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SaaS localization done right prevents reworks and reduces user confusion. With the proper tools and a solid strategy, you can launch faster and deliver native experiences from day one.
In this post, you’ll learn six steps to implement localization so international audiences feel like you built your software just for them.
Table of contents
- What is SaaS localization?
- What are the benefits of software localization?
- How to implement your SaaS localization process: 6 easy steps
- Essential SaaS localization tools your software should include
- 5 common mistakes to avoid in your SaaS product localization process
- Comprehensive SaaS localization can be a growth lever
What is SaaS localization?
SaaS localization adapts your software-as-a-service product for different languages, regions, and cultures. So users everywhere can easily navigate and interact with it.
It’s how you build trust and grow in new markets without things getting lost in translation. (Literally.)
If your SaaS company wants to scale its global reach, you can’t afford to ship a one-size-fits-all product.
For example, sales software provider Pipedrive localizes 2.7 million words (in 24 languages) a year:

Source: Pipedrive
People prefer software to be in their language. Gartner suggests almost 66% of software buyers think reading a provider’s website in their language is important.
More recent RWS research backs this up. Around 80% of consumers won’t even buy from brands that don’t offer support in their local language.
Some countries (like France with its Toubon Law) also legally require it.
It’s not just about swapping English for Spanish. True localization means making your features and content feel native to the user. That includes:
Translating the UI
Formatting dates and currencies
Adjusting legal disclaimers and privacy policies
Tweaking workflows or visuals based on local expectations
Let’s say you provide backend gaming infrastructure for multiplayer matchmaking, chat moderation, and player analytics.
You’re crushing it in North America and want to expand into South Korea and Germany.
Without localization, Korean dev teams are stuck using an English dashboard with unreadable date formats and error messages.
Plus, German regulators will flag your platform for missing compliance notices in their native language.
With localization, dashboards feel familiar to each international team. You can confidently launch knowing you’ve ticked legal checkboxes and all users understand the entire platform.
What are the benefits of software localization?
For SaaS companies, getting localization right can help you ship new products and features in new markets faster than ever.
Need help choosing the right localization tool?
Use the XTM Assess quick quiz to determine your best fit.
Here are four of the most crucial benefits:
1. Faster and more efficient global market entry
A structured localization process allows you to launch in new regions without delays from reworks or last-minute translation fixes.
Software companies have found that dedicated translation and localization software sped up time to market by 90%.
Localization also strengthens your SEO and marketing strategy right away. Using region-specific keywords helps your content rank higher and attracts more organic traffic from local audiences.
For example, Airbnb’s localization tech means all guests and hosts see user-generated content (UGC) in their own language.
By making content more relatable and engaging for users, Airbnb likely sees fewer bounce rates and longer SEO-boosting dwell times.
But language mismatches and technical issues can stall expansion if you rely on SaaS translation alone (without adapting for local contexts).
Take a life sciences SaaS company that wants to roll out its clinical trial platform in Japan.
By localizing regulatory terminology, marketing materials, and support content early, they can meet local requirements and launch months ahead of schedule.
2. Maintain UX/UI consistency across languages
Different languages expand and contract text differently, impacting usability and layouts.
For instance, German is roughly 35% longer than English, and Arabic reads from right to left. If your user interface (UI) can’t flex, the whole experience can break.
Broken buttons and cut-off text frustrate users and lead to churn. Nothing says ‘professional software’ quite like ‘Save cha…’ and ‘Cance…’
For example, Netflix adapts everything from its interface to subtitles and support.

Source: Lingohub
This way, global users feel the streaming experience was made just for them.
Let’s say a manufacturing ERP company expands into the DACH region. Without localization, dashboard labels overflow, the date picker breaks, and the ‘Save’ button becomes unreadable.
Instead, building flexible layouts and previewing translations in context means the UI stays clean and usable in each language.
3. Handle dynamic content effectively
SaaS products generate and update content on the go. Notifications, release notes, and chat messages fly out constantly.
