DocuAlign
Translate product catalogs without changing SKUs

Product catalogs mix marketing copy with operational identifiers. Translation should improve customer-facing text while protecting SKUs, IDs, variants, URLs, and category structure.

Follow the workflow below, then use the matching DocuAlign tool to keep structure visible while you review.

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How to Translate Product Catalogs Without Changing SKUs

Translate product catalogs while preserving SKUs, IDs, attributes, product rows, categories, and spreadsheet structure for marketplace localization.

Step-by-step workflow

  1. 01Mark SKU, ID, URL, price, inventory, and variant columns as non-translatable.
  2. 02Translate product names, descriptions, attributes, and customer-facing category labels.
  3. 03Keep each translated row aligned with the original product row.
  4. 04Review terminology consistency across related products and variants.
  5. 05Export the translated catalog and validate it against the marketplace or commerce platform.

What to protect during translation

  • SKUs, product IDs, variant IDs, handles, URLs, prices, inventory, and barcode fields.
  • Column order, row order, category hierarchy, and product-to-variant relationships.
  • Brand names, model numbers, measurements, and compliance terms that should stay exact.

Pre-export checks

  • Compare protected columns against the source catalog.
  • Review related variants for consistent terminology.
  • Upload a small sample to the marketplace or commerce platform before replacing the full catalog.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • AvoidTranslating SKUs, variant IDs, URLs, or other operational columns.
  • AvoidLosing row alignment between products and translated descriptions.
  • AvoidUsing inconsistent terminology across similar products.
FAQ

Questions about this workflow

Should product SKUs be translated?

No. SKUs, IDs, URLs, prices, and inventory fields should normally remain unchanged.

What product catalog fields should be translated?

Product names, descriptions, customer-facing attributes, category labels, and marketplace copy are usually translatable.

How do I review a translated catalog?

Check source and target rows side by side, verify protected columns, and spot-check related variants for consistent terminology.