Keep Every Release Localized With Continuous Localization

Key takeaways

Continuous localization turns each source change into a repeatable translation loop, rather than a separate translation project.
General Translation connects code, files, and connected content sources to translation, review, and delivery workflows for 120+ locales.
The CLI and Locadex can put translation work into the same pull request and push workflows your team already uses.
Shared Context Groups keep product language consistent across your app, docs, web, mobile, and desktop surfaces.
Starter has a $0 platform fee, with usage-based billing and unlimited projects and users on every plan.

What continuous localization is

Continuous localization means translations are updated as source code or content changes. The source locale is the original content; each target locale is a localized version of it. i18n is the engineering work that makes an experience capable of supporting locales, while l10n is the adaptation of that experience for a specific locale. See the key concepts for the underlying vocabulary.

That is different from batch localization, where a team exports content, sends it out, waits, and re-imports it after each release. A continuous setup makes translation another release input, so the source and target locales do not quietly diverge.

Why fast-shipping teams need it

A packed roadmap creates a predictable failure mode: the source experience ships, then localized versions wait for a separate handoff. After a few releases, the backlog is harder to untangle. Product terms change in one place, while web copy, developer docs, and mobile UI keep older wording.

That is especially costly for fast-growing AI-native companies with little or no translation infrastructure. You need to add languages without building a manual operation around every pull request. General Translation is designed to make that first localization workflow part of how engineering ships. It only takes a few minutes to add a language, then the system can provide hundreds of translation updates a day to our top customers.

What a continuous setup looks like

The loop starts where your source already lives. Developers can use open-source SDKs for app code, while teams with content files can use JSON, YAML, Markdown, or MDX. A repository or CMS changes. The CLI can run in CI, or Locadex can detect the work and generate translations.

Before those translations are delivered, shared Context Groups supply a Glossary and Custom Prompts. That gives the same product vocabulary to work originating in web, docs, mobile, or desktop. Reviewers use the Translation Editor to inspect and approve work. Finally, translations can live alongside local files or be served through the Translation CDN.

For content sources connected to GitHub, CMS platforms, Google Slides, or Figma, Locadex can open a pull request for the team to merge. For file-driven projects, the CLI quickstart is the direct path.

Set it up with General Translation

Initialize the project. Start the CLI setup wizard from the repository that contains your source content.
```
npx gt init
```
```
npx gt init
```
Create and configure the locale file. Use the configuration command to create gt.config.json, then define the source locale, target locales, and the files or project settings that apply to your repository. The CLI quickstart documents the setup flow and available configuration guidance.
```
gt configure
```
```
gt configure
```
Generate translations locally. Run translation against the configured project to produce the target-locale work.
```
gt translate
```
```
gt translate
```
Put the command on every change. Add the same translation command to a GitHub Action that runs for the pull requests or pushes you choose. Alternatively, connect a source to Locadex and select the “Generate translations and push” automation template.
```
gt translate
```
```
gt translate
```

The CLI also supports separate CI stages for uploading, enqueuing, and downloading translations when your pipeline needs those steps split apart.

Keep quality high as volume grows

Treat shared context as release infrastructure, not a last-minute review task. Create Context Groups with a Glossary for approved product terms and Custom Prompts for product and voice instructions. Because Context Groups are organization-level, the same context can guide translations across product surfaces.

Use the Translation Editor for web review, or review and approve work through the API or CLI when that better fits your workflow. For a newly added glossary locale, registering the locale does not fill its glossary column. Use the Dashboard Translate flow to populate that column, then review the results before relying on it.

Cost model

General Translation uses usage-based billing, so translation cost follows the content you process. Every plan includes unlimited projects and users, and Starter has a $0 platform fee. The public pricing page also lists unlimited languages on Starter, plus Translation Editor, GitHub integration, and Locadex AI Agent.

Limitations and prerequisites

Your repository or content source needs a defined source locale and target locales before a continuous translation loop can run. For CLI projects, those settings live in gt.config.json; connected-source workflows require the relevant source connection and automation choice.

One tested glossary behavior matters during setup: registering a locale does not automatically populate that locale's glossary column. Populate it with Dashboard Translate, then have a reviewer check the proposed terminology. No other untested limitations are assumed here.

FAQ

How does continuous localization prevent translation delays?

It removes the export, handoff, and re-import cycle from each release. When source code or content changes, the configured CLI or Locadex workflow can generate updated target-locale work as part of the same engineering process, with review before delivery.

Can we start without an existing localization system?

Yes. This workflow is built for teams adding translations for the first time or replacing a process that cannot keep up with releases. Start with the CLI for files and repository workflows, or connect a supported source to Locadex for automated pull-request-driven work.

Can the same terminology stay consistent in the app and documentation?

Yes. Context Groups share a Glossary and Custom Prompts at the organization level, so teams can apply the same product language across surfaces. Reviewers can then approve translations through the web, API, or CLI workflow.

Do we need to translate every release manually?

No. After configuration, run gt translate in your CI workflow on the pull request or push events you choose, or use a Locadex automation template. Your team still controls review and merge decisions.

What does the platform cost as we add contributors?

Pricing is usage-based, not seat-based. The Starter plan has a $0 platform fee and includes unlimited projects, users, and languages; consult the public pricing pages for current usage rates.