A translation quote request form that prices the project
A translation quote turns on a short list of facts: the languages, the volume, the subject, the format and what the translation is for. Many requests arrive with an attachment and “how much?” The form collects the rest so the project manager can price it without a round of emails.
What should translation agencies ask first?
| Ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which language is the original in, and which languages do you need? | Each target language is its own translator, rate and timeline. |
| Roughly how many words or pages is it? | Volume is the base of the price. |
| What is it: a legal document, a technical manual, marketing copy, a website, or something else? | The subject decides which translator is qualified to do it. |
| What format is it in: Word, PDF, a scan, a website, or software files? | A scan or a layout file adds work before and after translation. |
| Does it need to be certified, for example for a court, an immigration office or a university? | Certified translation has its own process and price. |
| When do you need it, and is that date fixed? | A rush job changes the rate and how many translators share it. |
If an answer would not change what you do next, leave the question out. Each extra question is one more reason for someone to stop before they finish.
Ask what the document is, not what it says. Identity documents and legal papers can be sent once the project is agreed, through the secure channel you already use.
Which answers come back too vague to use, and what do you ask next?
The answers that cause a phone call are rarely missing. They are present and too loose to act on. A narrower follow-up, asked straight away while the person is still there, usually settles them. Offering likely answers shows the person the level of detail you need.
| What comes back | The follow-up that settles it |
|---|---|
| “It’s a few pages.” | Is it mostly full pages of text, or forms and tables with a few words each? |
| “It’s urgent.” | Is there a date it has to be submitted by, and what happens if it arrives a day later? |
| “It’s for official use.” | Who is it going to: a court, a government office, a university, or an employer? |
Follow up once per gap, then move on. If an answer is still unclear after one follow-up, flag it for whoever picks the request up rather than pressing.
When is a call or a visit still the right move?
Large or ongoing projects, such as a website in five languages or software localization, are worth a call to scope the workflow and the glossary. A single document is not: with the languages, the volume, the subject and the deadline known, it can be priced in one reply.
How do you set this up from the Quote request template?
Acquainto has a Quote request template to start from. After you sign up, open Browse templates, pick Quote request, and it lands in the editor as a draft you can change before anything is published.
The template asks what the quote is for, a rough budget, a date, whether the person has another quote, and where to send yours. For translation, make the first question the language pair, replace “How many people would be using this?” with the word or page count, and add the subject, the format and the certification question as choices.
To see it from the other side, answer a demo built from the questions on this page. It is a demo: your answers come to Acquainto, not to a business, so leave out real names and contact details.
Acquainto runs it as a short written conversation instead of a form. It:
- asks a follow-up when an answer is incomplete, and asks for clarification when one is vague;
- uses a structured choice where precision matters and open conversation where detail matters;
- shows the person every answer before it is sent, so they correct their own mistakes;
- hands back one clean value per question, delivered to your own systems by webhook.
The person answering needs no account, and nothing has to be scheduled. Start free trial, see how it works, or compare plans.