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Enhance Your Global Reach with Software Localization

Software localization services for SaaS, mobile apps, and games. UI strings, in-app content, store listings. 50+ languages, native engineers. Free quote today.

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Translation puts your words into another language. Localization goes further: it adapts language, formats, design and technical details, so your software feels native in each market.

A person holding a tablet that shows a map with location pins and app icons
The difference

What Is Software Localization?

Software localization modifies a product for the language, culture and user experience of each market. The goal is to keep your software usable and fully functional for a specific audience.

Translation only
  • Text converted from one language to another
  • Date, number and currency formats unchanged
  • Design and layout left as they were
Localization
  • Interface, help text and error messages translated
  • Formats, symbols and user habits adapted
  • Layout, fonts and encoding adjusted to the language
Translation

Human Translators and Machine Translation

Human translators handle the interface, help documents and error messages. Post-editing of machine translation or AI content can speed up the work, with people refining the result.

Human Translators

They bring cultural expertise and make sure the text matches local norms.

Post-Editing

Machine translation offers speed. Human editors refine quality, accuracy and context, and prevent awkward or incorrect translations.

Technical

File Formats in Software Localization

Localization engineers work with these formats, so strings, tags and variables are adapted without breaking the code.

  • .jsonJavaScript Object Notation
  • .xmlExtensible Markup Language
  • .poPortable Object files
  • .resxResource files for .NET
  • .htmlHyperText Markup Language
  • .ymlYAML
  • .xliffXML Localization Interchange File Format
  • .srtSubtitle files

JSON is common in web applications, while RESX is typical for Windows software.

Languages

Common Language Challenges

Every language brings its own technical questions.

German

Compound words can be twice as long as their English counterparts, which strains buttons and other interface elements.

Arabic

Right-to-left writing means a layout shift. Icons and navigation bars may need mirroring, and fonts must support complex scripts.

Chinese, Japanese and Korean

Characters need a suitable encoding, such as UTF-8, and their visual density affects line spacing and interface design.

Spanish and French

These languages can take up to 30% more space than English, which often affects interface and design elements.

Russian

Cyrillic characters tend to be wider than Latin ones and can break layouts if they are not handled correctly.

Our process

The Localization Process

Localization is more than converting text. It runs in seven steps.

  1. Project Planning

    We identify your target markets and gather every asset: text files, images, videos and interactive elements.

  2. Content Extraction

    Translatable text is separated from the code, using a CMS or a localization platform.

  3. Translation

    Human translators, or machine translation with human post-editing, depending on the scale and complexity.

  4. UI and UX Adaptation

    Buttons resized for longer text, fonts matched to each script, and layouts redesigned where needed, as for Arabic.

  5. Functional Testing

    We check that the localized software works in every region, that text fits and that nothing broke.

  6. Quality Assurance

    Native speakers check that translations are correct and natural, and UX testing confirms the product stays usable.

  7. Ongoing Updates

    Updates, new features and bug fixes need localization too, as your software evolves.

Beyond language

Overcoming Localization Challenges

Cultural Adaptation

Colors, symbols and even numbers can mean different things across cultures. What works in the US may confuse or offend in Japan or Brazil.

Legal Requirements

Some countries, such as France and Canada, have strict laws about language in digital products. Meeting them avoids legal issues.

Dates, Times and Numbers

09/15/2024 reads as September 15, 2024 in the US, but much of the world would read it as 15 September 2024.

File Formats

Translation for Your File Type

We translate the file itself, so the layout and structure arrive ready to use.

JSON Translation

String files with keys and placeholders unchanged

XLIFF Translation

Interchange files with every segment filled in

PO Translation

Gettext files with msgid lines untouched

All File Formats

Office, print, design and localization files

Questions About Software Localization

What Is the Difference Between Translation and Localization?
Translation converts text between languages. Localization adapts the entire user experience, including design, date formats and cultural details.
Can Machine Translation Alone Handle Software Localization?
No. Machine translation can speed up the process, but human translators are needed to refine language for context, meaning and cultural accuracy.
How Do Long Words in Languages like German Affect Localization?
Long words can break interface design when they do not fit into buttons or menus, so text expansion must be considered when laying out the interface.
How Does Localization Handle Scripts like Arabic or Chinese?
Layout, encoding and fonts are adjusted so these languages display correctly without breaking the software's functionality.
What File Formats Should Be Considered for Localization?
Common formats include .xml, .json, .po, .resx, .html, .yml and .xliff, depending on the platform and coding environment.

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