Search for translated content (with CQL)
Starting with version 5.1, you can use Translation for Confluence's language attributes to search by language within your Confluence instance.
Look for translated content in Confluence’s advanced search
Click in the standard Confluence search.
Select "Advanced Search" (bottom left).
Select "Add a filter" (at the very bottom)
Start typing "translation".
Choose one of the three options (details see below):
Translated
Translated Content
Translated Title
Choose one or various languages in the drop-down.
Confluence will now only show results matching this specific language filter. *
Tip: You may want to copy the resulting URL with this specific CQL query and share it with co-workers who are less familiar with "Advanced Search" options.
Table of language attributes and CQL fields
Attribute | Searches in... | CQL field | CQL example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Translated | Language macro OR page title | bvLanguage | bvLanguage = “de_DE” | Filter for German content (page containing the German language macro) OR German page titles. |
Translated Content | Language macro | bvContentLanguage | bvContentLanguage = “de_DE” | Filter for German content (page containing the German language macro). |
Translated Title | Page title | bvTitleLanguage | bvTitleLanguage = “de_DE” | Filter for German page titles. * |
Use Cases
Using these filters works especially well for
pre-defined reports like the Page Property Report
apps like our Advanced Search for Confluence that let you pre-define filters for users.
Limitations within CQL searches
Translated Page Titles Search Issue:
Issue: Page titles translated via our app are not indexed in Confluence’s search index, meaning searches for keywords in translated titles won't return those pages in results.
Workaround: If the search term appears within any language macro on the page, the page will show up in search results. ✅
Page Descriptions Appearance:
Issue: Page descriptions in search results can't be language-filtered and will always display the text found at the top of the page. This may not match the expected language of search results.
Note: While titles appear translated in search results, descriptions pull content from all language macros, typically reflecting the source language due to being extracted from the first language macro encountered.
User Tips:
Use specific keywords from the content within language macros for improved search results.
Understand that the page’s top text dictates the language of search result descriptions. Organize page content accordingly to reduce confusion among international users.