What's the Difference Between GILT: Globalization, Internationalization, Localization, and Translation?

Many terms in the translation world can be confusing and technical. For the most part, clients can let Taia know their goals, and we can guide them (no technical terms required). But it may be of value to know the difference between Globalization, Internationalization, Localization, and Translation (GILT) to understand what your business needs to succeed. Knowledge is power.

The “T” in GILT – Translation

Possibly the simplest to define in the GILT acronym, translation is the process of adapting one language to another (word-for-word). It is the most exact process. It aims to match the translated text as closely with the source text as possible.

Translation’s purpose is to inform. It adheres strictly to the source text and is less concerned with the style and intention of the content.

The engagement level is the most basic. Translation is used for emails, apps, forums, instructions, and scientific and technical content.

Key characteristics of translation:

• Word-for-word conversion between languages
• Maintains literal meaning and technical accuracy
• Less focus on cultural context or emotional impact
• Best for factual, instructional, or technical content
• Uses Translation Memory and glossaries for consistency

The “L” in GILT – Localization

Localization is an extension of the translation process. The content is translated but then further adapted for the target culture and ensured that it is relevant.

Localization aims to connect with an audience. It moderately adheres to the source text and aims to resonate with the target audience. It is more engaging than translation but not quite as engaging as transcreation.

Localization is used for website content, emails, training material, product information, marketing materials, and blogs. SEO localization is a good example of how the right approach impacts digital marketing results.

Key aspects of localization:

• Adapts content for cultural relevance and local preferences
• Considers local idioms, expressions, and communication styles
• Adjusts formats (dates, currencies, measurements, phone numbers)
• Modifies imagery, colors, and design for cultural appropriateness
• Balances brand consistency with local market expectations
• Ideal for marketing localization, eCommerce, and SaaS platforms

The “I” in GILT – Internationalization (also known as i18n)

Internationalization is a strategy. It involves making your business’ products and services adaptable so they can successfully enter different markets. Internationalization can be complex and technical.

If your business intends for your products or services to be used by people who speak different languages, internationalization would be a process you would follow.

The main difference between internationalization and localization is that internationalization is a process of designing products, services, and internal procedures to enable the expansion of a business into international markets. Localization is adapting the business’s products and services to be relevant to those markets.

Internationalization focuses on:

• Code-level preparation - Separating translatable text from code
• Unicode support - Enabling display of all character sets (Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, etc.)
• Flexible UI design - Accommodating text expansion (German is 30% longer than English)
• Right-to-left (RTL) language support - Arabic, Hebrew interface layouts
• Date/time/currency flexibility - Supporting multiple formats without code changes
• Multi-language databases - Storing content in multiple languages efficiently
• Modular content architecture - Enabling easy content swapping per locale

Think of internationalization as building the foundation. It’s the technical infrastructure that makes localization possible at scale. Without proper internationalization, every new language requires custom development work — expensive and unsustainable.

For SaaS companies, internationalization is critical before launching in new markets. It ensures your platform can handle multiple languages, currencies, and regional preferences without breaking the user experience.

The “G” in GILT – Globalization

Globalization is the process an organization undergoes to bring its business across national boundaries to the rest of the world. To go or “grow” globally.

Globalization includes a business connecting with their clients across the world. It includes product design, international customer service and marketing.

With technology, globalization has become something achievable for even smaller enterprises and gives a business a great opportunity to scale their business.

If your company goes global, it is important to partner with a business that has local experts to ensure your products, marketing, and services are culturally sensitive and relevant to different markets.

Globalization encompasses:

• Market research - Identifying high-potential international markets
• Business strategy - Setting expansion priorities and timelines
• Product adaptation - Modifying offerings for regional needs
• International marketing - Building brand awareness in new markets
• Compliance - Meeting local regulations, privacy laws, and standards
• Supply chain - Establishing distribution and fulfillment networks
• Customer support - Providing multilingual assistance
• Payment processing - Accepting local currencies and payment methods

Globalization is the big-picture strategy. It’s about making your entire business model work across borders, not just translating your website.

Globalization, Internationalization, Localization, and Translation (GILT)

To “grow” globally you need strategies and processes to successfully enter new markets. And you need a professional partner who is knowledgeable about your industry and knows the local markets you want to expand into.

If you wish to globalize your business, you need internationalization and localization/translation.

Internationalization to plan how to design and adapt your products and services to be appropriate. Localization and translation to ensure that your products and services are culturally relevant and in the language, your target market needs or prefers.

How GILT Components Work Together

1. Globalization (Strategy)
Your leadership team decides to expand into Europe, targeting France, Germany, and Spain as priority markets.

2. Internationalization (Preparation)
Your development team refactors the codebase to support multiple languages, currencies (EUR), and date formats (DD/MM/YYYY vs. MM/DD/YYYY).

