Four services, four jobs
- Translation: accurate meaning in another language. Right for contracts, manuals and reports.
- Localisation: translation plus adapting formats, currencies, units, images and references for a market. Right for websites, apps and products.
- Transcreation: recreating marketing messages so they have the same effect in another culture.
- Certified or sworn translation: a translation formally attested for official use. Requirements depend on the country and the receiving body.
Quality signals
- Native speakers of the target language with subject knowledge.
- A second linguist revising the work, as ISO 17100 requires.
- Glossaries, style guides and translation memory for consistency.
- Membership of professional bodies such as ATA, ITI or CIOL.
Machine translation: where it fits
Machine translation is useful for the gist and for internal drafts. For anything customers, regulators or courts will read, use a professional translator or a professional “post-editing” service, where a linguist corrects machine output.
How to brief a translation agency
- Source files in editable formats.
- Target languages and markets (for example, Spanish for Spain or for Mexico).
- Purpose and audience.
- Glossary, brand voice and anything that must not be translated.
- Deadline, and whether you need certification.
Compare translation and localisation providers, and make sure your website is ready for more than one language.
Last updated: 10 September 2026
