What file formats does NetEase Youdao Dictionary support for translation?

In an era of global collaboration and information explosion, the need for efficient and accurate document translation is becoming increasingly prominent. Whether it's academic research, business reports, contract documents, or everyday learning materials, users often need to process files from diverse sources and in varying formats. The traditional method of manually copying and pasting content into the translation box is inefficient and easily disrupts the original layout, severely impacting workflow and the accuracy of information conveyed. NetEase Youdao Dictionary, a leading language service tool in China, has designed its file translation feature to address this core pain point. This article provides an in-depth and objective analysis of the file formats supported by Youdao Dictionary, detailing its operational processes, advantages, features, practical techniques, and potential limitations. This will help you fully leverage this powerful tool and achieve intelligent and efficient document translation. Youdao Translation有道翻译下载

Article Table of Contents

Common Difficulties in Multi-Format Document Translation

Complex and Diverse Formats

Inefficient and Error-Prone Manual Operations

Troubleshooting Format Loss

Format Compatibility Issues

Large File Processing Bottlenecks

Detailed Explanation of File Formats and Core Features Supported by Youdao Dictionary

Core Supported Formats:

Key Feature Highlights:

Comparison with Competitors:

Easy Youdao File Translation

Using the Web Version:

After Translation:

Using the Youdao Dictionary Desktop Client (Recommended):

Practical Tips and Notes:

File Translation Function of NetEase Youdao Dictionary

Can Youdao Dictionary translate text within images (such as JPGs and PNGs)?

Does the translated document retain all original formatting?

Is the translated file available for free download? Are there any limits on the number of downloads or word count?

How fast is the translation?

Common Difficulties in Multi-Format Document Translation

In their daily work and studies, users often face the following document translation challenges:有道翻译下载

Complex and Diverse Formats

File formats received or processed vary widely, such as PDF, Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), Excel (.xlsx), and plain text (.txt), each with its own unique structure and layout.

Manual Translation is Inefficient and Error-Prone

Copying and Pasting large sections of text from PDFs, scans, or PowerPoint presentations into translation tools is tedious and time-consuming, and can easily miss content or destroy original formatting (such as tables, lists, and image captions).

Format Loss

When using traditional online translation tools to process files, users often only receive plain text results, losing valuable original formatting (such as heading hierarchy, table structure, bullet points, and font styles), requiring significant effort to reorganize.

Format Compatibility Issues

Not all translation tools support a wide range of file formats, requiring users to switch between multiple tools or perform format conversions, adding unnecessary steps.

Large File Processing Bottlenecks

When processing large documents of dozens or even hundreds of pages, upload speed, processing power, and maintaining the final layout become key considerations.

These pain points directly impact work efficiency and the integrity and professionalism of the information. Therefore, a translation tool that can directly handle multiple mainstream file formats while preserving the original layout as much as possible has become a pressing need for users.

NetEase Youdao Dictionary

A Detailed Explanation of Supported File Formats and Core Features of Youdao Dictionary

NetEase Youdao Dictionary's file translation feature is one of its core strengths. It allows direct upload and translation of multiple common file formats, significantly improving efficiency and the translation experience.

Core Supported Formats:

PDF (.pdf): Supports translation of standard PDF documents. Note: Youdao Dictionary cannot directly recognize and translate the text in scanned image-based PDFs (i.e., content that is essentially images rather than selectable text). Users must first use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software to convert the image-based PDF to an editable PDF or Word document before uploading it for translation. In contrast, Baidu Translate's document translation feature has some OCR capabilities for some image-based PDFs. Microsoft Word (.docx / .doc): Fully supports both new (.docx) and older (.doc) versions of Word documents. After translation, you can choose to download the translated Word document, preserving much of the original layout (fonts, paragraphs, styles, headers, footers, tables, etc.), a significant advantage.

Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx / .ppt): Supports both new (.pptx) and older (.ppt) versions of PowerPoint presentations. The downloaded translated PPT file retains the original slide layout, text box placement, bulleted lists, and other key layout elements, making it convenient for direct use in bilingual presentations or learning. Note: Non-standard text box content, such as text on embedded images and WordArt, is generally not translated.