If you only localize static elements, error messages or help content may still appear in the default language.
Localizing dynamic content keeps the entire UX cohesive, no matter where a user interacts with the product.
For example, Nintendo’s Animal Crossing game removes Halloween scenarios for users in countries that don’t widely celebrate it.
Let’s say a software analytics company localizes its core platform for Brazil. It also includes everything from mobile app alerts to onboarding flows.
As a result, Portuguese-speaking users get timely updates in their language, which boosts adoption rates and reduces support tickets.
4. Ensure compliance in different regions
Some countries legally require every software part to be available in the local language. Get it wrong and you face fines, blocked market entry, or legal notices.
Government agencies worldwide will even suspend services and fine providers who don’t keep up to date with these laws. For example, China often announces strict rule changes for mobile app developers.
Plus, few things tank a market launch like realizing your checkout button translates to ‘Cancel’ in German.
Let’s say a global health-tech SaaS is planning to launch in Quebec.
Ensuring all core UI and legal documentation are fully available in French helps them meet Bill 96 (a Quebec law that requires workplace software to be in this language.)
It also builds trust with government clients who care about compliance when picking their vendors.
How to implement your SaaS localization process: 6 easy steps
Localization for SaaS companies is so much easier when the right systems are in place. You’ll work together and launch faster. Plus, you’ll create software that feels truly local in all new markets.
Without in-context previews and tools that sync with development workflows, your teams will waste time on manual fixes and slow releases.
Here are six steps to get localization right first time:
1. Plan for localization from the start
Instead of treating localization as a finishing touch, bake it into your product architecture.
That means designing flexible code, UI, and content workflows with various languages and regions in mind.
Retrofitting a product for localization is messy and pricey. Adding new languages later is faster and cheaper when you build it into the foundation. It’s also less likely to break your UI — and your budget.
Let’s say a global HR provider includes dynamic layouts and externalized strings in its onboarding flow from the start.
When it expands into the Middle East, adapting to right-to-left languages takes days (not months).
Here are six tips to make planning your localization efforts easier:
Use Unicode (an encoding standard that assigns a unique metric to every character) across your product to process all global languages more easily
Separate UI strings from your codebase so translators and localization teams can work on the strings without programming expertise
Build flexible layouts that can adjust for language expansion (e.g., extended German or shorter Japanese sentences)
Design with right-to-left (RTL) compatibility in mind, even if you’re not targeting those regions yet
Avoid assumptions in your UX — don’t hardcode currencies, date formats, or name fields (what works in one market can confuse or alienate users in another)
Conduct market research to learn more about the new location you’re targeting
Building software with app and website localization in mind is how you future-proof your product.
Use flexible frameworks and design your UI to adapt so you’re ready to scale globally without rebuilding core systems.
2. Select a robust localization tool
Localization tools can be the central hub for everything from string management to project management workflows.
Without a robust translation management system (TMS), localization can quickly get messy. The right TMS can reduce manual work and ensure translation quality at scale.
For example, enterprises love XTM for its AI-powered translation, software localization, and vendor management features:

XTM includes three core products:
XTM Cloud automates translation workflows and integrates with 60+ tools — ideal for localizing software and support content
Rigi offers in-context previews so teams can catch layout or formatting issues before launch
XTRF helps SaaS companies manage linguists and automate vendor payments with complete oversight
Multiple teams can work from one connected platform with artificial intelligence baked in, cutting turnaround times and translation costs.
For example, smart building technology provider Johnson Controls uses XTM to speed up turnaround by four weeks.
You can even save 2,000 hours of work and increase translation quality with 80% less effort.
