The misinterpretation of technical documentation or API references increases the risk of implementation errors, leading to support inquiries and delayed adoption. Understanding every piece of content on a developer portal might be challenging and time-consuming for a non-native speaker. Without properly localized documentation, developers are more likely to rely on customer support for clarification (or leave altogether). From a business perspective, the absence of localization hinders global expansion and reduces competitiveness.
In this article, we deep dive into the importance of translation and localization, and introduce a possible solution to enhance content comprehension and provide a smooth and engaging experience for every user.
Translation vs. Localization: differences and their importance
Incorporating translation and localization into content strategy ensures that the developer portal communicates effectively and connects meaningfully with a diverse, global audience. While translation can bridge the barriers, localization (and internationalization) prepares your developer portal to support multiple languages, regional formats, and cultural nuances from the ground up.
Bridge language gaps with translation
Translation focuses on linguistic accuracy and clarity while making sure the content remains clear and comprehensible in the target language.
According to Statista’s report, there are almost 1.53 billion people worldwide who speak English either natively or as a second language. Even if it is an impressive number, many users prefer to read in their native language to understand the content confidently and save time. When it comes to technical details, clear understanding and speed are essential to success.
We are in connection with a company based in a non-English-speaking region that has developers who primarily use their native language. In those cases, technical content is initially created in the first language, but to support their global presence, an English version of all documentation is also necessary.
While tools like browsers and AI-powered services (including ChatGPT) can help users get quick translations, they often fall short when it comes to developer portals. Technical documentation (especially interface descriptions, integration guides, and narrative documentation) is typically filled with domain-specific terminology that automated systems struggle to interpret accurately.
It is also common for professionals to engage in translanguaging: fluidly integrating domain-specific, foreign-language technical terms, similarly to how multilingual people would do. This hybrid language use reflects how professionals naturally communicate but also creates unique challenges for localization. Not all terms should be translated, and not all translations will make sense without industry context.
That is why relying solely on generic translation tools is not enough. For developer portals, accurate, context-aware localization is essential. It ensures that even jargon-heavy content is understandable, useful, and trustworthy for global developer audiences. Providing this level of quality demonstrates commitment to the developer experience and helps reduce friction in adoption and integration.
Adapt your content to cultural expectations with localization
Localization goes beyond translation as it adapts content to align with the cultural, regional, and functional expectations of the target audience. This includes modifying elements such as:
- visuals and colors,
- date and time formats,
- units of measurement,
- cultural references,
- and more.
For example, a developer portal catering to Brazilian developers might use Portuguese language, local code examples, and metric measurements. A portal targeting the Arabic-speaking Gulf region might adapt visuals, layout direction (right-to-left), and date formats to align with local cultural norms and expectations. In contrast, a portal for Japan could emphasize formality, precision, and compatibility with local tools or platforms to resonate with Japanese developers.
With proper localization, you can:
- provide content that feels native to the user which increases engagement and trust,
- open doors to new markets by making content accessible and relevant,
- make content that aligns with local regulations and reflects cultural expectations, creating a more seamless user experience.
Increase customer engagement and smooth user experience: multi-language support with Drupal-based developer portals
Drupal provides a solid foundation for building multilingual, culturally adapted developer portals. With its capabilities, you can translate everything from pages and menus to user profiles, with full control over which content is translated and how it is presented.
“This module allows you to decide whether each type of content entity (node pages, comments, custom blocks, taxonomy terms, user accounts, etc.) should be translatable or not. Then, within each entity type, you can decide whether the sub-types (content types for node page content, terms in particular vocabularies for taxonomy, etc.) should be translated. And within each translatable entity sub-type, you can decide which fields should be translatable.” - Quote from the Translating content article (source: Drupal’s website).
Building on this, one of our solutions is multi-language support which enables localization, ensuring a seamless experience for users regardless of their location or language. Users can select their preferred language to view content tailored to their region and linguistic preferences. The ability to switch between languages enhances content comprehension, providing a smooth and engaging experience for everyone.
Manual translation and full automation
Drupal’s translation support is twofold as it provides manual and automated translation. Manual translation means the translated text is placed into a WYSIWYG editor, with or without help from outside tools.