3. Localization (Adaptation)
Your localization team adapts the UI, marketing materials, and support content for each market using Translation Memory and glossaries for consistency.

4. Translation (Conversion)
Professional translators convert your content into French, German, and Spanish while maintaining technical accuracy and brand voice.

The result? A seamless, culturally appropriate experience that feels native to users in each market — not like a translated afterthought.

Taia Platform – Your Ideal GILT Partner

Taia has extensive experience in producing and adapting content for global audiences. Our team are not only industry specialists but are native to the local markets. It gives your team a competitive edge when entering new markets.

Taia is based in Europe but has native language specialists based across the world. We specialize in translation and localization across all industries, continents, and in 189 languages.

How Taia supports your GILT strategy:

• AI-powered translation for speed and cost-efficiency
• Professional linguists for cultural accuracy and quality
• Translation Memory to maintain consistency across all content
• Glossary management to lock in brand terminology
• Translation Management System for team collaboration and workflow automation
• Industry expertise in SaaS, eCommerce, and marketing localization

Sign up to our platform for free and start translating immediately, or book a demo with our team in your time zone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between translation and localization?

Translation converts text from one language to another word-for-word, focusing on literal accuracy and preserving the original meaning. It’s ideal for technical documents, legal contracts, and instructional content. Localization goes beyond translation by adapting content for cultural relevance — adjusting idioms, imagery, formats (dates, currencies), tone, and design to resonate with a specific target market. Example: Translating “Black Friday sale” literally might confuse markets where Black Friday doesn’t exist; localization would adapt the concept to a culturally relevant promotion. Use professional translation services for accuracy and localization services for market fit.

What does internationalization (i18n) mean?

Internationalization (i18n) is the technical process of designing software, products, and content to support multiple languages and regions without requiring code changes. The “18” represents the 18 letters between the first “i” and last “n” in “internationalization.” Key elements: (1) Separating translatable text from code, (2) Supporting Unicode for all character sets (Chinese, Arabic, Cyrillic), (3) Flexible UI design for text expansion (German is 30% longer than English), (4) Right-to-left (RTL) language support for Arabic and Hebrew, (5) Multi-currency and date format flexibility. For SaaS companies, proper internationalization is essential before launching in new markets to avoid expensive custom development for each language.

When should I use globalization vs. localization?

Globalization is the big-picture business strategy for expanding into international markets — includes market research, product adaptation, compliance, supply chain, and international marketing. Localization is the tactical execution of adapting specific content and products for each target market. Use globalization when: Planning overall international expansion strategy, Deciding which markets to enter and when, Allocating resources for global growth, Setting up international operations and partnerships. Use localization when: Adapting your website for a specific country, Translating marketing materials for a target audience, Customizing product features for regional preferences, Ensuring cultural fit for marketing campaigns. Think: Globalization = strategy; Localization = execution. You need both for successful international expansion.

What is GILT in the translation industry?

GILT stands for Globalization, Internationalization, Localization, and Translation — the four pillars of successful international business expansion. G (Globalization) — Overall business strategy for going global (market research, expansion planning), I (Internationalization) — Technical preparation to support multiple languages and regions (code refactoring, Unicode support, flexible UI), L (Localization) — Cultural adaptation of content, products, and experiences for specific markets (dates, currencies, imagery, tone), T (Translation) — Word-for-word language conversion with technical accuracy. GILT provides a framework for companies planning international expansion. Most successful global businesses combine all four elements using a translation management system to coordinate efforts.

Do I need internationalization before localization?

Yes, internationalization should come first for digital products (software, apps, websites). Here’s why: Internationalization prepares your technical infrastructure to support multiple languages without code changes. Localization adapts content for specific markets. Without internationalization first: Each new language requires custom development, Text expansion breaks UI layouts, Right-to-left languages (Arabic, Hebrew) don’t display properly, Date/currency changes require code updates, Costs and timelines increase exponentially. With internationalization first: Add new languages quickly using Translation Memory, UI automatically adjusts for text expansion, RTL languages work out-of-the-box, One codebase supports all markets. For SaaS platforms, invest in internationalization during initial development to enable cost-effective global expansion later.

How do Translation Memory and glossaries fit into GILT?

Translation Memory (TM) and glossaries are critical tools for scaling localization and translation efficiently: Translation Memory stores previously translated segments and reuses them automatically — ensures consistency across all content (website, app, support docs), reduces costs by 30-60% on recurring content, speeds up translation for product updates and campaigns, improves quality by applying approved translations. Glossaries lock in approved terminology for brand names, product features, and industry jargon — maintains brand voice across 189 languages, prevents translators from using different terms for the same concept, ensures technical accuracy in specialized fields. Together, TM and glossaries make GILT scalable. Without them, every translation starts from scratch — expensive, inconsistent, and time-consuming. Professional translation platforms integrate both for maximum efficiency.

What’s the difference between localization and transcreation?