Here are five crucial considerations when picking a localization SaaS tool:
Choose a TMS that supports localized software and multiple content and file types (e.g., Google Docs, Adobe Indesign, and Java Excel API), not just documents
Look for AI-assisted workflows (including generative AI and translation quality prediction) to improve speed and consistency
Prioritize tools that offer localized version control and in-context editing to manage updates safely and reduce errors
Find one with financial automation features to manage enterprise-scale localization in one place to control costs
Make sure the TMS integrates with your codebase, CMS, and design tools to reduce manual steps and sync translations across your entire product ecosystem
Choose a robust localization tool like XTM to power fast, scalable translation processes. You’ll reduce the need to juggle tools and keep all teams aligned and efficient more easily.
Check out XTM features
Learn how to handle your entire SaaS localization process (from in-context previews to financial automation) in one platform.
3. Localize both UI and backend content
UI translation is just one part of the puzzle. To create a consistent customer experience, you also need to localize backend content.
Backend content includes:
Emails
Error messages
Legal disclaimers
Pricing and privacy policies
System-generated alerts
If you only translate the interface, users will run into untranslated touchpoints that feel disjointed or confusing.
Nothing screams ‘afterthought’ like a critical error message in English on a Japanese site.
These errors can have costly consequences in highly regulated industries like healthcare or finance. So, you have to think beyond your UI and take a more holistic approach from the start.
Say you offer a SaaS platform for pharmaceutical clinical trials and data management.
Along with trial management dashboards, you’d need to localize patient consent forms, research data protocols, and compliance documentation. All must be in line with each country’s specific regulations that you operate in.
How are four tips to cover all bases when localizing:
Audit all user-facing content like transactional emails and system prompts, not just visible UI
Use your TMS to manage translation projects for both fixed text and dynamic content (e.g., real-time notifications and user-generated content)
Ask your dev team to separate backend text (like error messages) and connect it to translation workflows so linguists can access it without needing code changes
Work with regional experts to review legal and compliance content to ensure it’s accurate and suitable for the local market
Localizing beyond surface-level translation delivers a complete, native experience for international customers.
Tailoring every detail ensures your product feels genuinely local, not just a translated version of something foreign.
4. Include in-context previews
In-context previews let translators and reviewers see how text appears within the actual product before it goes live.
Think of it as a visual quality assurance (QA) layer built into the localization process.
Translation out of context often leads to awkward phrasing and misinterpretation. It can also cause UI issues like cut-off text.
Seeing translations for SaaS products in the real UI helps catch those problems early.
For example, linguists can use Rigi (part of XTM) to spot where Dutch strings overflow buttons or labels don’t align.
Here’s what Rigi’s in-context previews look like:

Source: XTM
Fixing these issues before launch ensures a seamless UX. It also saves costly post-launch fixes or frustrating users.
Here are four tips to make the most of in-context previews:
Choose a TMS that supports real-time in-context editing (e.g., XTM)
Use design tools like Figma or staging environments that sync with your translations
Organize review cycles where translators and product owners can flag layout or phrasing issues
Prioritize complex interfaces with nested menus, dynamic tables, or long-form inputs
Seeing text in its actual environment prevents layout issues and misinterpretations down the line.
Preview translations in your UI to save time and avoid unnecessary back-and-forth.
5. Implement continuous localization
Continuous localization integrates translation into your development pipeline. This means the system automatically localizes every new feature, bug fix, and content update in real time.
Waiting until the end of a sprint or release to localize can delay things and lead to mistakes.
For example, you might end up with untranslated error messages or outdated payment methods. Or your flashy new feature only works in English.
Automating localization alongside development work keeps global users in sync. So, you can launch your features faster.
A tool like Transifex works directly with code repositories like Git. When something is updated (like new text in the software), the system automatically sends those changes to your TMS.
Here’s what continuous localization workflows look like in Transifex:

Source: Transifex
Transifex and the cloud-based TMS (e.g., XTM) handle translation automatically, so you don’t have to push or pull the updates manually.
Multi-branch support also lets your team work on different product versions simultaneously.
Picture this: you could have one version for a feature update and another for bug fixes to keep things moving.
