How to fix InternalServerErrorApplyingTranslation when translating some Documents?

Question

How to fix InternalServerErrorApplyingTranslation when translating some Documents?

Arwa Shamardal 0

Issue Description

I'm experiencing persistent failures with Azure Document Translation service for a specific file. I am using Python SDK.

Error:

Error Code: InternalServerErrorApplyingTranslation
Error Message:

  Document failed during applying translation. If the error persists, report it with 
  date/time of error, request identifier from response header X-RequestId, and client 
  identifier from request header X-ClientTraceId.

Additional Context:

The error suggests the translation completes successfully, but fails during the final step of applying/writing the translation
This specific file consistently fails while other files work (Only a single failure before)

Environment Setup

Azure Resources Info:

Region: UAE North for both storage and translator
Subscription Type: S1 for both storage and translator

File Characteristics:

Format: docx
File Size: 160 KB
Source Language: Arabic
Target Language: English

**
Troubleshooting Attempts**

Attempt 1: Azure SDK (Programmatic Approach)

Result: InternalServerErrorApplyingTranslation

Attempt 2: Language Studio (Web UI) (Using Azure Language Studio web interface for Document) Translation

Network console:

  Uncaught (in promise) TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'split')
  at translationHandlerGroup.ts:180:52

Final Result: After resolving all configuration issues, the job appears to submit but ultimately fails with InternalServerErrorApplyingTranslation

Thanks in advance.

Alex Burlachenko 18,310 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-09-29T10:05:18.4+00:00
Hi Arwa Shamardal,

start with the document structure. sometimes hidden formatting, complex tables, or embedded objects that u don't even see can break the translation engine. try this simple test. create a brand new docx file and copy just the text from your original arabic document. paste it as plain, unformatted text. run this new, clean file through the translator. if it works, u know the problem is in the document's formatting and not the content.

another thing worth looking into is the file size. 160 kb seems fine, but what's inside matters. if the document is mostly text, that's small. but if it has many high resolution images, that could cause stress during the final assembly phase. maybe try a version of the file where u have reduced the image quality, just as a test.

also, check the filename. avoid any special characters, spaces, or very long names. sometimes the simplest things cause the biggest headaches. use a short, simple name like 'test_file.docx' for your experiment.

now, about the error details. the error message asks for specific ids. when u use the python sdk, make sure u are catching the exception and logging the 'x-requestid' and the client trace id. u can set the client trace id yourself when u submit the job, it makes tracking so much easier. u need these ids to open a support case with azure, and they are absolutely essential for the engineers to debug what happened on their servers at that exact moment.

this kind of file specific issue is not unique to azure, by the way. other translation services can also struggle with complex document layouts. it's always a good practice to test with a simplified version of a document first.

if the clean text file works, then u know the issue is the formatting. your options then are to either simplify the original document or, if u must keep the format, try breaking the large document into several smaller chunks. translate them separately and then combine the results. it's a bit more work, but it often gets the job done when the single file approach fails.

so, to summarize. create a plain text version of your docx to isolate the problem. if it works, u found the culprit. if it still fails, gather those request ids and contact azure support, they are the only ones who can see the server side logs for that specific error.

good luck, i hope this helps u get past this frustrating error )

Best regards,

Alex

and "yes" if you would follow me at Q&A - personaly thx. P.S. If my answer help to you, please Accept my answer

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1 answer

Your answer

Answer 1

Hi Arwa,

I tested many Arabic DOCX files to English, and I didn't encounter any issues.

The code below will give you the exact error that is causing the translation to fail:

from azure.core.credentials import AzureKeyCredential
from azure.ai.translation.document import DocumentTranslationClient, DocumentTranslationInput, TranslationTarget

# Azure Translator credentials (replace with your own)
endpoint = "https://<your-translator-resource>.cognitiveservices.azure.com/"
key = "<your-azure-key>"
client = DocumentTranslationClient(endpoint, AzureKeyCredential(key))

# Source and target container SAS URLs (replace with your own)
source_container_sas_url = "https://<your-source-container>.blob.core.windows.net/<container>?<sas-token>"
target_container_sas_url = "https://<your-target-container>.blob.core.windows.net/<container>?<sas-token>"

# Define source and target languages
source_language = "ar"
target_language = "en"

# Prepare translation input
input_docs = [
    DocumentTranslationInput(
        source_url=source_container_sas_url,
        targets=[TranslationTarget(
            target_url=target_container_sas_url,
            language=target_language
        )],
        source_language=source_language
    )
]

# Start the translation operation
poller = client.begin_translation(input_docs)
result = poller.result()

# Check translation status
for doc in result:
    print(f"Document ID: {doc.id}")
    print(f"Status: {doc.status}")
    if doc.status == "Succeeded":
        print(f"Translated URL: {doc.translated_document_url}")
    else:
        print(f"Error: {doc.error}")

If possible, please provide the file via private message so I can assist more accurately.

If this helps, feel free to accept it as an answer.
Thankyou for reaching out to the Microsoft QNA Portal.

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How to fix InternalServerErrorApplyingTranslation when translating some Documents?

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