What is localization in localization testing?
Localization represents the process of adapting content to the culture of a country.
This process has different steps which include the internationalization of the product, the translation of the content, documentation, UI, and the testing phase.
The goal of localization testing is to ensure that the product meets the needs and expectations of users in different regions and can be used effectively and correctly by them.
Note: Localization Testing is a separate topic from manual Functional Testing, and it doesn't interfere with general rules for those tests. If something is in the scope of Localization Testing, it doesn't mean that it is, by default, in the scope of Functional Testing.
For instance, in Functional Testing typos are OOS while they are in the scope of Localization Testing.
Localization testing scope includes:
Checking the translation correctness of texts, tooltips, descriptions, messages
Checking of localized materials into the product: documentation, marketing assets
Checking that the product is adapted for a specific target audience by its cultural, linguistic, religious, and political references
Testing the content and visual aspects of the user interface and files in the target language
Testing of formats of currencies, numbers, dates & times, phone numbers
Testing overall functionalities related to content, languages, and local settings,
e.g. changing store locale doesn't change the store language, search and sorting in the target language, system stores data correctly in the target language
Localization documents
Glossary
Rulebook & style guides
Translation memory/terminology database
Type of testing in localization testing
Linguistic testing
Types of mistakes
Missing translation (text is shown in the source language)
Grammar mistakes, typos
Punctuation mistakes
Formatting issues
Visible code snippets
Some examples on a web page:
Translation improvements
When possible, provide a translation when it's missing, or context to your improved translation suggestions directly in the expected results.
Also check for:
Homonymous or Synonyms
Wrong tone
Poor readability
Formality level
Consistency (e.g. consistent terminology across all the applications)
Grammatically correct words or sentences that have different meanings
depending on the context in which they are placed
Cultural testing
Testing translation text in context
Verify that the product is adapted for a specific target audience by its cultural, linguistic, religious, and political references.
Religion
Sexual, revealingly dressed characters and vulgar language
Prejudices and stereotypes associated with culture and the people themselves
Wars, military conflicts, terrorism
Politics, including the specific view of different countries on history
Other native cultural references
UX/UI testing
Products' layout is broken/inconsistent
User interface appearance with content
Images, banners with missing translations or culturally inappropriate imagery
UI elements broken/cutout or offset (menu options, buttons...)
Compliance testing
If applicable, consider the following:
Known copyrights or intellectual properties
Peculiarities of the legislation and culture of individual countries
The age restrictions for applications
Legal requirements in different regions. E.g., in a certain country foreign exchange transactions are prohibited to everyone except the Bank of that country
Example of how the famous cartoon "SpongeBob" changes or ignores translations in different countries: Italian, Spanish & French copyrights.
Colors and symbols
Specific colors and symbols, which may have different meanings depending on the country, should also be considered when testing localization.
Example: In Western cultures (like the United States and most European countries), red often symbolizes danger, love, passion, and stop signals in traffic. However, in China, red signifies good fortune, festivity, and prosperity.
Additional topics
Test if available:
Sound and soundtracks
Videos and other multimedia
Realistic or historical scenes
Phrases or quotes
Copyright infringement
PLEASE NOTE:
⚠️ Excessive localization warning! ⚠️
Not everything needs to be localized.
Some elements must retain their original appearance without translation. E.g., trademarks, logos, abbreviations, product names.
If you are unsure, consult the guidelines, rulebooks, or glossary documentation provided in the test instructions.
Examples of localization defects
Localization defects are issues that occur when a website or application is not properly translated or adapted for different languages and cultures. These defects can confuse, and frustrate, and even hinder the product's functionality for users in different regions.
The localized content does not fit into the boundaries set by the interface (cut off, scrolled)
Offset of content or UI elements
Overlap of content or UI elements
Missing translation
Unreadable font/size
Incorrect translation or transliteration
Subtitles don't match audio/speed of video or multimedia content
Incorrect translation example:
Original English text: "Save changes"
Translated Spanish text: "Ahorrar cambios"
Explanation: In this example, the Spanish translation is incorrect. The verb "ahorrar" means "to save" in the context of saving money, not saving changes in a software context. The correct translation should be "Guardar cambios".
Standard bug type categorization
Context -> Translation correctness in a specific context
Culture -> Appropriateness with a particular culture
Tone -> Right tone to the target audience
Consistency -> Consistent terminology across all products Format > Currency, date & time format
Grammar -> Grammar, punctuation, typos
Missing translation -> Text not translated, or translated in a language other than the target language
UI ->Design & layout
Functional -> functionality related to content
TEST EXPECTED RESULTS:
Linguistic verification
Language features are tested. The tester needs to make sure that:
Consistent terminology is used
There are no grammatical defects
There are no spelling defects
Punctuation rules are followed
Correct text direction is used (right to left or left to right)
The correct names of brands, cities, places, positions, etc. are used
User interface (or appearance)
It is important to make sure of the following:
All captions in the pictures are localized
The layout of the localized version is displayed and behaves correctly
Line breaks on pages/screens are placed by the rules of the target language
Conversations, pop-ups, and notifications are displayed correctly
The length of the lines does not exceed the existing limits, and the text is displayed correctly (sometimes the translation text is longer than the original and does not fit in the allocated space)
Functionality
It is necessary to test if the localized application is working correctly, so attention is drawn to:
Functionality of a localized product related to content and language settings
Functions for entering information
Support for special characters for different locales and languages
Support for keyboard shortcuts
Support for various fonts
Support for various format separators
