Pseudolocalization

Pseudo-localization is a method used to check the software’s readiness to be localized. This method shows how the product’s UI will look after translation. Use this feature to reduce potential rework by checking whether any source strings should be altered before the translation process begins.

With Pseudo-localization, you can quickly check the following:

  • How languages with texts that tend to be longer/shorter than the source texts fit your product’s UI
  • Check whether all the translatable strings are uploaded into your project
  • Find non-translatable texts in your software (might be strings like application name)
  • See how well your product supports different character sets and right-to-left/left-to-right languages

Pseudo-Localization App

To run Pseudo-localization, you can use the Pseudo-localization app that could be installed via Crowdin Store.

To set up the Pseudo-localization app, follow these steps:

  1. Select one of the available presets or set all the required parameters manually (described in the paragraphs below).
  2. Click Pseudo-localize and Download. As a result, you will get an archive with pseudo-localized project files.
  3. Integrate the downloaded files into your software.

Pseudo-Localization via API

If you prefer working with API, you can use the following API methods.

Crowdin

Crowdin Enterprise

Pseudo-Localization via CLI

Another way to set up and download your pseudo-localized project files is to use Crowdin CLI.

Read more about Downloading Pseudo-localization via CLI.

Pseudo-Localization Parameters

Length Correction

Change the length of the strings to see how different languages will fit into your application’s UI. For example, Spanish texts are on average 25-30% longer than English ones, while Japanese texts are 30-60% shorter.

Prefix/Suffix Adding

Add prefixes and suffixes to see where each string starts and ends in the UI, regardless of the language.

Character Transformation

Check how your application works with Asian, Cyrillic, European, or Arabic characters.

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