There are several ways to translate a web page with Youdao, depending on how deep your need is. For occasional lookups, any method works. For regular reading of Chinese or English websites, installing the browser extension makes the whole experience seamless — it handles both full-page translation and individual word lookups from a single tool.
🔧 Four Ways to Translate a Web Page
Method 1: Browser Extension (Recommended)
Available for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. Click the icon to translate the full page, or select any word for a dictionary pop-up. The most complete option.
Method 2: Paste URL into Youdao Web
Open fanyi.youdao.com and paste a webpage URL into the translation field. Youdao fetches and translates the page. No installation required, but less smooth than the extension.
Method 3: Desktop Hover Translation
With the desktop app installed, selecting any text in any browser window triggers a translation bubble. Great for selective reading, not full-page translation.
Method 4: Mobile Browser Share
In mobile Safari or Chrome, use the share button to send the page to Youdao Translate. Useful as an occasional workaround on mobile.
🔌 Browser Extension Installation
Chrome
- Open the Chrome Web Store and search "Youdao Translate"
- Find the official extension and click "Add to Chrome"
- Confirm the permissions prompt to complete installation
- The Youdao icon appears in your toolbar — click it to translate the current page
Edge
Edge can install Chrome extensions directly. Enable "Allow extensions from other stores" in Edge settings, then follow the same Chrome Web Store steps above.
Firefox
Visit Firefox Add-ons (addons.mozilla.org) and search "Youdao Translate" to install.
For screenshots and a detailed walkthrough, see the full browser extension installation guide.
💡 Two Core Extension Features
Full-page translation
Click the extension icon → select "Translate this page." All text on the page is replaced with the translated version. Click again to toggle back to the original. Best for quickly understanding the overall content of a foreign-language article.
Hover word lookup
Select any word or phrase on the page — a translation bubble appears with the dictionary definition, pronunciation, and example sentences. No need to translate the whole page; just check unfamiliar words as you read. Particularly useful for language learners reading English content.
💡 Advanced Tips for Webpage Translation
- For technical documentation, read the original first and use translation for specific passages — comprehension runs deeper than full-page translation
- Hover translation works better with whole sentences selected, not just single words — context improves accuracy
- Dynamically loaded content (infinite scroll feeds) may need translation triggered again after new content loads
- Sign in to your Youdao account to save unfamiliar words directly to your vocabulary list while reading