When Immersive Translate does not translate, usual causes are a disabled extension, the site on a never-translate list, wrong source language, conflict with another translator, blocked translation APIs, or an unsupported page type (iframe/SPA). Check extension → site rules → engine → network in that order.
Many users report a specific symptom: the floating button is there, Translate can be clicked, but no bilingual text appears. That is different from the extension failing to load at all. Below are seven common causes ranked by how often they show up, plus a practical fix order. If you need to verify your install route, start from the download page.
Cause 1: Extension Disabled or Corrupted
Open chrome://extensions/ (or edge://extensions/) and confirm Immersive Translate is enabled. If it shows as corrupted, click Repair or reinstall from the download page. Managed devices may block installs—check chrome://policy/ for extension restrictions.
Cause 2: Site on the Never-Translate List
Immersive Translate lets you block domains from translation. Accidentally choosing “never translate this site” blocks every page on that host. Open settings → review the list → remove the domain → refresh and retry. This is a top cause of “button works, no output.”
Cause 3: Source Language Mismatch
If your source language is set to Chinese, Chinese pages will not trigger translation. Multilingual sites sometimes declare the wrong lang attribute, so the extension skips them. Adjust source language temporarily or use the manual translate shortcut. See the web translation guide for baseline setup.
Cause 4: Conflict with Other Extensions
Running TWP, Simple Translate, or another full-page translator alongside Immersive Translate can cause both to fight over the same DOM. Disable other translators one by one and refresh. Keep one primary full-page tool enabled.
Cause 5: Translation API Blocked
Immersive Translate calls online engines (built-in or custom entries shown in your current settings). Corporate firewalls, regional blocks, or bad proxy settings lead to endless “translating…” with no result. Switch engines, test on mobile hotspot; if you use a personal API key, also verify quota and key status in the custom-engine guide. Broader network notes are in the full troubleshooting guide.
Cause 6: Unsupported Page Type
Some SPAs, nested iframes, embedded PDF viewers, or strict CSP pages block injection. Test a normal news article: if that works, the issue is page structure, not the extension. For PDFs, use the PDF translation guide.
Fix in This Order
- Confirm the extension is enabled and not corrupted
- Check the never-translate list for the current domain
- Verify source and target language settings
- Disable other translation extensions and retry
- Switch engines and test network; for custom keys also check quota
- Try a standard article page to rule out page-type limits
- Still stuck: uninstall → restart browser → reinstall from download
FAQ
I click Translate but nothing happens—what should I check first?
Confirm the icon is active, the site is not blocked, and no other full-page translator is on. Gray icon usually means repair or reinstall.
Why does translation work on some sites but not others?
SPAs, iframes, CSP, or never-translate rules. A quick test on a plain article page narrows it down.
Translation spins forever—network looks fine.
Engine APIs are often blocked separately from general browsing. Switch engines or test hotspot. Key/quota issues: custom engines. More answers on the FAQ page.
Try Immersive Translate Now
Available for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, with workflows for web pages, PDFs, and video subtitles.