translate

name	translate
description	Translate content in Payload CMS to another locale. Use when asked to "translate", "localize", "write in Dutch", "add Dutch version", or work with non-English content. Reads the English version via MCP, translates all localized fields, and saves the target locale.
argument-hint	'service <name> <locale>' or 'guide <slug> <locale>' (e.g. 'service ProtonMail nl')

Translation Skill

Translate content from English to another locale in Payload CMS.

Supported locales

• en — English (source, default)
• nl — Dutch (Nederlands)

Process

Step 1: Fetch English content

Use the appropriate find tool with locale: "en" to get the English version.

For services: mcp__payload__findServices — get name, description, startingPrice, features, content, issues, gdprNotes For guides: mcp__payload__findGuides — get title, description, intro, beforeYouStart, steps, troubleshooting, outro, missingFeatures

Step 2: Translate

Translate all localized fields. Follow these rules:

General:

• Translate meaning, not words. The Dutch version should read naturally in Dutch.
• Keep the same tone as the English: direct, practical, slightly opinionated.
• Do NOT translate: brand names, service names, technical terms (API, GDPR, URL, etc.). Keep GDPR as GDPR, not AVG.
• Keep the same structure and paragraph breaks.
• Match the informational-copy tone rules in Dutch too: no marketing fluff, no vague claims.

Dutch-specific:

• Use "je/jij" (informal you), not "u" (formal). Switch-to.eu is informal.
• Dutch compound words: write as one word (e.g. "privacybeleid" not "privacy beleid").
• Keep sentences short. Dutch tends toward longer constructions — fight that.
• "Data" is both singular and plural in Dutch. Don't write "datas."

What NOT to translate:

• slug (not localized)
• url (not localized)
• region (not localized)
• category relationship (not localized)
• Research tab fields (not localized)
• SEO fields: translate metaTitle, metaDescription, ogTitle, ogDescription, keywords but NOT seoScore, seoNotes, lastSeoReviewAt

Step 3: Save the translation

Use the update tool with the locale parameter set to the target locale.

For services: mcp__payload__updateServices with the service ID For guides: mcp__payload__updateGuides with the guide ID

Include locale: "nl" (or target locale) in the request. Only send the localized fields.

Important: The content, intro, beforeYouStart, steps[].content, troubleshooting, outro fields are richText. Write translations as plain text. If the MCP rejects it, note this to the user for manual entry.

Step 4: Report

Tell the user:

• What was translated (fields list)
• Target locale
• Any fields that couldn't be saved via MCP (for manual entry)
• Remind them to review the translation in the Payload admin

Post-translation SEO

After translation, the user should run:

/seo-check service <name>

This will check the translated meta fields for the target locale. The keywords, meta title, and meta description should be localized (not just translated — adapted for the target market's search terms).

Quality notes

• Machine translation of SEO keywords rarely works. After translating, review keywords for Dutch search intent. "cloud storage" might be searched as "cloudopslag" in Dutch.
• Run /humanize on the Dutch version if it reads stiffly.