net with details.