Localization testing is a procedure that assures the accuracy of translation in context and

ensures that an application behaves as expected whether it is for desktop, mobile or online
distribution. Once the translated text is implemented into the user interface, it’s time for
localization testers to take the application for a test drive and give it the “ready to go”
approval.

If you want learn how this fits into the bigger picture, check out this post on the translation
quality assurance process.

The amount of time required for testing your product depends on the word count, the
number of dialog boxes/pages to review and also the experience and knowledge of your
localization engineers and testers. Like software QA, localization testing is a two-step process
where a tester files a defect and then verifies it after engineering addresses the issue. This
two-step process may need to be repeated many times, until all issues have been addressed
or deferred to a future version.

The amount of testing will depend on your requirements and the depth of your localization
effort. Always make sure to provide your testers with detailed instructions and test cases.
There are situations where you may want to do ad-hoc testing, however, formal testing is a
necessary step to ensure quality. Don’t forget, in localization QA, many different testers will
repeat the same functions (as many as the number of languages you have). Unless you
provide a test script, you won’t know if all of them tested the entire product or not.

If you are looking for tools to make life easier when doing localization testing, here are
some free and nearly free tools that might be able to help you out.

Now, on to the checklist…

Learn how to use the checklist

 Pass Fail N/A Notes

Background information about the

product was provided to testers

Glossaries are available for reference and

consistency check

Previously translated products are

available for reference

Pass Fail N/A Notes

Date and time are properly formatted for

target region

Phone number formats are properly

formatted for target region

Colors are appropriate for the target

market and express the desired message

Licenses and product names obey

country-specific regulations

Provided phone numbers are accessible

by the users in the target market

Currency conversions and formats are

handled properly

Learn how to use the checklist 1

 Pass Fail N/A Notes

Terminology is consistent across the UI,

help files and documentation

Text is free of grammatical mistakes

Text is properly translated

Text is free of character corruption

Pass Fail N/A Notes

Localized images are good quality

Layout is consistent with the

source/English version

Line breaks and hyphenation are correct

Learn how to use the checklist 2

 Pass Fail N/A Notes

Basic functionality tests were performed on

the localized application (provide test cases)

Hyperlinks function properly

Hot keys are functional

Entry fields support special characters

Validation of fields works properly

(e.g. postal codes for target region)

Lists are sorted according to target language

and region

Learn how to use the checklist 3