Here are four tips to ensure you’re using continuous localization effectively:
Set up Git integration and webhooks to auto-push translations into your CI/CD pipeline
Use API and command-line tools to dynamically pull and push localized content as part of your workflow
Ensure multi-branch support to manage separate translation projects at the same time
Automate notifications and approvals for translation tasks, QA, and deployment
Integrate localization services with your development workflow so translations update as your product evolves.
6. Test thoroughly before launch
Roll out linguistic, functional, and UX testing to ensure quality and trust in every market you launch in.
Your software’s QA tests shouldn’t just check language. They must also evaluate how functions adapt to different text lengths and how content flows.
Even with good tools, mistakes like these can slip through.
Untranslated strings: Suddenly, a wild English phrase appears (in the middle of your Korean app).
Broken layouts: That ‘Submit’ button? It’s now hiding behind your footer.
Culturally awkward phrasing: It’s no ‘piece of cake’ (because no one says that in Germany).
Incorrect address fields: Not every country uses ZIP codes. Plus, users shouldn’t need a geography degree to sign up.
Let’s say a data analytics platform that helps manufacturers track supply chain performance is expanding into Japan.
During QA, it validates functionality to check that interactive dashboards display correctly across devices. It also conducts a cultural review to ensure data visualization colors align with local preferences.
For example, a Japanese user base may associate the color white with death and mourning.
Considering these nuances means creating a polished, localized product that feels tailor-made.
Here are five steps to thoroughly test your SaaS product when localizing:
Conduct linguistic QA with native reviewers or professional translators
Run functional tests to check for broken elements, links, or encoding issues
Do visual checks for layout issues on all screen sizes
Include cultural norms and sensitivity reviews to avoid problematic language or visuals
Refer to real user personas in different regions to simulate typical product usage
Running a range of tests ensures your software product looks, works, and feels right in every language you support.
Essential SaaS localization tools your software should include
To localize a SaaS product effectively, you need tools that handle everything from translation management to compliance checks.
The goal? Creating smooth and efficient localization workflows across teams.
Manual localization can be great for building patience. Not so much for products.
While disconnected tools increase manual work and leave room for errors, all-in-one platforms like XTM make collaboration easy and reduce rework.
You also want to choose software that can scale with your company as you grow.
Here are 11 core features that should be part of your localization tech stack and why they matter:
Localization feature | Why it’s important |
Translation management system | This hub manages localization projects, assigns tasks, and keeps translation workflows organized. |
AI translation and localization | AI improves translation quality and speed, handling high-volume content while spotting mistakes early. |
Machine translation (MT) | Useful for first drafts and low-visibility content, integrated MT saves time and reduces translation costs. |
In-context previews | Allows translators and reviewers to see how text appears within your actual product UI, preventing layout issues and guesswork. |
Quality assurance | Performs automated language and technical detail checks while detecting offensive or discriminatory content. |
Translation memory and glossaries | Stores previously translated content to ensure consistency and reduce redundant costs. |
Terminology management | Ensures accurate use of industry-specific terms (critical for highly regulated sectors). |
Automation | Automates repetitive tasks (e.g., assigning translators or flagging updates) to speed up workflows and reduce manual effort. |
Continuous localization | Keeps translations up to date with every product change, integrating into your CI/CD pipeline. |
Vendor and project management capabilities | Centralizes communication with translation vendors, tracks deadlines, and manages budgets in one place. |
Integrations | Connects with tools your teams already use so localization fits naturally into your workflows. |
Combined, the above features create a seamless localization and translation SaaS process.
(XTM has all of them, just saying.)
With everything in one place, you’ll reduce manual errors and ensure a consistent user experience across all markets.
Ready to implement your localization strategy with the right tech?
XTM provides the foundation for a scalable localization workflow, with integration capabilities that connect to your existing enterprise systems. Find the right TMS to transform your global content operations.
