How to translate a Figma design into other languages
To translate a Figma design, select the text layers or frame, run a translation plugin, and choose the target languages; the plugin replaces the text in place or in a duplicate frame. Then check for text that overflows, mirror the layout for right-to-left languages, and export the strings for developers.
Updated · By Mihir Vaghani, founder of The Plugins Company
Translate a Figma design with Lingolense: step by step
- 1
Install the plugin
Open Lingolense on Figma Community and run it in your file. It also runs in FigJam, Figma Slides, Figma Buzz, Pixso and Penpot.
- 2
Activate it free
Create a free account and paste your license key into the plugin. No credit card is needed.
- 3
Select what to translate
Select a frame, several frames, or individual text layers. Lingolense detects the source language automatically.
- 4
Pick languages and translate
Choose one or more of 45+ target languages and translate in place, as duplicate frames, or as variable modes.
- 5
Review overflow and RTL
Fix any layers flagged for overflow. Right-to-left languages such as Arabic and Hebrew are mirrored automatically.
- 6
Hand off the strings
Export the translations as XLIFF, JSON or CSV for developers or a translation team, and import corrections back onto the layers.
The three ways to translate a Figma design
Every approach does the same core job, turning text into another language, but they differ in how much manual work is left over afterwards: pasting text back, fixing layouts that broke, and keeping brand terms consistent.
| Method | Best for | What is left to do by hand |
|---|---|---|
| Copy text into Google Translate or DeepL, paste it back | One-off screens with a few strings | Every paste, RTL mirroring, overflow fixes, brand terms |
| A TMS plugin (Lokalise, Crowdin, Phrase, Smartcat) | Teams that already run a translation platform | Platform setup and syncing; RTL layout mirroring |
| An on-canvas plugin such as Lingolense | Designers localizing screens before handoff | Reviewing flagged overflow; final copy approval |
Why copy-pasting translations breaks designs
Translated text rarely has the same length as the original. Short UI strings grow the most: IBM’s globalization guidelines, cited by the W3C, put expansion at 200–300% for English strings of up to 10 characters. Buttons, tabs and labels are exactly where layouts break.
Right-to-left languages add a second problem: the words are translated but the layout still reads left to right, so navigation, icons and alignment all point the wrong way.
How to prepare a Figma file so translations do not break it
A few habits make any translation method work better:
- Build with Auto Layout so frames grow and shrink with their content
- Set text boxes to hug or fill rather than fixed widths where you can
- Avoid manual line breaks inside a sentence; let text wrap
- Keep each string whole in a single text layer so it translates with context
- Leave room to grow: short labels can more than double in length
Translating for Arabic, Hebrew, Persian or Urdu
For right-to-left languages, translate and mirror together: reverse auto-layout direction, swap left and right padding, flip directional icons such as arrows, and right-align text. Our guide to making a Figma design RTL covers what to flip and what to leave alone.
Frequently asked questions
Does Figma have built-in translation?
Figma does not translate design text into other languages on its own. Translation is done with plugins, such as Lingolense, or by copying text to a translation service and pasting it back.
Can I translate a Figma design for free?
Yes. Lingolense has a free plan with no credit card, and you can always copy text into a free translation service by hand, though that leaves the layout fixes to you.
How do I translate a Figma design into several languages at once?
Select the frame, choose several target languages in a plugin like Lingolense, and it creates one translated version per language, each checked for overflow.
How do I give translated Figma text to developers?
Export the strings as XLIFF, JSON or CSV. Lingolense exports and imports all three, so corrections from developers or translators can flow back onto the design.
Translate your first frame free
One click, 45+ languages, layout intact.