Localization News!
Hello, I just wanted to take a moment to share a couple of announcements that I'm super excited about! The big news is that we just launched Articulate Localization, which allows you to translate, validate, and manage your courses from within the Articulate 360 platform. 😍 Check out this article for more information. Along with that, I'm happy to share that we just launched a new Localization group where you can ask questions, discuss localization best practices, connect with others who work with localization, and more. Just hit the Join Group button to get started! I'm curious, have you started a trial of Articulate Localization yet? Let us know in the comments!Going Global with Storyline & Rise 🌍
Whether you joined today's webinars, Going Global with Storyline, Going Global with Rise, or you’re just starting to explore localization in Articulate 360 — this thread’s for you! We covered how to translate, validate, and publish global learning all inside Articulate 360. Now we’d love to hear from you: How do you approach localization? Do you translate directly, adapt visuals and tone, or take another approach entirely? 💡 Not sure where to start? Try one of these: Use Localization in Storyline or Rise to translate a sample course into a new language Experiment with side-by-side review or multi-language publishing Explore how visuals, tone, or examples shift across cultures 💬 Share a win, a challenge, or even a screenshot of your localized course below!Localizing e-learning in Articulate Storyline 360: a guide
This article was originally published on LearningGuild.com This article draws on firsthand experience to outline the key stages of content preparation, translation, and post-processing within the Articulate Storyline 360 environment. Instead of looking at program features, we focus on practical aspects of localization, including typical tasks, common errors, and best practices for maintaining high quality and linguistic consistency across locales. While intended for localization professionals, the insights are equally valuable for global training managers planning to scale their internal learning programs across languages and regions. Stage 1. Analysis and preparation for translation Font compatibility During Storyline initialization, missing fonts are displayed in a separate dialog box: ox You should check if these fonts support the target languages. Storyline does not warn about missing characters in target languages; it automatically uses system fonts instead. This can cause subtle inconsistencies: while most of the text will appear visually correct, certain characters will be rendered in a different font. Detecting this can be tricky, so it’s best to check fonts on a larger text sample using a tool like Adobe InDesign. Paste a paragraph with characters specific to the target language, apply the original font, and any missing characters will be highlighted in red. Image text Textual elements within images may be non-editable but require localization. To view a complete list of images, navigate to the Media Library under the View tab. The Media Library also shows slide assignments for images: To streamline text inspection, you can export images as separate files. The next step is to identify and select elements that need to be prepared for translation. Because images can be incorporated into animations or associated with object groups, we recommend preparing textual elements within images by exporting them to an external file (such as a bilingual DOCX table) rather than processing them directly in Storyline. Integrating text frames directly into the project file will substantially increase the complexity of the setup needed to maintain animations and related elements. In addition, one image can be referenced across different slides. To be efficient, we should prepare it once and then replace it once after translation. Video and audio As with images, the Media Library provides functionality to view and export audio and video files used in the project: At this stage, identify the video and audio files to be prepared for translation. This process can include exporting on-screen text, preparing subtitles, and replacing voice-overs. Preparation of video and audio for translation is a separate process with numerous intricacies. Layers and slide masters Some slides may incorporate layers and slide masters (templates that define layout and design across multiple slides): Both layers and slide masters should be taken into account when estimating the workload, as there can be quite a few of them, and processing them will take time. Button states Individual slide elements can have multiple states: States are typically used for button elements and similar interactive controls. The text within different states can vary, and this needs to be considered when analyzing the workload. Export for translation There are two export formats available for translation: XLIFF and DOCX. The choice is up to the client. When exporting to DOCX, the number of slides, layers, templates, and other assets important for a general understanding of the scope of work is indicated in the report at the beginning of the file. Stage 2. Translation The translation stage begins after completing analysis and exporting. Beyond technical accuracy, translations need to be contextually coherent, particularly given that the same element may have multiple uses throughout the course. Key considerations during translation include: Ensuring accurate and complete translation of all elements, such as states, layers, and masters Finalizing glossaries and stylistic specifications Using CAT tools that support XLIFF, where applicable Bear in mind that insufficient context (such as the absence of screenshots) can compromise the quality of the translation output. Hence, we suggest giving linguists a DOCX report or credentials to access a preview environment. Stage 3. Post-translation Translation import Importing is identical to exporting. First, select the required format: It is common for errors to arise during importing. A prevalent cause of import errors is the lack of successful alignment between source and target texts. Storyline does not report the cause of an error. Pay special attention to the target language during formatting. Formatting Storyline is not equipped with automatic text scaling functionality. Therefore, if translated phrases become longer (which often happens), you should: Manually adjust fields and fonts Review the layout of all slides, focusing on those incorporating interactive elements If styles were used in the project, they can be reapplied; however, their infrequent application during course development adds complexity to the process. Font replacement Use the Replace Fonts tab, located within the Home —> Paragraph —> Find/Replace menu, to perform a global font replacement across the entire file. Multimedia replacement To replace localized images, video, and audio, use the Replace option in the Media Library. The system automatically updates a replaced file across all slides where it is used. Subtitles Subtitles can be added to audio and video elements. All standard formats are supported: SRT, VTT, SBV, and SUB. AI-powered audio generation Storyline features AI-powered voice generation. Using Insert Text-to-Speech functionality, a voice can be synthesized from text through AI Audio. Publishing and quality assurance Storyline supports a range of publishing formats. Critical steps before the final version is generated: Agree on the publishing format with the client. Perform a quality assurance check using Review 360, a user-friendly tool for text verification and commenting that is particularly useful when the workflow includes multiple contributors (linguists, designers, and the client). A notable feature of Review 360 is its integrated display of both the slide identifier and its visual preview. Conclusion Effective localization of e-learning content using Articulate Storyline 360 requires an end-to-end approach, from meticulous content preparation through post-processing and on to generation of the final version. The way interface elements, slide arrangements, multimedia integration, interactivity, and hidden content are implemented sets this localization process apart from those of other software. Gaining a deep understanding of Storyline helps project teams avoid hidden pitfalls, streamline the workflow, and reduce costs caused by revisions and backtracking. More importantly, it enables a consistent user experience across languages, which is critical for global learning effectiveness. In our experience, success in Storyline localization is rarely about translation alone. It comes from working with teams who specialize in e-learning workflows — teams who understand both the tool and the learning context, and who can collaborate early with content owners to flag risks before they become blockers. Organizations that treat e-learning localization as a strategic function, not a final step, gain the ability to launch multilingual courses faster, with greater confidence in quality and learner engagement. Ultimately, the result is learning content that performs consistently, resonates culturally, and helps global teams thrive.
