Guide
A machine translation disclaimer for your website
Agencies that offer automatic translation almost always say so. Here is what they say, and a template to adapt.
Last reviewed October 20, 2026. General information for public agencies, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the sources below and ask your lawyer or civil rights office what applies to you.
What government disclaimers say
State agencies that offer automatic translation almost always say so. The disclaimers we read from Wisconsin, Connecticut, Virginia and New York share a handful of ideas:
- It is optional. The tool is offered as a convenience, and nobody is required to use it.
- It may be wrong. Machine translation has limits, and technical and legal terms are a risk.
- It does not replace a person. It is not meant to replace professional human translators.
- The English page is official. Differences in a translation are not binding and have no legal effect.
- Some things do not translate. Graphs, photos and other file formats, such as PDFs, may not be covered.
- Reliance is at your own risk. Several limit the agency's responsibility for errors.
A template to adapt
Copy this, replace the bracketed parts, and have your lawyer review it before you publish.
This website offers automatic translation as a convenience. Translations are made by a computer and may contain errors or leave some content untranslated, including PDFs, images and some forms. The English version of this site is the official version. A translation is not legal advice and does not replace a qualified human translator.
If you need help in your language, or a document translated, contact [office or person] at [phone number] or [email address].
Where to put it
- Next to the language button, so people see it before they use it.
- In the footer of every page, with a link to a short page that carries the full text.
- On pages for services where a mistake would matter most, such as applications and notices.
What a disclaimer does not do
A disclaimer tells people what to expect. It does not meet a language access obligation by itself. The federal interagency guide on language access for websites lists relying on automatic translation instead of a qualified human translator as a warning sign for an agency website. A better plan uses both: automatic translation for everyday content, a person for vital documents, and a clear way to reach someone.
Offer a person
The strongest line in any disclaimer is the one that tells people how to reach a human being. Put a phone number or email in the text, and make sure someone answers it. See the guide to translate widgets and PDFs for the options for documents.
idioma.chat's translations are automatic, are not certified, and may contain errors. We say so on our own pages. You decide what needs a human check.
Sources
- Wisconsin Department of Revenue: Google Translate usage disclaimer
- State of Connecticut: translation disclaimer
- Virginia Department of Education: translation disclaimer
- New York Department of Civil Service: translation
- Interagency LEP website language access guide (PDF)