Localization adapts content for cultural relevance while staying fairly close to the source text — adjusts idioms, formats, and imagery for local markets, maintains the core message and information, used for websites, product descriptions, support content. Transcreation completely reimagines content to achieve the same emotional impact in a different culture — prioritizes intent and feeling over literal accuracy, may change messaging, slogans, and storytelling completely, used for marketing campaigns, brand taglines, creative advertising. Example: Localization would translate “Get started free” to maintain the same CTA. Transcreation might change it to “Your free trial awaits” if that resonates better culturally. For most business content, professional localization services are sufficient. Reserve transcreation for high-impact marketing where emotional connection is critical.

How does AI fit into GILT workflows?

AI-powered translation accelerates Translation and Localization in the GILT framework: AI excels at: Speed — translating millions of words in seconds, Consistency — applying Translation Memory and glossaries automatically, Scale — handling multiple languages simultaneously, Cost efficiency — reducing translation costs by 40-60%, Pattern recognition — learning from approved translations. AI struggles with: Cultural nuance — understanding local customs and humor, Creative adaptation — marketing localization requiring transcreation, Domain expertise — highly specialized legal or medical terminology, Context — knowing when literal translation doesn’t work. Best practice: Hybrid approach — AI handles first drafts, professional linguists refine and culturalize. This delivers speed and cost savings while maintaining quality and cultural fit.

What industries benefit most from full GILT strategies?

All industries expanding globally benefit from GILT, but these see the highest ROI: 1. SaaS and Software — Must support multiple languages and regions from day one, internationalization is critical for scalable growth, localization drives user adoption and retention. 2. eCommerce — Product descriptions, checkout flows, and customer support need localization, multiple currencies, payment methods, and shipping options require internationalization, cultural adaptation impacts conversion rates significantly. 3. Marketing and Advertising — Brand messaging must resonate culturally, campaigns require transcreation and localization, SEO localization drives organic traffic. 4. Manufacturing — Product manuals, safety documentation, and compliance materials need accurate translation, global supply chains require multilingual coordination. 5. Healthcare and Pharma — Regulatory compliance across markets, patient-facing materials require cultural sensitivity, technical accuracy is non-negotiable. Use a translation management system to coordinate GILT across teams.

How do I prioritize markets for localization?

Prioritize localization markets using data-driven decision-making: 1. Analyze existing demand: Which countries generate organic website traffic? Where do product inquiries come from? Are there support requests in other languages? 2. Evaluate market potential: Total addressable market (TAM) size, GDP and purchasing power, Competitors already localized there? 3. Consider linguistic efficiency: Spanish reaches 20+ countries, French covers Europe and Africa, Chinese (Simplified) opens massive Asian market. 4. Assess technical readiness: Is your platform internationalized? Can you support the language technically (RTL, character sets)? 5. Calculate ROI: Translation costs vs. potential revenue, Translation Memory reduces ongoing costs, Start with 2-3 high-potential markets. Best practice: Use a phased approach — launch, optimize, then expand. Monitor metrics (conversion rates, engagement, revenue) and iterate before adding more languages.

What are common internationalization mistakes to avoid?

Top internationalization mistakes that break localization efforts: 1. Hardcoding text in source code — Makes translation impossible without code changes; use resource files instead. 2. Assuming text length — German is 30% longer than English; UI must accommodate expansion. 3. Ignoring RTL languages — Arabic and Hebrew require right-to-left layouts; design for bidirectional text from the start. 4. Embedding text in images — Graphics with text can’t be translated; use overlays or CSS instead. 5. Using locale-specific formats — Don’t hardcode date formats (MM/DD/YYYY vs. DD/MM/YYYY), currencies, or phone numbers. 6. Concatenating strings — “Your cart has ” + itemCount + ” items” breaks in languages with different grammar structures. 7. Skipping Unicode support — Leads to garbled characters in non-Latin scripts. Solution: Invest in proper internationalization during initial development. Use a translation management system that integrates with your codebase to catch issues early.

How long does it take to implement a full GILT strategy?

GILT implementation timelines vary by scope and company size: Globalization (Strategy) — 1-3 months for market research, expansion planning, stakeholder alignment. Internationalization (Technical Prep) — 2-6 months for existing products (refactoring code, implementing Unicode, RTL support), Build it in from day one for new products (2-4 weeks extra development time). Localization (Content Adaptation) — 2-4 weeks for first market (website, app, marketing materials), 1-2 weeks for additional markets (leveraging Translation Memory), Ongoing as you add features and content. Translation (Content Conversion) — Days to weeks depending on volume, AI translation delivers initial drafts in hours, Professional review adds 1-2 weeks for quality. Total timeline for first market: 3-9 months depending on product complexity and readiness. Accelerators: Proper internationalization from the start, Translation management system for workflow automation, Hybrid AI + human approach for speed and quality.