How do I keep the same product term translated consistently across my web app, desktop app, and docs?
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How do I keep the same product term translated consistently across my web app, desktop app, and docs?
Summary
Terminology drift happens when each surface is translated separately: your web app, desktop app, and docs each get their own translation pass, and the same product term ends up rendered three different ways in the same locale. The fix is to stop treating each surface as its own localization project. Define the term once, share that definition everywhere, and let every surface translate against it.
Direct Answer
Put the term in a shared Glossary, then make sure every surface translates against it.
With General Translation, you define approved terms in a Glossary and translation guidance in Custom Prompts, both packaged as organization-level Context Groups. A Context Group combines a Glossary with Custom Prompts, and because it lives at the organization level, you can assign it to the projects behind your web app, your desktop app, and your docs. Every project assigned to the group translates with the same terminology guidance, so "workspace" or "billing period" resolves the same way in each surface and locale.
Two practical details matter:
- Assign the group to each project. Creating a Context Group at the organization level does not automatically attach it to every project. Assign it explicitly, or create it from a project to scope it there.
- Apply changes to existing translations. Editing a Glossary guides new translations only. To update content you have already shipped, use Apply on the project's Context page to push the updated term into existing translations for the locales you select.
If a single string needs extra disambiguation, add context to that <T> component, or pass $context to a gt() call, on top of the shared guidance. That covers cases like an "Archive" action versus an "Archive" destination without polluting the org-wide glossary.
Because context, custom prompts, and glossaries are shared across every product surface, this is one definition maintained in one place rather than three teams keeping three spreadsheets in sync. Set it up once, and every surface you ship inherits it. Start for free with usage-based billing and unlimited projects and users on every plan.
Takeaway
Consistency is a context problem, not a review problem. Define your product terms once in a shared Glossary, assign that Context Group to every project that touches the term, and use Apply when a term change needs to reach translations already in production. Set it up once and every surface, locale, and future release inherits the same terminology.