Translation QA Checklist: 15 Must-Check Items
OpenL Team 11/7/2025
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Translation QA is where multilingual content wins or loses trust. This 15-point checklist distills how professional localization teams keep meaning intact, maintain style and locale rules, and ship safely under deadlines. Use it as a linear workflow or adapt per project risk.
Who needs this: localization PMs, in-house reviewers, freelance linguists, and product teams who must sign off translations without spinning cycles on rework.
How to run the checklist
- Gather the brief, latest source, and reference kit (style guide, termbase, brand voice).
- Decide the QA depth (spot check vs full review) and document what “done” means.
- Capture findings in a shared log so translators, reviewers, and PMs can close the loop.
Time estimate: Full QA for 1000 words takes 2-3 hours. Spot checks: 30-45 minutes.
🚨 In a rush? Focus on these critical items first: #3, #4, #9, #11, #14
15 Must-Check Items
1. Scope, Versions, and Access
Priority: High | Time: 10-15 min
- Confirm file versions match the latest source or ticket references; diff against prior deliveries.
- Re-read the brief: audience, goal, register, platform constraints, SEO keywords, and redlines.
- Collect reference material: do-not-translate list, banned terms, UI screenshots, legacy strings.
2. File Integrity and Segmentation
Priority: High | Time: 5-10 min
- Make sure pages, slides, or CAT segments are present and ordered; flag missing nodes.
- Verify encoding (UTF-8), line endings, and file formats before opening in CAT/QA tools.
- For JSON, PO, or key-value files, lint before QA so structural errors don’t masquerade as language issues.
3. Completeness vs Source 🔥
Priority: Critical | Time: 15-20 min
- Match paragraphs, bullet counts, tables, and captions one-for-one with the source.
- Scan for accidental additions, duplicated sentences, or content trimmed to hit limits without approval.
- Check embedded media: alt text, tooltips, aria labels, and transcripts mirror the source coverage.
Common error:
- ❌ Source has 5 bullet points, translation shows 4
- ✅ All 5 bullets present, even if reordered for grammar
4. Terminology and Glossaries 🔥
Priority: Critical | Time: 20-30 min
- Enforce approved terms from the termbase; replace legacy or regionally incorrect forms.
- Confirm abbreviations, product names, and trademarks follow the prescribed casing and spelling.
- Document any term not in the glossary so it can be added for future updates.
Common error:
- ❌ “Shopping cart” in en-GB (should be “Shopping basket”)
- ✅ Glossary term applied consistently throughout
5. Tone, Voice, and Register
Priority: High (Marketing) / Medium (Technical) | Time: 15-25 min
- Compare a few representative paragraphs against the style guide or brand voice samples.
- Adjust politeness (T/V), honorifics, and formality to the target audience, especially in APAC locales.
- Remove literal calques that make the copy sound robotic; rewrite for natural flow.
6. Locale Formatting Rules
Priority: High | Time: 10-15 min
- Numbers, decimal separators, thousand markers, and percentages reflect local norms.
- Dates, times, and weekdays use the correct order (DMY, MDY, YMD) and label format.
- Currency symbols, ISO codes, spacing, and position (before/after value) are localized.
Common errors:
- ❌ 1,234.56 for de-DE (should be 1.234,56)
- ❌ 12/5/2025 in EU context (ambiguous: use 5.12.2025 or spell out “5 December 2025”)
- ❌ $20 for EUR markets (should be 20 € or €20 depending on locale)
7. Units, Measurements, and Conversions
Priority: Medium | Time: 10-15 min
- Convert imperial ↔ metric with appropriate rounding; spell out rare units on first mention.
- Ensure temperatures (°C/°F), sizes, and weights stay consistent with product specs.
- Keep comparison statements truthful after conversion (e.g., “twice as light” still holds).
8. Names, Entities, and Sensitive Terms
Priority: High (Legal/Medical) / Medium (General) | Time: 10-15 min
- Respect do-not-translate lists for product names, legal clauses, and code terms.
- Localize people and place names only when there is a standard exonym; otherwise keep original.
- Double-check gendered language, inclusive wording, and culturally sensitive phrases.
9. Numbers, Data, and Cross-References 🔥
Priority: Critical | Time: 15-20 min
- Verify lists, statistics, and KPIs against the source—no swapped digits or missing signs.
- Make sure figure labels, captions, and in-text references point to the right assets.
