Continuous Localization¶

Summary¶

Continuous Localization (CL) is the practice of integrating translation workflows into the software development CI/CD pipeline, ensuring that translatable strings are automatically extracted, translated, and compiled back into localized builds without manual intervention.

Core Principles¶

Automated extraction — Strings pulled from code repositories automatically (push)
Automated generation — Localized files generated from translated strings (pull)
Real-time visibility — See what products need localization at any moment
Translation leveraging — Previous translations reused when source strings change
Quality checks — Automated validation (placeholder matching, format strings, etc.)

How It Differs from Traditional Localization¶

	Traditional	Continuous Localization
Trigger	Manual export/import	Automated on code changes
File format	XLIFF, PO sent via email	API-driven push/pull
Visibility	Periodic status meetings	Real-time dashboards
Release cycle	Translation blocks releases	Translations keep pace with releases
Translator access	Offline files	Web-based editing

Tools¶

`box-mojito`¶

Extracts strings from repositories to be translated
Generates localized files from translations
Quality checks (placeholder validation)
Basic translation leveraging (no fuzzy matching)
Generates XLIFF files for translators

`weblate`¶

Git-first: translations live in your repository as code
Automatic sync with GitHub, GitLab, Gitea
Webhooks for pull on source changes
Configurable commit intervals for push
Add-on system for automated discovery of new files

`tolgee`¶

SDK-based: translations embedded in apps at runtime
CLI watches and pulls changes automatically
Real-time sync between platform and apps
In-context editing for developers
MCP server for AI assistant integration

CI/CD Integration Patterns¶

Push Pattern¶

Code commit → CI extracts strings → Push to CL platform → Translators notified

Pull Pattern¶

Translation complete → CL platform generates localized files → Pull to repo → Build deploys

Webhook Pattern¶

Source repo changes → Webhook triggers CL update → CL updates → Webhook triggers push back

Benefits¶

Translations keep pace with development velocity
No manual file export/import
Reduced context switch for developers
Real-time visibility into translation status
Quality checks catch errors before deployment

Challenges¶

Requires infrastructure (self-hosted CL platform)
Translators need to adapt to web-based workflows
String extraction requires code annotations/keys
Complex for projects with many file formats