Azure Translator: do resource-specific endpoints of a West US resource process text only in US datacenters?

Hi @Jerald Felix !

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply!

I opened Azure Support case 2610260040004979, but support redirected me to post here. Is there a way to route this to the Translator product group for a written answer?

Hello Luisina Peralta,

Greetings! Thanks for raising this question in the Q&A forum.

Based on the current Translator documentation, Microsoft only publishes a guaranteed processing location for resource-specific (custom) endpoints in one case: Switzerland. For a Switzerland North or Switzerland West resource, requests sent to the resource-specific endpoint are processed in Switzerland. The Region support page does not list a processing location for the resource-specific endpoint of a US resource such as West US. The page also notes that a resource location and a request processing location are not always the same. So there is no public documented commitment that standard NMT requests to a West US resource-specific endpoint are processed only in US datacenters, including during failover. I also cannot give you the written confirmation you need, because only Microsoft can state that officially. A community answer is not suitable evidence for a HIPAA data residency review.

Here is how I would approach it:

Treat the current documentation as the source of truth for the review. The Region support page and the Text Translation data residency section show which endpoints have a documented processing boundary: global, geography endpoints such as api-nam (East US 2 or West US 2), and the Switzerland resource-specific endpoints. West US resource-specific endpoints are not listed, so you should not assume US-only processing in your review.

Open an Azure Support request to get the written statement. In the Azure portal go to Help + support > Create a support request, choose Technical, select your Translator resource, and use a title such as "Processing location of Translator resource-specific endpoint for a West US resource, including failover". Include your two questions exactly as you wrote them, your resource name, region (West US), tier (S1), API (Text Translation v3.0) and the HIPAA requirement. Ask Microsoft to confirm the answer in writing. If your organization has a Microsoft account team or a Unified/Premier support contract, involve them as well, since they can also provide compliance attestations.

Check the compliance documents Microsoft provides. In the Microsoft Trust Center and the Service Trust Portal you can find the HIPAA/HITECH documentation, and the Business Associate terms are covered in the Microsoft Product Terms and DPA. These cover the contractual side of your review but do not replace a statement about the processing location of this specific endpoint.

Consider the documented US-bound option if your client allows it. The api-nam geography endpoint is documented as processing in East US 2 or West US 2. You already tested it and the memoQ plugin does not accept it, so you may want to ask the memoQ vendor whether the plugin can accept a custom base URL, or request that feature. If that is possible, the call looks like this: https://api-nam.cognitive.microsofttranslator.com/translate?api-version=3.0&to=es

Regarding your second question about private endpoints or selected networks. These features control network access to the resource. When you enable them you must use the resource-specific endpoint, but the documentation describes them as access controls, not as a guarantee about where the request is processed. So I would not rely on them as a US-only processing guarantee until Microsoft confirms it in writing through support.

Document the outcome in your review. Until you receive the written response, record that the processing location for West US resource-specific endpoints is not publicly documented, and note the support case number, so that your client's review has a clear audit trail.

If this answer helps you kindly accept the answer which will help others who have similar questions.

Best Regards,
Jerald Felix