Translating software text without context can easily lead to misinterpretations. Because software copy is split into small, individual segments, key details often get lost.
Providing context reduces unnecessary clarification requests from external translators, accelerates the translation process, and improves overall quality. LingoHub offers six simple ways to add clear context.
1. Style guides
A style guide defines your brand’s overall voice and tone. Use it to specify whether your copy should be formal or informal, describe your target audience, and set (technical) formatting guidelines.
💡 Tip: Include concrete text examples in your style guide to show translators exactly what result you expect.
2. Project and order descriptions
Context works on both a project level and an order level:
Project description: Defines the product type (e.g., mobile game, technical documentation) and general rules or vision.
Order description: Specifies unique guidelines or focus areas in the order menu that apply only to the specific translation request.
3. Segment descriptions
Short segments or placeholders can confuse translators. For instance, a segment reading 'Logged in as %s' leaves translators unsure about what %s represents. Adding segment-level descriptions or placeholder examples in the editor panel ensures translators understand how the copy appears in your live app.
4. Glossaries
A well-maintained glossary enforces consistent terminology across all languages. You can define specific brand terms that must remain untranslated or require a precise translation. When you assign a glossary to your project, LingoHub automatically generates terminology hints for translators for every matching segment in your order.
5. Context images
Visual references are among the most effective ways to clarify software copy. You can upload context screenshots manually via the Web UI, in bulk through the REST API, or automatically using the Figma plugin. Text segments are highlighted directly on these screenshots to give translators immediate visual context within the project.
6. Quality checks
Quality check rules set strict parameters, such as minimum or maximum character limits, for your segments. LingoHub uses these rules to inform translators and AI/MT engines of required text limits.
Building a strong foundation of context makes localization easier and delivers better translations. Once created, your style guides, glossaries, context images, and project details are saved in LingoHub to support all future translation orders.
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