Microsoft Excel (.xlsx / .xls): Supports both new (.xlsx) and older (.xls) versions of Excel spreadsheets. The translated Excel file will retain the original worksheet structure, cell contents (including formulas, but the formulas themselves will not be translated; the referenced text will be translated), row heights, column widths, and more. Note: Text within graphic elements such as chart titles and data labels may not be translated.

Plain Text (.txt): Supports the most basic text file format. The translated document will be available for download as a plain text file.

Key Features:

Download in Original Format: For Word, PPT, and Excel formats, a "Download in Original Format" option is available after translation. This is the core value of Youdao File Translation, significantly reducing the workload of post-formatting adjustments.

Large File Support: Currently, files up to 50MB can be uploaded, meeting most daily document translation needs. Processing speed depends on file size and server load, but typically takes several minutes.

Bilingual Preview: On the web translation results page, a side-by-side view of the original and translated text is provided (some formats, such as PPT, may not be strictly page-by-page, but the content order remains consistent), allowing users to quickly browse and review the document. Multilingual Translation: Supports translation between Chinese and English, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Italian, Dutch, Thai, and other languages.

Terminology (select versions): Paid Professional or Enterprise versions may offer customizable terminology libraries to ensure consistent translation of specific terminology (such as company names, product names, and specialized vocabulary). DeepL Pro also provides powerful terminology management features in this area.

Comparison with Competitors:

Baidu Translate: Also supports PDF, Word, PPT, Excel, and TXT. Its document translation has some OCR capabilities for image-based PDFs (with varying results), making it a useful alternative for processing scanned documents. In terms of layout fidelity, both Google Translate and Baidu Translate offer similar support for mainstream office documents.

Google Translate: Supports only .docx, .pptx, .xlsx, .pdf, and .txt file uploads. Support for PDFs is limited to text-based PDFs, and layout fidelity is weak (often outputting plain text or simple formatting). Its greatest strength is its extensive language coverage and free service. Microsoft Translator: Supports document translation (Word, PDF, PPT, Excel, TXT). Integrated into Azure Cognitive Services, it's more focused on developer/enterprise API integration. The user interface isn't as intuitive as Youdao or Baidu. It also offers better layout preservation.

DeepL: Known for its high-quality neural machine translation, it supports PDF, Word, and PPT files (Excel support hasn't been officially confirmed as of early 2025). Its biggest drawback is its perceived natural and accurate translation quality (especially between European languages). It offers a limited free quota (three documents per month), after which a Pro subscription is required. The Pro version supports larger files, more formats (including Excel), and a glossary. It excels at preserving layout.

Easily Translate Youdao Files

Youdao Dictionary's file translation functionality is primarily available in the web version and desktop client (Windows/macOS); the mobile app has relatively limited functionality.

Using the web version:

Visit the Youdao Translator official website.

On the translation interface, find and tap the "Document Translation" tab. Click the "Upload File" button or simply drag and drop the file into the designated area.

Select the file you want to upload (supports the aforementioned PDF, Word, PPT, Excel, and TXT formats).

The system automatically detects the file language (you can also manually select the source and target languages ​​below).

After confirming the language, click "Start Translation."

Wait for the translation to complete (the page will display the progress).

After the translation is complete:

You can view a bilingual preview online.

Click the "Download" button. Key Steps:

For Word (.docx/.doc), PowerPoint (.pptx/.ppt), and Excel (.xlsx/.xls) files, a download option will appear. Be sure to check "Keep original formatting" (or something similar; the interface may be slightly modified) and then select Download Translation. This will provide the best possible formatting.

For PDF and TXT files, the downloaded translation will typically be in PDF (with simplified formatting) or TXT format.

Review and proofread the downloaded translation file. Using the Youdao Dictionary desktop client (recommended):

Download and install the latest version of the NetEase Youdao Dictionary client (Windows or macOS).

Open the client and find the "Document Translation" module on the main interface (usually in the sidebar or top navigation bar).

