How to Integrate a CMS with a Translation Service
IntermediateQuick Answer
TL;DR
Integrate a content management system (CMS) with translation services like Smartling, Lokalise, Phrase, or Transifex by exporting content from the CMS to the translation platform, managing the translation workflow, and importing translated content back. Modern integrations use APIs for real-time sync — when source content changes, the translation platform is notified and can trigger re-translation. The CMS stores translations as locale variants of the same content.
Key Takeaways
- Export CMS content to translation platforms via API, not manual copy-paste
- Webhook notifications trigger re-translation when source content changes
- Import translated content back as locale variants of the original document
- Field-level translation gives more control than document-level duplication
- Machine translation (Google Translate, DeepL) can provide first drafts that human translators refine