Overview
Cross-Language Detection identifies content that has been translated from one language to another. For example, if someone takes content written in English, translates it to Spanish, and presents it as original work, Cross-Language Detection can identify this plagiarism attempt.Supported Languages
View the complete list of supported source and result languages for cross-language detection.
Submit for Analysis
Learn how to submit content for plagiarism detection including cross-language detection.
How It Works
Cross-Language Detection uses advanced translation and semantic matching technology to:- Analyze Source Document: The system processes your submitted document in its original language.
- Translation Analysis: The content is analyzed across different language databases.
- Semantic Matching: Beyond direct translation, the system looks for semantic similarities that might indicate translated plagiarism.
- Results Compilation: Findings are compiled into a comprehensive report that identifies potential matches across languages.
Key Benefits
- Catch Sophisticated Plagiarism: Identify plagiarism attempts that involve translation, which traditional plagiarism checkers would miss.
- Multi-Language Support: Support for multiple source languages and an even wider range of result languages.
- Seamless Integration: Use the same API workflow as regular plagiarism checks with additional parameters.
- Detailed Reporting: Get precise information about cross-language matches with the same detailed reporting as standard plagiarism detection.
Get Started
Before you begin
Before you start, ensure you have the following:
- An active Copyleaks account. If you don’t have one, sign up for free.
- You can find your API key on the API Dashboard.
Installation
Choose your preferred method for making API calls.
HTTP needs no installation - call the API with any standard HTTP client, or import our Postman collection for a quicker start.
Login
To perform a scan, we first need to generate an access token. For that, we will use the login endpoint.
The API key can be found on the Copyleaks API Dashboard.Upon successful authentication, you will receive a token that must be attached to subsequent API calls via the Response
Authorization: Bearer <TOKEN> header.
This token remains valid for 48 hours.Save this token! It’s valid for 48 hours and can be reused for subsequent API calls.
Submit for Cross-Language Analysis
File Upload
Submit documents including PDF, DOCX, TXT, and other formats for scanning.
URL Scanning
Submit webpages and online documents directly by providing their URL.
Text from Images
Extract and scan text from images, including screenshots and photos.
scanId for proper tracking and identification.Supported Languages
Cross-Language Detection supports a wide range of languages:- Source Languages: The document you upload can be in one of the supported source languages (Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish).
- Result Languages: Copyleaks can detect plagiarism in over 30 target languages, including Albanian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech, German, Greek, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and many more.
Pricing
Cross-Language Detection uses additional credits based on the following model:- Base Scan: The base scan in the document’s original language counts as normal (1 credit per 250 words).
- Additional Languages: Each additional language selected for cross-language detection will incur the same credit cost as the base scan.
- Base scan: 4 credits
- Spanish: 4 credits
- French: 4 credits
- Total: 12 credits
For precise credit calculation, use the Price Check Before Scan feature to get an exact quote before proceeding with the scan.
Use Cases
Cross-Language Detection is particularly valuable in several scenarios:- Academic Institutions: Universities with international student bodies can detect plagiarism regardless of the original content’s language.
- Global Publishing: Publishers that operate in multiple regions can ensure content originality across language barriers.
- Research Verification: Researchers can verify the originality of work when citing sources from different languages.
- Content Licensing: Media companies can protect their intellectual property from unauthorized translations.
Best Practices
To maximize the effectiveness of Cross-Language Detection:- Select Relevant Languages: Choose only the languages that are relevant to your use case to optimize credit usage.
- Use with Regular Plagiarism Detection: Cross-Language Detection works best as a complement to standard plagiarism detection.
- Review Results Carefully: Because translation can alter sentence structure and word choice, review cross-language matches with special attention to semantic similarity rather than exact matches.
Frequently asked questions
What is cross-language plagiarism detection?
It identifies content that was copied from one language, translated into another, and presented as original - for example English text translated to Spanish. Standard same-language plagiarism checks miss this; cross-language detection catches it using translation and semantic matching.Which source languages are supported?
You can upload documents in Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. The list keeps expanding - see the Supported Cross-Languages API for the current list.How many target languages can it match against?
Copyleaks can detect translated plagiarism in over 30 target languages, including Albanian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech, Greek, Hindi, Japanese, and Korean.How do I enable cross-language detection?
Add ascanning.crossLanguages.languages array of language codes to the submission properties (for example [{ "code": "es" }, { "code": "fr" }]). It uses the same submission workflow as a standard plagiarism scan.