5 common mistakes to avoid in your SaaS product localization process
Avoiding common localization pitfalls saves time and money due to errors.
It also helps protect your software’s reputation in new markets. Meaning you’re more likely to offer a high-quality experience and less likely to offend anyone.
Remember: one culture’s formal language can be another’s slang.
Here are five of the most common mistakes and how to prevent them:
1. Missing cultural context for new target audiences
Even if your software text is technically correct, it may come across as awkward or irrelevant.
Literal translation doesn’t always land.
For example, imagery or even gestures can be offensive in certain regions. Someone giving a thumbs-up in Greece can be the equivalent of a middle finger.
These missteps can erode user confidence or make your product seem less local-friendly than competitors.
If your product feels foreign or tone-deaf, users won’t trust it.
Solution
Work with in-market linguists or reviewers who understand local norms. Apply these findings to your tone and examples, too.
Then, run UX testing with real users in your target market to catch any remaining issues before deploying it widely.
The right localization software can also fine-tune machine translations.
For example, SmartContext technology (part of XTM) uses your translation memories to stay context-aware for various content types.
2. Neglecting the technical side of localization
Poor technical setup leads to costly rework later. It also slows down your ability to scale into new markets.
You must use localization software that supports multiple languages (887 of them and counting at XTM). Instead of every new locale relying on manual fixes, they become seamless rollouts.
If text stays buried in code and UI elements can’t adapt, you’ll run into layout issues and hardcoded strings that translators can’t work on at all.
(It’s time to save your developers from waking up sweating over German button labels wrecking their perfect layouts.)
Solution
Use internationalization (i18n) best practices from the start. These foundations help you design and develop your product to adapt for localization.
Unicode encoding and dynamic UI layouts are both examples of i18n practices.
Pair internationalization efforts with developer frameworks and libraries that support multilingual content. This proactive approach allows for faster updates and minimizes the risk of disruptions.
3. Not planning for scalability
As your product evolves, you’ll need to localize updates continuously.
Without a scalable system, translation delays can block releases or lead to inconsistent experiences across markets.
Create products that easily incorporate new features, target languages, or teams. That way, you’ll avoid roadblocks and grow faster.
Solution
Invest in a TMS like XTM that supports continuous localization and automated workflows. Then, structure your content to reuse across features and platforms.
Plan to manage multiple languages and vendors earlier than necessary. So you’re prepared when the time comes.
4. Relying too much on machine translation
AI-powered MT is helpful for speedy, cost-effective translations. But over-relying on it can lead to awkward phrases or translations that just don’t make sense in local languages.
Technology can’t replace human judgment yet. Especially for nuanced content or super-regulated industries like life sciences or finance.
Involving native speakers or human translators ensures the app feels natural to users. Plus, you won’t break the law.
Solution
Use MT for straightforward, high-volume content. Then, layer on human post-editing for customer-facing or critical content.
Choosing a TMS that lets you customize MT engines and manage human reviews in one place makes it easy to balance speed with quality.
5. Forgetting to localize customer support materials
Even if your product is localized, users will still run into issues. And they’ll expect help content, chat, and documentation in their language.
A localized product with English-only support creates a frustrating gap. Users might churn simply because they can’t find help they understand.
Solution
Localize everything in your help center, including chatbot flows. Start with your biggest user markets and the most frequently viewed support articles.
Use a TMS with knowledge base integration to make this process even more straightforward and trackable.
Comprehensive SaaS localization can be a growth lever
SaaS localization isn’t just about translation. It’s also creating experiences that feel native to every user.
With the right tools, technical setup, and process, you can confidently scale faster in new markets. Because speaking your customers’ language isn’t just polite. It’s profitable, too.
Not sure which localization tool is the best fit for you? XTM Assess can help.
Ready to discover which localization features matter most to your SaaS company?
Take our quick quiz to identify the best tool for you.
Ready to discover the content localization features you need?
Take our quick quiz to identify the best tool for you.
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