| name | canva-translate-design |
| description | Translate all text in a Canva design to another language, creating a translated copy. Faster than manually copying and editing each text box in Canva's editor. Use when users say "translate my design to [language]", "make a Spanish/French/etc version", or "localize my Canva design". |
Canva Translate
Translate all text elements in a Canva design to a target language, creating a new copy with translated content.
Workflow
1. Locate the Design
If user provides a design ID directly (typically starts with D, e.g. DABcd1234ef), use that as the design identifier; do not pass it to Canva:search-designs (search is for titles, not IDs).
If user provides a URL: Extract the design ID from the URL (format: https://www.canva.com/design/{design_id}/...).
If user provides a name: Use Canva:search-designs to find the design by title. If multiple matches, ask user to clarify.
2. Create a Translated Copy
Use Canva:resize-design with the same dimensions to create a copy. This preserves the original design untouched.
3. Start Editing Transaction
Use Canva:start-editing-transaction on the new copy to get:
transaction_id for making edits- All text elements with their
element_id and current text content
4. Translate Text
For each text element returned:
- Translate the text to the target language (use Claude's translation capability)
- Preserve formatting cues (line breaks, emphasis patterns)
- Keep proper nouns, brand names, and technical terms as appropriate
5. Apply Translations
Use Canva:perform-editing-operations with replace_text operations for all translated elements. Batch all replacements in a single call.
Also update the design title to indicate the language (e.g., append " (Spanish)" or use translated title).
6. Commit Changes
After showing the user the translated preview thumbnail:
- Ask for explicit approval to save
- Use
Canva:commit-editing-transaction to finalize
- Provide the link to the new translated design
Example Interaction
User: Translate my "Summer Sale Poster" to French
Steps:
- Search:
Canva:search-designs with query "Summer Sale Poster"
- Copy:
Canva:resize-design to create duplicate
- Edit:
Canva:start-editing-transaction on copy
- Translate all text elements to French
- Apply:
Canva:perform-editing-operations with all replace_text operations
- Show preview, get approval, commit
Important Notes
- Always create a copy—never modify the original design
- Batch all text replacements in one
perform-editing-operations call for efficiency
- If translation significantly changes text length, warn user that layout adjustments may be needed in Canva
- For designs with many pages, translate all pages in the same transaction
