Localization - Getting started

Localization in Document360 is the process of adapting your knowledge base's content, visuals, and behavior to a specific language or region, so readers experience it as if it were built natively for them. Document360 does this by storing a separate version of each article for every language you add to a workspace, rather than translating pages as readers view them. Localization goes beyond translating text, and can also cover visual styling, regional formats, and automatic language detection.

What complete localization includes

Complete localization in Document360 covers more than translated article text:

• Article content — each article exists as stored, editable content in every language you add to the workspace.
• Titles and metadata — article titles, category titles, and meta titles are translated alongside the article body.
• Interface text — localization variables let you translate the labels and controls on your Knowledge base site.
• Visual customization — graphics, color, aesthetics, fonts, and images can be adapted per language.
• Regional formats — units of measure, currencies, and address and date formats can be localized to match the reader's region.
• Automatic language detection — Document360 can detect and load a reader's preferred language based on their login location or browser language settings.
• Cultural relevance — a fully localized knowledge base incorporates the nuances that make it feel native, rather than simply machine-translated.

When to use localization

Use localization when:

• Your customer base spans multiple countries or language groups, and a single-language knowledge base creates friction for non-English readers.
• You want to reduce support ticket volume by letting readers self-serve in their native language.
• You need search and Ask Eddy AI to work in each reader's language, not only the displayed page text.
• Your brand needs region-specific visuals, formats, or terminology to feel credible to local customers.
• You are entering a new market and want readers there to find your documentation in their own language.

How to set up localization

1. Enable a multilingual workspace and add the languages you want to support. See Multilingual Knowledge base.
2. Translate your content using one of the following:
   • Translate with Eddy AI for AI-powered translation from the portal.
   • Crowdin if you work with an external translation vendor.
   • Manual translation, by editing the article in each language.
3. Translate your site interface using localization variables.
4. Standardise product terminology across languages using glossary terms.
5. Set review reminders on source articles, so translations are flagged for updating when the source changes.

Limits and behaviour to know

Best practices

• Prioritise high-traffic content first. You don't need every article translated on day one. Start with the articles your readers access most and expand coverage over time.
• Draft new content in the default language first. Translate with Eddy AI translates outward from the default language, so keeping it as your single source avoids extra workflow later.
• Use machine translation as a first pass, then review manually. It produces a working draft quickly; human review confirms accuracy and preserves intended meaning, particularly for domain-specific terminology.
• Keep translated content in sync with the source. Use the Review reminder feature so a source edit prompts a translation update, rather than letting translations drift out of date silently.
• Localize all customer-facing content, not just articles. Include FAQs, user guides, smart bars, cookie consent text, and interface controls, so the experience is consistent end to end.
• Add languages incrementally. Each language multiplies your maintenance load. Confirm you can sustain one before adding the next.

FAQ