- Validate URLs, email addresses, and phone numbers; remove staging links before release.
Common error:
- ❌ Source: “increased by 37%” → Translation: “increased by 73%”
- ✅ Double-check every number with source side-by-side
10. Layout, Structure, and Length
Priority: Medium | Time: 10-15 min
- Heading hierarchy (H1–H3) mirrors the source; no skipped levels or style drift.
- Paragraphs, bullet lists, and tables flow without widows, orphan words, or clipped text.
- UI strings respect length limits; note truncations for designers or engineers to resolve.
11. Placeholders, Tags, and Variables 🔥
Priority: Critical | Time: 10-15 min
- Keep placeholders (
{name},%s, ICU patterns) intact and ordered correctly. - Ensure HTML/Markdown tags are balanced, especially inside lists and tables.
- For rich text, confirm bold/italic emphasis matches the intent of the source.
Common error:
- ❌ “Hello {name}, your order is {total}” → “Bonjour {total}, votre commande est {name}”
- ✅ Placeholders remain in correct logical order
12. Accessibility and Assistive Content
Priority: Medium (High for Public Sites) | Time: 10-15 min
- Alt text, aria labels, and transcripts are translated, concise, and still descriptive.
- Keyboard shortcuts or access keys align with platform conventions and do not conflict.
- Screen reader cues (e.g., “opens in new tab”) remain accurate after localization.
13. Consistency Across the Document
Priority: Medium | Time: 15-20 min
- Use one spelling variant per locale (e.g., en-GB vs en-US) unless the client specifies exceptions.
- Repeat phrases, marketing slogans, and CTA buttons consistently unless context requires change.
- Check punctuation spacing (French thin spaces, Spanish inverted marks) stays uniform.
14. Automated QA Pass 🔥
Priority: Critical | Time: 10-15 min
- Run CAT QA reports for terminology enforcement, forbidden terms, and length limits.
- Use regex or search queries to catch double spaces, unmatched quotes, and digit typos.
- Spellcheck with the correct locale dictionary; log ignored words so the team can whitelist them.
No pro tools? Use Excel formulas + free tools:
- LanguageTool (spellcheck)
- Regex in VS Code/Notepad++ (find double spaces:
+) - Excel COUNTIF to verify number consistency
15. Final Read-Through and Handoff
Priority: High | Time: 20-30 min
- Read aloud or switch mediums (desktop → mobile) to catch flow or layout issues.
- Summarize critical issues, unresolved questions, and assumptions in the handoff note.
- Update translation memory, termbase, and issue tracker so future updates start clean.
Issue severity guide:
- 🔴 Critical: Wrong data, broken placeholders, missing content
- 🟡 Major: Term inconsistency, tone mismatches, formatting errors
- 🟢 Minor: Stylistic preferences, optional improvements
Quick Reference Table
| Phase | Checklist Focus | Priority | Est. Time | Tools/Artifacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prep | Scope, files, references | High | 15-25 min | Brief, source diff, style guide, termbase |
| Linguistic | Meaning, terminology, tone | Critical | 35-55 min | CAT editor, references, bilingual view |
| Locale & Data | Numbers, formats, links | Critical | 25-35 min | Regex pack, spreadsheet cross-checks |
| Structural | Layout, placeholders, accessibility | High | 20-30 min | Markdown preview, design mockups |
| Automation | QA reports, spellcheck | Critical | 10-15 min | Xbench, Verifika, LanguageTool |
| Final | Read-through, handoff, TM updates | High | 20-30 min | Issue tracker, delivery checklist |
Total for 1000 words: 2-3 hours (Full QA) | 30-45 min (Spot Check)
Copy-Paste Checklist
- Latest brief, source, and references confirmed
- All segments/pages present; encoding validated
- 🔥 Meaning and completeness match the source
- 🔥 Termbase, glossary, and do-not-translate lists enforced
- Tone, voice, and register aligned with audience
- Locale formatting (numbers, dates, currency) correct
- Units, measurements, and conversions verified
- Sensitive names/entities handled appropriately
- 🔥 Data, figures, and links accurate
- Layout, structure, and length limits respected
- 🔥 Placeholders and tags intact
- Accessibility text translated correctly
- Consistency (spelling, punctuation, CTA labels) confirmed
- 🔥 Automated QA/spellcheck completed and logged
- Final read-through done; handoff + TM updates delivered
