# General Translation Integrations: Supported content
URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/docs/integrations/payload/reference/supported-content.mdx
Docs index: https://generaltranslation.com/llms.txt
Description: Find the Payload CMS fields translated, preserved, or skipped by the plugin. Reference for gt-payload supported content.

The plugin walks Payload's flattened field schema and translates only localised text. It preserves field structure so results can be written back through the Payload Local API.

## Overview [#overview]

| Topic                                   | Description                                        |
| --------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| [Translated fields](#translated-fields) | Localised text, textarea and rich text values.     |
| [Nested content](#nested-content)       | Groups, tabs, arrays, blocks and rich text blocks. |
| [Preserved fields](#preserved-fields)   | Values that are copied or left unchanged.          |
| [Field opt-out](#field-opt-out)         | Per-field configuration for excluding text.        |
| [Character limits](#character-limits)   | Payload and SEO length behaviour.                  |
| [Save behaviour](#save-behavior)        | Draft, direct-save and publishing behaviour.       |

## Translated fields [#translated-fields]

The plugin translates non-empty values from localised:

* `text` fields, including `hasMany` lists
* `textarea` fields
* Lexical `richText` fields

The Payload default locale is the source. Every other supported configured locale can be a translation target.

Text removed from the source is removed from the translated locale on the next run. A locale with no requested target or no translatable source text does not start a translation job.

## Nested content [#nested-content]

Translatable fields may appear inside:

* Groups and named tabs
* Arrays
* Blocks, including block references
* Lexical block and inline-block fields

Localised containers keep their own per-locale rows. Shared arrays and blocks match rows by Payload ID, so translated text returns to the corresponding source row.

## Preserved fields [#preserved-fields]

The plugin does not translate:

* Fields without `localized: true`, unless they are inside a localised container
* Payload slug fields
* Read-only, hidden or virtual fields
* `text` values recognised as paths, URLs or email addresses (`textarea` and rich text are translated as written)
* Non-text field types such as relationships, uploads, dates, numbers, checkboxes and JSON
* Payload row metadata such as IDs and block type names

Required fields that are not translated receive the source value when the target locale has no value, allowing Payload to save the locale. Existing target-locale values for preserved fields remain unchanged where Payload's localised structure supports them.

Rich text nodes keep marks, links, uploads, blocks and formatting. If translated markup cannot be safely matched to the source structure, the plugin skips that string and reports `broken_markup`.

## Field opt-out [#field-opt-out]

Set `custom.gt.translate` to `false` on a field to leave it out:

```ts title="src/collections/products.ts"
{
  name: 'sku',
  type: 'text',
  localized: true,
  custom: {
    gt: {
      translate: false,
    },
  },
}
```

The option also excludes translatable descendants when it is set on their containing field.

## Character limits [#character-limits]

When a translation exceeds a field's `maxLength`, the plugin requests a shorter translation. If it still exceeds the hard limit, the plugin cuts it at a word boundary and appends the locale's ellipsis character.

Fields rendered by the Payload SEO plugin use these recommended limits:

| Field            | Recommended length | Hard truncation                          |
| ---------------- | ------------------ | ---------------------------------------- |
| Meta title       | 60 characters      | Only when the field also has `maxLength` |
| Meta description | 150 characters     | Only when the field also has `maxLength` |

SEO recommendations trigger a request for a shorter translation but do not truncate on their own.

## Save behaviour [#save-behavior]

The plugin reads the latest draft for the source and target locales with locale fallback disabled. It writes through the Local API:

* With drafts enabled, it saves a draft.
* Without drafts, it saves directly.
* It never publishes.

Admin-initiated reads and writes follow the signed-in user's Payload access rules. Programmatic calls may pass a Payload user to enforce the same rules; without one, the Payload Local API uses its normal server-side access behaviour.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://generaltranslation.com/sitemap.md) for all pages.