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Best Practices for Preparing Content for Translation

A well-prepared source document leads to better translations — whether handled by AI or a professional linguist.
This guide shares actionable best practices to ensure smooth processing, high quality, and minimal post-editing.

📄 1. Start with Clear, Clean Source Content​

Why it matters:​

  • AI performs best when the input is structured and unambiguous
  • Human translators can focus on nuance instead of fixing errors

Tips:​

  • Use short, clear sentences with consistent grammar
  • Avoid slang, idioms, and overly complex constructions unless stylistically required
  • Don’t mix multiple ideas into a single sentence

🧾 2. Use Styles and Formatting Properly​

Why it matters:​

  • Helps preserve layout and structure in the translated version
  • Improves segmentation for CAT tools

Tips:​

  • Use paragraph and heading styles (don’t format manually)
  • Avoid unnecessary line breaks (Shift+Enter)
  • Don’t hide translatable text in images or diagrams

🧠 3. Build a Glossary Early​

A glossary improves consistency across projects and translators.

What to include:​

  • Brand/product names
  • Technical terms and jargon
  • Words that should remain untranslated
  • Tone-specific variations (e.g. "client" vs. "customer")

See: Glossaries →

📝 4. Define a Style Guide​

Specify:

  • Preferred tone (formal/informal)
  • Pronouns to use (e.g., “you” vs. “we”)
  • Local conventions (dates, measurements, currency)
  • Formatting rules (quotes, bullets, headers)

See: Style Guides →

🌐 5. Avoid Culture-Specific Content​

When possible:

  • Avoid idioms, jokes, or cultural references that don’t translate well
  • Be aware of images, colors, or examples that may not resonate globally

If you do include them, flag them for adaptation.

🗂️ 6. Organize Files Logically​

  • Name your files clearly (e.g. product_en.docx)
  • Avoid duplicates or near-identical versions unless using translation memory
  • If sending batches, use a ZIP file with a structured folder layout

Note: ZIP upload is not yet supported, but is planned for a future release. Please upload files individually for now.

📣 7. Add Context Where Possible​

AI and human translators work better when they know:

  • Where the content will appear (UI? Blog? Email?)
  • Who the audience is
  • What the goal is (inform, persuade, convert)

In Taia, you can leave comments in the editor or attach notes to tasks.

🔍 8. Review the Output​

Even with great input, always:

  • Review the translated file (especially public-facing content)
  • Use the CAT editor for spot-checks
  • Give feedback — AI suggestions improve over time

🚀 9. Reuse, Don’t Redo​

  • Use Translation Memory to reduce costs over time
  • Standardize content blocks that get reused across documents
  • Translate your highest-impact assets first, then expand outward

🔁 10. Automate Where It Makes Sense​

For high-volume or repeatable content:

  • Use the Taia API or n8n integration
  • Set up continuous localization pipelines (e.g. for docs, UI, CMS exports)

Need help preparing your content?
Let our team assist you →

Last updated on by Taia Admin