Resources · Make integration

Trados Make integrationAutomate Trados with Make.

Turn every incoming document into a Trados project without copy and paste. The Trados Make integration gives you 29 modules to open projects, move files and export translation memories. This guide shows you how to connect your account and build a first scenario.

Try the Trados integration on MakeSee the 29 modules

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What you can automate

What can the Trados Make integration do for you?

The Trados Make integration links your Trados account to Make, a no-code tool where you build a scenario: the automation itself, a chain of modules where each module is one step in one app. With 29 modules (21 actions and 8 searches), Make can open and start Trados projects, push documents in and pull translations out, so nobody copies files by hand.

Three setups cover most needs. Orders become projects. A client submits a document through a web form; Create a Project opens the job, Add a Source File attaches the document and Add a Reference File brings in the style guide that came with it.

Translations go back out. Get a Project Status tells you where a job stands, Download a Target File retrieves the translated file, and the next module sends it to the client or saves it in shared storage. Complete a Project then closes the job.

Memories get a copy outside Trados. Chain Export Translation Memory, Poll Translation Memory Export and Download Exported Translation Memory to keep a backup of a client memory in another tool.

What Make does not do here: Trados has no trigger, so a scenario starts from another app or from a schedule. Make's documentation for Trados is also limited, so test each module with Run once and keep Make troubleshooting close. For anything the list misses, there is Make an API Call. If you are weighing tools, n8n vs Make lays out the criteria and Make pricing details the plans.

Connect

How do you connect Trados to Make?

  1. 01

    Add a Trados module

    In a scenario, click the +, search for Trados and pick a module, for example Get a Projects List. Click Create a connection. A connection is your Trados account linked to Make once, then reused by every Trados module.

  2. 02

    Name the connection

    Give it a name you will recognize later, such as the team or the client account it belongs to. This step is optional, and it pays off as soon as you handle more than one Trados account in Make.

  3. 03

    Authorize Make and save

    Authorize Make on the Trados page that opens, or paste the key Trados gives you, depending on the method your account uses. Click Save. Make can now list the projects and memories it can read in the module fields.

First scenario

Your first Trados scenario, step by step

GoalWhen a new document arrives in another app, Make creates a Trados project and adds that document as its source file.

  1. 01

    Create the scenario

    Open the Scenarios page in Make, create a new scenario and click the + on the empty canvas. Since Trados has no trigger, this first bubble holds the app where your orders land.

  2. 02

    Set the starting app

    Search for that app, your form tool or cloud storage for instance, pick the module that watches for new entries and connect it. Make lists the folders or forms it can read.

  3. 03

    Add Create a Project

    Click the + on the right of the first module, search Trados and pick Create a Project. Create the connection, then fill the fields, mapping the file name from the first module.

  4. 04

    Attach the document

    Add Add a Source File after it. Map the project that Create a Project returned and the file from the first module, so each document lands in its own project.

  5. 05

    Test with Run once

    Click Run once, send a test document through the starting app and read the bundles each module received. A bundle is one item passed along, here one file.

  6. 06

    Schedule and switch on

    Set the schedule on the first module, every 15 minutes by default and never more often on the Free plan, then switch the scenario on.

Modules

What each Trados module does

Trados gives you 29 modules. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

Trados1

Add a Reference File

ActionIn the docs only

Hands your translators the context for a job: a client style guide, a glossary or an older version of the same brochure, added to the Trados project so it sits next to the text to translate.

When to use it
an order comes in with a brand guide attached and you want it inside the project rather than in someone's inbox.
Watch out
place it after the module that creates the project, so Make can pass that project along.
Trados2

Add a Source File

ActionIn the docs only

Uploads the document that needs translating into a Trados project. This is the step that turns an empty project into real work for your translators.

When to use it
right after Create a Project, with the file your first module picked up from a form, an email or a storage folder.
Watch out
on the Free plan Make handles files up to 5 MB, so a heavy product manual may call for a paid plan.
Trados3

Complete a Project

ActionIn the docs only

Marks a Trados project as done once the work is delivered, which keeps your list of open jobs limited to what still needs attention.

When to use it
as the final module of a delivery scenario, once the module after Download a Target File has sent the translation to the client.
Watch out
keep it at the very end of the chain, after the delivery modules, and test it on a finished project first.
Trados4

Create Translation Memory

ActionIn the docs only

Sets up a fresh translation memory in Trados, the store of approved segments that lets translators reuse what a client already signed off on.

When to use it
a new client account is created in your CRM and you want a dedicated memory ready before their first project.
Watch out
name it after the client, because List Translation Memories returns every memory you can access and vague names get confusing.
Trados5

Create a Project

ActionIn the docs only

Opens a new translation job in Trados from data your scenario already holds, such as the client name and the document taken from an order form.

When to use it
requests reach you through another app and retyping them into Trados has become a chore.
Watch out
if your team works from templates, look them up with List Project Templates first and pick the right one here.
Trados6

Create a Project With Custom Fields

ActionIn the docs only

Creates a project like Create a Project and also fills the extra fields your organization added in Trados, so the job is complete from the start.