In this context, full automation means the system handles translation entirely: it sends the content to a translation service, receives the translated version, and then either saves it as a draft or publishes it directly to the developer portal.
AI-assisted machine translation has become significantly more advanced and, in some cases, can handle simpler texts without human intervention. However, even with high-quality results, we strongly recommend including human review by a fluent speaker of the target language to ensure accuracy and contextual relevance.
Localization and translation examples
A clear example of Drupal’s capabilities is the support of right-to-left (RTL) languages such as Arabic, Persian (Farsi), and Hebrew. These languages present unique challenges beyond vocabulary and grammar: they require a different content flow, page layout, and user interface logic. Without proper RTL handling, content becomes disorienting and harder to navigate for users.
Drupal addresses this with built-in capabilities that activate automatically when an RTL language is selected:
- The system adds the dir="rtl" attribute to the HTML markup.
- Text alignment and navigation patterns adjust accordingly to match cultural expectations and reading habits.
With the right coding, it is also possible to include mirrored layouts and block positioning, to create a more intuitive structure for native RTL readers. This means that when you localize a developer portal for Arabic-speaking audiences (for example, developers in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or the UAE) Drupal can adapt the experience holistically.
While it still needs some fine-tuning, Drupal’s capabilities already show promising results. In our experiment, we translated a page where the title remained in English ("Moon Rover Photos API") and the subtitle appeared in Persian ("معرفی" meaning “Introduction”). The blocks were well-spaced, and the layout maintained good readability throughout. The design is also consistent as it is tied into Drupal’s theming layer.
Drupal supports Japanese just as well as Persian and other languages, thanks to its full Unicode support. This includes UTF-8 compatibility, which covers Japanese scripts like kanji, hiragana, and katakana.
While Latin American (LATAM) countries do not require RTL layout adjustments, the region presents its own set of localization requirements. Spanish and Portuguese are the dominant languages, but regional variations require careful handling of terminology, tone, and formatting.
Drupal’s multilingual framework supports these use cases with per-language configuration, allowing content editors to tailor vocabulary, measurement units, date formats, and examples to specific countries or regions. This level of customization helps create a developer experience that feels both familiar and efficient, ultimately increasing trust and engagement.
As we see, localization is not just a content task, it is a design principle. Drupal’s flexible multilingual architecture makes it possible to define distinctions at a granular level: down to individual content types, menus, and interface components.
Requirements and Limitations of Multi-Language Support
Managing multilingual content demands thorough editorial oversight, even with automated translations. At least one editor should be fluent in the target language(s) and have technical expertise in the developer portal’s subject matter to ensure linguistic and technical accuracy.
We recommend an active subscription to a translation service for automated content translations upon creation or updating of the original English content. But keep the following items in mind:
- Conventional machine translation tools (excluding GenAI solutions) are not recommended for technical documentation, as they may produce inaccurate or misleading results.
- Professional translation services involving human translators can deliver high-quality results, but they are often expensive, and the translators may lack the technical expertise required for API documentation.
- AI-powered machine translation is generally effective, but it still requires human review, particularly for core documentation where accuracy is critical.
Do you want to open up to new business audiences in various regions? Are you unsure what are the next steps for your developer portal or need help with possible development? Reach out to us to discuss your case or start with the free, technology-agnostic assessment to see your developer portal’s health score.
Explore our Techwriting and UX Services to see how we can help or drop us a line. We can assemble a team from our experts with diverse specialties tailored to your needs.
Resources:
- Support full UTF-8
- Front Page Per Language
- Translating content
- How Zero Gravity Developer Portal Enhances Content Management - Part2
- Multi-Language Support
- Statista report from 2025
- The Importance of Internationalization and Localization for Software Developers by Marina Gracen-Farrell (Lokalise’s YouTube channel)
- The high risks of playing the Internationalization Danger Game by Marina Gracen-Farrell (LinkedIn Newsletter)
All Pronovix publications are the fruit of a team effort, enabled by the research and collective knowledge of the entire Pronovix team. Our ideas and experiences are greatly shaped by our clients and the communities we participate in.
