Translations on SF.gov

Machine translation by default

On SF.gov we machine translate every page by default. But we know those translations are not completely reliable. And machine translation is quite unreliable for complex information, as you would expect. 

For more accurate and reliable translations of vital information, we offer human translation services.

Human translation for vital information 

To meet the Digital Accessiblity and Inclusion Standard (DAIS), the City requires that all vital information be human translated. 

DAIS defines vital information as anything that affects rights, benefits, duties and privileges

On SF.gov, you need human translations for pages that contain vital information, particularly if that information is for the public.

You can also get human translations for pages for important information, things San Franciscans need to do, or for pages that target groups that might want translations, like pages for small businesses. You should get human translations for any page for communities whose primary language is not English. 

You can ask for human translation on most pages on SF.gov, but we ask that you meet our requirements so that the translations are accurate and accessible to the general public. 

Examples

• Translation requests and guidance

• Readability requirements for translations

• Translations dashboard