What is the Difference Between Translation and Localization?

This guest post was written by Scott Bass, the principal of LocFluent Consulting. Scott has been active in the language industry for over 30 years. Scott was formerly the founder and owner of Advanced Language Translation, Inc., a technical translation and localization specialist company, which he established in 1994. In 2015, he sold his company to Morningside Translations, one of the fastest-growing language service providers in the U.S. Most recently, Scott was Vice President for Morningside’s Professional Services Group, where he focused on onboarding new clients, building the foundation for strong client relationships, and ensuring customer satisfaction.

The language industry—yes, there is a language industry (whom you should thank for all the great Netflix subtitles—à la “The Squid Game”)—has its own jargon like any other industry. And despite being in the communications business, it too struggles with a different language. One special case involves the terms “translation” and “localization”. Many in the language industry and those close to it use these terms interchangeably. But are they synonyms? The answer is more nuanced than you may think.

The relationship between localization and translation is like that between thumbs and fingers. Thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs. All localization includes translation, but not all translations are localizations.

What is translation?

Translation is the conveyance of meaning from the text of one language into the text of another, allowing content to be accessible to different audiences. It is a conversion of the written form of a message in which the message is re-encoded and retains the original meaning. Translation is focused on precisely that—conveying the meaning of a text. For example, a text you pass through Google Translate, will convey the meaning of the original, let’s say in English, to a copy of the original into another language such as Spanish. However, what you may often hear from a native Spanish speaker is that the Google translation service makes sense but doesn’t read authentically. Why is that? It is because a machine translation engine cannot capture nuance, emotion, sentiment, and mood that may be clear within the translation process. Attributes such as word choice, sentence structure, and phrasing all combine to evoke a response in the audience. Translation software doesn’t know how to do that within the direct translation. A machine translation engine or a professional translator who does not have the skill, experience, or imagination to capture the nuance of the original text and convey that along with the meaning, will supply that direct translation that will convey meaning, but something will be lost in the translation process.

What is localization?

Localization is adapting that translated content to the cultural and linguistic expectations of the global audience consuming the content. It’s different in that it goes beyond translation and concerns itself with nuance and cultural differences and norms. For example, translation cares about converting a date into its equivalent form: January 24, 2022, becomes 24. January 2022 when translated into German. The “.” after 24 in German connotes an ordinal number or “24th”. “Januar” is the first month of the calendar year. However, if I translate January 24, 2022, as 24. Jänner 2022, I have now localized it for the country of Austria, which uses “Jänner” as the name of the month. Put simply, translation gets the job done, while localization goes the extra mile!

You can catch glimpses of global localization or when it is lacking while watching Netflix. If you watch enough German shows a character may make a passing reference to Heino, a singer of Schlager or popular German folk music, rarely heard outside of Germany. This type of cultural reference can often be difficult to localize for international English-speaking audiences. Which artist in the English-speaking world does a localizer choose? Engelbert Humperdinck? Or maybe Tom Jones would have broader appeal?

Localizing popular films and video games is the most challenging of all localization tasks. Popular language usage shifts quickly and communities form that develop their own language preferences. For example, when localizing Japanese video games for English-speaking players, game localizers must be cautious not to over-localize and remove Japanese cultural references that players are accustomed to seeing.

There is another meaning of localization commonly used by the language industry. It describes the technical process of ensuring the translated content is properly integrated and functions in digital media. By extension, this content should also account for the cultural nuances of the content as well. When the localization process is referenced in the context of developing an app or publishing other types of digital content for global markets it encompasses both the technical and cultural aspects of the work being done.

Real-World Examples of Localization

Think of Netflix, where cultural jokes or references are swapped out so an international audience still laughs. Or in video games, where translators preserve Japanese elements because players expect cultural authenticity. Global brands like Spotify and Notion also demonstrate how localized interfaces and content boost user trust and adoption.

Translation vs. Localization

Translation and localization are easily conflated because they are so closely related. Translation is the foundation for localization. Localization takes on the added local layers of technical and cultural adaptation necessary to make a final product that is highly aligned with the target language and to the needs and expectations of the audience or groups of users who will use the product—whatever it may be—digital content, apps, games, air fryers, or glucose meters.

If your organization wants to support and engage a global audience, you will need both.

When Translation Alone Is Enough vs. When You Need Localization

Not every situation requires full localization. In some cases, translation gets the job done, especially when accuracy matters more than style or nuance. For example, technical manuals, internal business documents, and compliance forms typically only require clear and direct translation.

However, if your audience is global, public-facing, and expecting a brand experience that feels native to their country, you’ll need localization. Marketing campaigns, websites, mobile apps, and e-commerce platforms must adapt not only the words but also the cultural context in which they are presented. This ensures customers feel the content was created with their market in mind, not just adapted as an afterthought.

The Localization Process: More Than Words

Localization is best understood as a process, not a single action. Below are the core steps businesses should consider:

Step 1: Internationalization (i18n)

Prepare your product or content for global adaptation by separating text strings, enabling right-to-left languages, and designing layouts that flex across different languages.

Step 2: Translation

Convert the text from one language to another, ensuring that the meaning is preserved.

Step 3: Cultural Adaptation

Refine the translated content to accommodate cultural preferences, dates, currencies, units of measurement, colors, imagery, and even humor, which can vary significantly by country.

Step 4: Technical & SEO Adaptation

Ensure your software, apps, and websites operate correctly in all regions. Don’t forget localization of SEO: keywords, meta tags, and attributes all need to align with how local users search online.

Step 5: Quality Assurance & Testing

Test localized content in real scenarios. Does your interface display correctly? Do audiences in global markets find the tone authentic? QA ensures no details slip through the cracks.

Choosing the Right Approach for a Global Audience

Translation and localization are not simply linguistic exercises; they’re essential steps in building authentic connections with a global audience. Whether you’re adapting a website for a new country, creating culturally relevant training content, or scaling technical documentation across different teams, the right approach ensures your message resonates everywhere it goes.

At MadCap Software, we make that process easier. From MadCap Flare for technical writing and multi-channel publishing, to cloud-based content management, to the IXIA CCMS for structured content management, we provide tools that help businesses streamline authoring, collaboration, and publishing worldwide. Our Translation and Localization Management solutions also ensure that your content is efficiently translated, localized, and optimized for every market.

If your organization is ready to expand globally with confidence, explore our solutions and see how MadCap can help you deliver content that feels native, accurate, and impactful—no matter the language.