6 proactive localization strategies that help dev teams skip the rework

Leading with localization

By 2027, it will take 37 languages to reach 97% of internet-accessible GDP (eGDP). Obtaining global reach is more than an ambitious business goal—it’s a full-stack technical challenge. As localization becomes the new norm, developers are increasingly tasked with building products that adapt seamlessly to new languages, regions, and user expectations. Building for the future brings enormous opportunities, but also new complexities. 

A proactive global content approach begins before you write a single line of code. And the most successful teams think globally on day one, embracing AI translation, internationalization (i18n), and localization (l10n) from the start. 

Think of internationalization and localization like a house vs. a home. Internationalization is the structure—the foundation, framing, electrical, and plumbing. Localization comprises all the personalized touches—the paint colors, the finishes, the decor. Even if you have all your furniture, it’s going to take a lot longer to complete a room if you have to redo the walls first. 

When you prioritize internationalization, you’re laying the groundwork for better, faster localization, with fewer headaches down the line. Once it’s time to localize, that groundwork pays off through enhanced customer experiences, accelerated automation, and rapid scalability. So you can spend more time on innovations and less time on iterations.

Stage 1: Early development

Localization often starts out as a reactive undertaking. Few companies think about international products as they embark on development. This is a logical approach—but it also means it becomes something for the engineering teams to deal with when the business is ready to expand to new markets. Instead, taking a forward-thinking approach can make the difference between getting ahead and catching up when the time comes to go global. Localization-ready systems, coding, and workflows have a positive impact on user experience, market reach, and operational efficiency. Implementing them early can save hundreds of hours spent on avoidable rework and emergency fixes.

Here are six i18n-friendly practices to keep in mind—and some to avoid.

1. Externalize all strings

A good rule of thumb is to never hardcode user-facing text directly in your code. Instead, all text should be externalized into resource files or string catalogs using translation keys.

For example:

Bad

<button>Save</button>

Good

<button>{t('common.save')}</button>

2. Use placeholders, never concatenate

It’s essential to keep the sentence structure intact in translation files instead of constructing sentences through concatenation. Concatenated strings may work in the source language, such as English, but it can break translations in other languages with differing grammar rules. 

Per esempio:

Bad

{name + " completed " + count + " tasks"}

Good

{t('user.completed', { name, count })}

3. Design for text expansion

Keep in mind that translations may be significantly longer or shorter than the source language. Keep UI elements from breaking by allowing flexible spacing (instead of fixed) and responsive layouts.

Per esempio:

Bad 

<button style="width: 80px">

Good 

<button className="min-w-[120px] px-4">

4. Standardize strings

Use pre-defined, reusable text consistently across your application. Not only do standardized strings maintain consistent terminology and tone, they allow translators to translate the text once and use it everywhere, saving time and costs. 

// Used throughout the app

t('common.save')      // "Save"

t('common.cancel')    // "Cancel"

t('common.delete')    // "Delete"

t('errors.required')  // "This field is required"

5. Use placeholders

Incorporating placeholders within translation strings enables devs to insert dynamic content at runtime. This maintains the correct word order for each language (e.g., Japanese sentence structure, where the name is placed in front of the greeting). Comments within these strings can help provide context so translators can provide the most accurate translation. 

Per esempio: 

Translation file:

"greeting": "Hello, 6 proactive localization strategies that help dev teams skip the rework!",

"itemCount": "You have items in your cart"

"comment": "Casual greeting for first names only.”

In code:

t('greeting', { name: 'Sarah' })

// Output: "Hello, Sarah!"

t('itemCount', { count: 5 })

// Output: "You have 5 items in your cart"

6. Set up automated workflows early

Developer teams that don’t prioritize AI translation and workflow automation don’t just lose time to slower translation, but also to manual processes. Consider using tools like Smartling’s Global Delivery Network (GDN) translation proxy or the Smartling API to make localization faster and easier. 

Stage 2: During Development

During development, close collaboration between engineering, design, and localization teams is critical. Using a translation management system (TMS) that integrates with your existing tech stack can help by providing a centralized hub for managing the localization process. For example, Smartling’s developer-friendly GDN, 50+ proprietary integrations, enterprise-grade APIs, and integrated MCP server, integrate seamlessly into your CI/CD platform, providing a single source of truth for all languages. Lastly, continuously testing your code throughout the localization process ensures content is accurate and consistent across all target languages.  

Stage 3: After Development

Localization is an ongoing process—it doesn’t stop at launch. As your product evolves, continuous updates ensure content version control, accuracy, and relevance. Automated workflows, like webhooks or integrations with your daily tools, can notify your teams when a translation job is complete or automatically deliver translated content. Lastly, monitoring key metrics like translation time, cost per word, and quality scores, can help you ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of your localization approach.

Translation shouldn’t be a roadblock to your release schedule. To get a better idea of how Smartling’s AI-enabled enterprise solutions can accelerate your localization process, watch our quick demo or book a meeting.