When to use it
your finance or sales team relies on those fields to bill or track work, and blank values mean someone fixes them by hand later.
Watch out
check which fields exist with List Custom Field Definitions before mapping values into them.
Trados7

Download Exported Translation Memory

ActionIn the docs only

Retrieves the file produced by a translation memory export, giving you a copy outside Trados that you can archive or send to the client who owns it.

When to use it
at the end of the export chain, after Export Translation Memory and Poll Translation Memory Export.
Watch out
judging by the module names, the poll step exists so the export is ready before this one runs; confirm the chain with Run once.
Trados8

Download a Source File

ActionIn the docs only

Fetches the original document stored in a Trados project, the version before translation, and passes it to the next module as a bundle.

When to use it
a reviewer asks for the original text and you want it sent straight from Trados instead of digging through the project.
Watch out
when a project holds several documents, find the right one with List Source Files in a Project first.
Trados9

Download a Target File

ActionIn the docs only

Pulls a translated file out of Trados so Make can email it, store it or post it wherever the client expects to find it.

When to use it
Get a Project Status shows the job is ready and the translation should go out without anyone downloading it manually.
Watch out
a project can hold several target files, one per language for example; list them with List Target Files in a Project.
Trados10

Export Translation Memory

ActionIn the docs only

Starts the export of a translation memory, the first move toward getting that memory out of Trados and into a file you control.

When to use it
a client contract ends and the client asks for their memory, or you want a backup stored in another tool.
Watch out
from its name, this module launches the export and does not return the file; Poll Translation Memory Export and Download Exported Translation Memory finish the job.
Trados11

Get Translation Memory Import History

ActionIn the docs only

Shows the past imports into a translation memory, so you can trace what was loaded into it and spot the batch that brought in bad segments.

When to use it
translators report odd suggestions from a memory and you want the facts before cleaning anything.
Watch out
it only reads history; none of the 29 modules imports into a memory, so an import would go through Make an API Call.
Trados12

Get a Custom Field Definition

ActionIn the docs only

Returns the details of one custom field from your Trados setup, so your scenario knows what that field expects before writing a value into it.

When to use it
you are wiring Create a Project With Custom Fields and need to check a single field precisely instead of scanning the full list.
Watch out
you have to know which field you want; List Custom Field Definitions gives you the whole set to choose from.
Trados13

Get a Project

ActionIn the docs only

Reads a single Trados project and hands its details to the next module, which is how you reuse what Trados knows about a job in your other tools.

When to use it
your project tracker or billing tool needs the project data right after the job is created.
Watch out
it targets one specific project; to work on several at once, start from Get a Projects List.
Trados14

Get a Project Status

ActionIn the docs only

Tells your scenario where a Trados project stands, so what happens next depends on the real state of the job and not on someone checking it by hand.

When to use it
before Download a Target File, to make sure the job is finished, or to post progress in your team chat.
Watch out
the documentation does not list the possible statuses, so run it once on a real project and read the bundle.
Trados15

Get a Projects List

ActionIn the docs only

Brings back your Trados projects in one call, the natural starting point for a report or a cleanup that spans more than one job.

When to use it
you want a spreadsheet of all projects fed straight from Trados rather than exported by hand.
Watch out
if the list comes back as one bundle per project, every module after it runs once per project, and each run is an operation, the unit Make counts on your plan.
Trados16

Get a Translation Memory

ActionIn the docs only

Fetches the details of one translation memory, so the scenario can check it or pass its information to a report or another tool.

When to use it
before exporting a memory for a client, to confirm the scenario is pointing at the right one.
Watch out
if you do not know which memory to target yet, get it from List Translation Memories first.
Trados17

Get an Active Projects List

ActionIn the docs only

Lists only the projects still in progress, which is usually the view a project manager wants when planning who does what.

When to use it
a scheduled scenario refreshes a workload sheet or posts the open jobs to your team channel.
Watch out
the doc does not define what counts as active, so compare its output with Get a Projects List on a first test.
Trados18

List Custom Field Definitions

SearchIn the docs only

Returns every custom field defined in your Trados account, one bundle each, so you can see what extra data your projects can carry.

When to use it
while setting up Create a Project With Custom Fields, to map the right value to the right field.
Watch out
as a search it can return zero, one or many bundles, and every module placed after it runs once per field.
Trados19

List Field Templates

SearchIn the docs only

Shows the field templates available in Trados. Judging by the name, these are preset sets of fields, so check one run's bundles before building on it.

When to use it
you are mapping a new project and would rather start from an existing template than set each field yourself.
Watch out
a search can come back empty; zero bundles simply means no template exists yet.
Trados20

List Project Tasks

SearchIn the docs only

Lists the tasks inside a Trados project, so you can follow a job step by step instead of only seeing the project as a whole.

When to use it
you want to alert a reviewer when their part of the work appears, or feed a planning sheet with each task.
Watch out
each task is its own bundle, so a large project adds one operation per task for every module that follows.
Trados21

List Project Templates

SearchIn the docs only

Returns the project templates saved in Trados, the presets that make every new job start from the same base.

