=GPT_TRANSLATE() — AI translation in Google Sheets

=GPT_TRANSLATE() translates cell content with an LLM. Unlike GOOGLETRANSLATE(), it keeps tone, handles idioms, and can follow instructions (“keep brand names in English”) — which is why teams use it to localize catalogs and marketing copy in bulk.

Syntax

=GPT_TRANSLATE(text, [target_language], [source_language])

Parameter	Required	Description
`text`	yes	Text or cell to translate.
`target_language`	no	Defaults to English.
`source_language`	no	Auto-detected when empty.

Examples

Translate a product description in A2 to German:

=GPT_TRANSLATE(A2, "German")

Localize a whole catalog: put languages in row 1 (B1=Spanish, C1=French…) and drag both ways:

=GPT_TRANSLATE($A2, B$1)

Pin the source language when short strings are ambiguous (e.g. UI labels):

=GPT_TRANSLATE(A2, "English", "Spanish")

Translate customer support replies to the customer’s language kept in C2:

=GPT_TRANSLATE(A2, C2)

Tips

target_language defaults to English — =GPT_TRANSLATE(A2) is a quick “translate anything to English” column.
Leave source_language empty for auto-detection; set it when inputs are short or mixed-language.
Drag the formula down to localize thousands of rows — up to 10,000 results per hour — then use Replace all GPT formulas with results in the sidebar.
Need custom instructions (“keep brand names in English”)? Use =GPT() with a translation prompt instead.

=GPT_APPLY() — apply any rewriting task to a column
=GPT_FORMAT() — convert between data formats
=GPT() — free-form prompts, including translation with special rules

Try it

Copy the template or install GPT for Sheets. Recipe: bulk translation template.