Multilingual Websites: A Glossary for Beginners

If you’re looking to translate your website into multiple languages, one of your first hurdles will be acquainting yourself with the technical jargon that website translation services use to describe what they do.

We know it feels like learning a foreign language… and no, the irony isn’t lost on us! 

To make this process as painless as possible, we’ve assembled a glossary of terms to help you become fluent in the language of multilingual websites in no time!

Here are some of the most important terms you should know:

Active Monitoring Insert (AMI)

Active Monitoring Insert (AMI) is a process of monitoring the translation quality of a multilingual website in real-time. This can be done using software or by a human team, and ensures that any translation issues are detected and corrected quickly. For example, an AMI system might alert the translation team if a translation error is detected on the website, allowing them to quickly correct the mistake.

Automatic Content Detection

Content detection is the process of identifying and extracting content from a website or application that needs to be translated. This might include text, images, or other media. For example, a content detection tool might scan a website and identify all the text that needs to be translated into another language.

Automatic Redirect

Automatic redirect is something that you can implement on your translated website that will automatically redirect visitors to the translated language of their choice, depending on the user’s own browser settings or IP address. There are advantages and disadvantages to using automatic redirect.  

Cookie

A cookie is a small piece of data that is stored on a user’s computer or device. Cookies are often used to store information about a user’s preferences, and can be used to personalize a website or application for that user. For example, a multilingual website might use cookies to remember which language version of the site a user has chosen.

DeepL

DeepL is a machine translation engine that uses neural machine learning technology to provide high-quality translations. It’s often used in multilingual website translation projects to ensure accurate and natural-sounding translations. For example, a website might use DeepL to translate its content into multiple languages.

DNS

DNS stands for Domain Name System. It’s a system that translates human-readable domain names (such as example.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (such as 192.0.2.1). DNS is important for ensuring that a website can be accessed by users all around the world, regardless of their location.

DHTML

DHTML stands for Dynamic HTML. It’s a technology that allows web developers to create interactive and dynamic web pages using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. DHTML is often used to enhance the user experience on a multilingual website, and can be used to create animations, pop-ups, and other interactive elements.

Dynamic Rendering

Dynamic rendering is a process that supplies non-human bots, like the Googlebot crawler, with a stripped-down, HTML version of a website that’s easy for them to crawl, while also supplying users with a fully optimized JavaScript version of a site that is more attractive and usable.

Global SEO / International SEO

Global SEO, or International SEO, is the process of optimizing a website or application for search engines in multiple countries or regions. This involves strategies such as keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building. For example, a multilingual website might use global SEO to improve its visibility in search results in different languages and regions.

Glossary

A glossary allows you to control translations for critical terms, phrases, brands, and products. You can create rules that will be automatically followed by MT engines, or you can provide commentary and guidance for human translators. This is especially important for critical or sensitive terms that could have potential implications in other languages or cultures. 

Hreflang tag

The hreflang tag is an HTML tag that tells search engines which language and country version of a page to display in search results. For example, a multilingual website might use hreflang tags to ensure that its pages are displayed in the correct language and country version for each user.

JavaScript

JavaScript is a programming language commonly used to create interactive effects on web pages. It’s often used to enhance the user experience, and can be used to create animations, pop-up windows, and more. For example, a multilingual website might use JavaScript to create a language switcher that allows users to switch between different language versions of the site.

Language Selector

One of the most common methods of presenting visitors to your website with an option to change language is to display a prominent but not-distracting language selector. Usually a dropdown of languages. There are a number of different approaches to styling and placing these, which have advantages and disadvantages.

Localization

Localization refers to the process of adapting a website or application – or anything really – to a specific language, culture, or region. This involves not only translating text, images, and other content into the target language, but also adapting design and functionality to meet local preferences and expectations. For example, a multilingual website might use localization to ensure that its content is culturally appropriate and relevant to the target audience.

For instance, if a company has a website that caters to a global audience, they may need to create multiple versions of the website, each tailored to a specific language or region. They will need to take into account factors such as local customs, preferences, and laws, and adapt the website accordingly. This may include translating content, adjusting colors and design elements to reflect cultural norms, and localizing product offerings and pricing to match local markets.

Machine Translation (MT) or MT Engine

Machine Translation, or MT, is the process of using software to automatically translate text from one language to another. An MT engine is the software itself that is designed to perform this task. For example, a multilingual website might use an MT engine to automatically translate its content into multiple languages. 

Metadata

Metadata refers to data that provides information about other data. In the context of a website, this might include information about the content of a page, such as its title, description, and keywords. For example, metadata can be useful for search engines to better categorize the content of a website and improve its visibility in search results.

Multilingual SEO

Multilingual SEO refers to the process of optimizing a website or application for search engines in multiple languages. This involves strategies such as keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building. For example, a multilingual website might use multilingual SEO to improve its visibility in search results in different languages.

Neural Machine Translation

Neural Machine Translation, or NMT, is a form of machine translation that uses neural networks to improve the accuracy and quality of translations. For example, a multilingual website might use NMT to provide more accurate and natural-sounding translations.

In-Context Editing

An in-context editor is a tool that allows translators or content editors to edit translations with a visual of a website or app. This can help improve efficiency and accuracy in the translation process. For example, an in-context editor might allow a translator to edit a translation directly on the multilingual website, rather than having to switch between different tools.

Professional Translation

Professional translation refers to the process of hiring a human translator or translation agency to translate content. This is often necessary for high-quality translations that accurately reflect the intended meaning of the original content. For example, a multilingual website might use professional translation services to ensure accurate and natural-sounding translations.

Proxy

A proxy is a server that acts as an intermediary between a user’s computer and the internet. Proxies can be used to improve website performance and security. For example, a multilingual website might use a proxy server to improve website performance for users in different geographic locations.

Query String

A query string is a part of a URL that contains data that is passed to a web application or script. For example, a multilingual website might use a query string to pass information about the user’s preferred language version of the site.

Server-side translation

Server-side translation is a process where translations are performed on the server, rather than on the client-side (i.e. in the user’s web browser). This can help improve website performance and reduce the load on the user’s device. For example, a multilingual website might use server-side translation to improve the speed and performance of the site.

Subdirectory

A subdirectory is a directory that is part of a larger directory. For example, example.com/blog is a subdirectory of example.com. Subdirectories can be used to organize website content and improve website navigation.

Subdomain

A subdomain is a domain that is part of a larger domain. For example, blog.example.com is a subdomain of example.com. Subdomains can be used to create separate language versions of a website, or to separate different types of content on a website.

Translation Memory

A translation memory, also known as a translation library, is a collection of translated content that can be reused across different projects. This can help improve translation efficiency and consistency. For example, a multilingual website might use a translation repository to store previously translated content that can be reused in future projects.