When to use it
before Create a Project, so the scenario can pick the template matching the client or the type of order.
Watch out
once you know which template you need, set it directly in Create a Project and save the operation this search costs on every run.
Trados22

List Source File Versions

SearchIn the docs only

Shows the successive versions of a source file, useful when a client keeps sending updated drafts of the same contract or manual.

When to use it
before delivering or invoicing, to check which version the translators actually worked on.
Watch out
it works on one file, so get that file from List Source Files in a Project before this module.
Trados23

List Source Files in a Project

SearchIn the docs only

Returns all the original documents of one Trados project as separate bundles, so the following modules can handle them one by one.

When to use it
a project carries several files and you want to archive each original in your document storage.
Watch out
pair it with Download a Source File, and remember that each file multiplies the operations of every module after it.
Trados24

List Target Files in a Project

SearchIn the docs only

Gathers the translated files of a project, one bundle per file, which lets you deliver a multilingual job without picking each file by hand.

When to use it
a product sheet goes out in several languages and every version must reach the client folder.
Watch out
follow it with Download a Target File, which then runs once for each translated file.
Trados25

List Translation Memories

SearchIn the docs only

Returns the translation memories you can reach in Trados, each as a bundle, so a scenario can find the one it needs by name.

When to use it
ahead of Export Translation Memory or Get a Translation Memory, when the memory is not fixed in advance.
Watch out
clear, client-based names make this search far easier to use, since it hands back every memory it finds.
Trados26

Make an API Call

ActionIn the docs only

Lets you call any endpoint of the Trados API with the connection you already set up, which covers whatever the listed modules leave out.

When to use it
you need an action in Trados that has no module of its own in Make.
Watch out
Make's documentation for Trados is limited, so the endpoint details have to come from Trados; test each call with Run once before relying on it.
Trados27

Make an API Call (string)

ActionIn the docs only

A second API call module that Make lists separately for Trados. Its name suggests it deals with the request or response as a plain string rather than structured data.

When to use it
the regular Make an API Call does not hand the next module the data in a shape it can use.
Watch out
the doc says nothing more about the difference, so run both on the same endpoint and compare the bundles.
Trados28

Poll Translation Memory Export

ActionIn the docs only

Checks on a translation memory export that has already been started, the link between launching an export and downloading its file.

When to use it
right after Export Translation Memory, so the download only happens once the export is ready.
Watch out
this reading comes from the module names, since the doc gives no description; confirm the three-module chain with Run once.
Trados29

Start Project

ActionIn the docs only

Kicks off work on a Trados project. Because creating and starting are two separate modules, you can prepare the project fully before anyone begins translating.

When to use it
after Create a Project, Add a Source File and Add a Reference File, once everything is in place.
Watch out
starting before the references are attached means translators may begin without them, so keep this module last.
Need help

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FAQ

Trados and Make: common questions

01Is the Trados Make integration free?
Yes. Trados is a standard app in Make, so its modules work on the Free plan. That plan allows 2 active scenarios, runs scheduled scenarios no more often than every 15 minutes, stops a run after 5 minutes and handles files up to 5 MB, with 512 MB of data transfer. Each module run on one bundle counts as one operation. Paid plans (Core, Pro, Teams, Enterprise) bring the interval down to 1 minute and allow 40 minutes per run. Your Trados license is a separate matter.
02What do you need to connect Trados to Make?
A Trados account and a Make account; Make's documentation lists no other prerequisite. It gives no Trados-specific steps either, so the usual Make flow applies: add a Trados module, click Create a connection, name it if you like, authorize Make on the Trados page or paste the key Trados provides, then click Save. The connection is stored once and every Trados module reuses it. If it fails, check the access your Trados account grants before trying again.
03Can a Trados scenario start in real time?
Not from Trados itself. The app has no trigger in Make, neither scheduled nor instant, so nothing happening in Trados can start a scenario. You have two options. Open the scenario with another app's instant trigger, one that calls Make through a webhook as soon as an order or a file arrives, then add the Trados modules. Or let the scenario run on its schedule, every 15 minutes by default, and use Get an Active Projects List or List Project Tasks to read the current state.
04What if a Trados module is missing in Make?
Use Make an API Call. It reaches any endpoint of the Trados API with the connection you already have, so you are not limited to the 29 listed modules, and a string variant exists as well. Keep in mind that Make's own documentation for Trados is limited: it says there is not enough public information about the app for a full guide. Test every custom call with Run once and read the returned bundle before you build on it.
05Make or n8n for Trados?
It depends on your team and your use case. Make offers 29 Trados modules plus Make an API Call, a visual editor and a Free plan to try things out. Many apps also have an n8n node, so check whether one exists for Trados before deciding, and compare what each tool covers for your own workflow. The questions that matter are which actions you need, who will maintain the scenarios and which tool your team already knows. The comparison page linked earlier walks through those criteria.
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