Click "Upload Document" or the "+" button.

Select a local file to upload.

Set the source and target languages ​​(usually automatically determined).

Click the "Translate" button.

After the translation is complete, a preview of the results will appear in the client (usually a bilingual comparison or the translated text).

Find the "Download" or "Export" button. Similarly, for Office documents, be sure to check options such as "Keep Original Formatting" or "Keep Layout" before downloading.

Open the downloaded translated file to review and proofread. Practical Tips and Notes:

Prefer native Office formats: If the source file is in another format (such as WPS .wps/.et/.dps), convert it to a standard .docx/.xlsx/.pptx format before uploading for optimal formatting compatibility and translation quality.

Processing Scanned/Image PDFs: If you encounter image-based PDFs, use professional OCR software (such as Adobe Acrobat Pro, ABBYY FineReader, or other domestic OCR tools) to convert them to a text-selectable PDF or Word document before uploading to Youdao Translation.

Make Use of Bilingual Preview: After completing the translation, be sure to use the bilingual preview function on the web version or client to quickly check the accuracy of key content (such as titles, terminology, and data) before downloading the final file.

Clearly check "Keep Original Formatting": This is a critical step in ensuring high-quality formatting of the translated document; never omit this option when downloading Office documents.

Split Large Files: If you experience slow processing or errors with large files approaching the 50MB limit or with unusually complex structures, consider splitting them into multiple smaller files for translation.

Proofreading is essential: While machine translation is powerful, it's not perfect. Human review is essential, especially when it comes to critical content such as professional terminology, culturally specific expressions, and contractual legal provisions. Proofreading is much more convenient by preserving the original format after downloading.有道翻译下载

NetEase Youdao Dictionary's File Translation Function

NetEase Youdao Dictionary offers a shortcut to significantly improve document processing efficiency, thanks to its extensive support for mainstream office document formats, including PDF, Word (.docx/.doc), PowerPoint (.pptx/.ppt), Excel (.xlsx/.xls), and plain text (.txt), as well as the option to retain the original format after translation and download. It effectively eliminates the inefficiencies and layout loss associated with manual copy-and-paste, making it particularly suitable for processing large volumes of content and demanding formatting, such as business reports, academic papers, product descriptions, and learning materials. While it has limitations in processing image-based PDFs and perfectly reproducing extremely complex formats, and machine translation still requires manual review of key content, its ease of use, free policy (currently), and excellent ability to preserve basic formatting make it a very practical and reliable tool for Chinese users translating multi-format documents. Students, teachers, professionals, and freelance translators alike can benefit from it, eliminating language as a barrier to information acquisition and dissemination.

Can Youdao Dictionary translate text within images (such as JPGs and PNGs)?

No. Youdao Dictionary's "File Translation" feature is primarily for editable documents. It does not directly recognize and translate text within images (OCR). You must first use an OCR tool to extract the text from the image and generate a text file or Word/PDF file before uploading it for translation. Its "Screenshot Translation" feature can translate text within a selected area on the screen, but it does not work with files.

Does the translated document perfectly retain all original formatting?

For Word, PPT, and Excel files, if you select "Keep Original Formatting" after downloading, most core layout elements, such as paragraphs, headings, lists, basic tables, text box placement, and slide layout, will be preserved. However, some complex formatting (such as special Word Art, complex nested tables, specific styles, macros, VBA code), or text within embedded images, may not be fully processed or translated. Layout restoration for PDF and TXT files is relatively basic.

Are translated files free to download? Are there any download limits or word count limits?

According to NetEase Youdao Dictionary's public policy (as of August 2025), its web and client document translation features are generally free for general users, with no specific daily download limits or total word count limits. However, there may be a file size limit (currently 50MB). If this policy is adjusted in the future, the official website will clarify this.

What is the translation speed?

Translation speed depends on file size, complexity, current server load, and network conditions. Documents of a few pages are typically completed within tens of seconds to minutes. Large documents of tens of MB may take several minutes to over ten minutes. There is not much difference in speed between the web version and the client version, and the client version may be more stable.