In today’s digital economy, software is no longer confined by borders. Whether it’s a mobile app, an enterprise platform, or a SaaS solution, software products are expected to reach users across continents and languages. This makes software translation a crucial component of global business strategy. Effective translation enables communication, builds trust, enhances usability and supports market growth.
What is software translation?
Software translation is more than converting words from one language to another. It is the process of adapting a software product linguistically, culturally and technically for different target markets. This involves translating the user interface (UI), error messages, help documentation and marketing materials while ensuring that the product’s functionality and design remain consistent. For example, a calendar feature might need to reflect local holidays, currencies might need to be changed, or a colour scheme might require adjustment due to cultural connotations.
ESGgo AI-based sustainability platform
At Fluid Translation, we recently had the pleasure of translating ESGgo’s new AI-powered platform from English to Swedish.
ESGgo is an AI-based sustainability platform where public companies and consulting firms can strategise, examine, report and operate sustainability in a fast and cost-effective way.
From collecting sustainability data from across the company, to automatic framework standardisation, surveying suppliers, to reporting by different ESG frameworks, benchmarking to competition, preparing for CSRD readiness, to a full, internal, one-click sustainability report.
Key challenges
One of the main challenges is maintaining technical accuracy. Translators must understand a product’s domain and functionality to ensure that terminology is consistent and precise. For instance, translating ‘file’, ‘save’, or ‘permissions’ incorrectly could confuse users and lead to operational errors.
When text is extracted from an app or platform to be translated it usually comes in the form of text strings, which can make it challenging for a translator to understand the context. To translate accurately, we were given access to the ESGgo platform, which allowed us to see the interface layout, structure and buttons in use.
The files extracted from the platform were in JSON format, which could be easily imported into Fluid’s translation tool and later delivered back in the same format for seamless implementation. Once the translations were integrated, we reviewed the Swedish texts in context to ensure that the layout and presentation were correct.
Best practices for effective software translation
Successful software translation begins with preparation. Developers should design their code to be ‘localization-ready’ by separating text from source code, using Unicode to support multiple scripts and avoiding hard-coded strings. Clear context (screenshots, usage notes and glossaries) helps translators understand where and how each phrase appears in the interface. If possible, access to the platform or app itself is the optimal way to achieve accurate translations.
Software translation is a strategic investment that enhances accessibility and user satisfaction. Companies that invest in high-quality translation and localisation can enter new markets faster, strengthen customer loyalty and stand out as truly global brands. As software continues to shape everyday life, speaking the user’s language—literally and figuratively—has never been more important.
Read more about software translation in our Knowledge base.