How to Translate a Website with AI

Website localization involves more than translating paragraphs. A team must identify visible text, metadata, navigation, forms, error messages, image text, emails, and dynamic content. AI can draft translations and apply a glossary, but it can miss context, formality, regional vocabulary, or product-specific meanings. Use human review for important pages and high-impact content, especially legal, medical, financial, and safety information. Google Search Central recommends separate URLs for language versions and hreflang annotations to help Search surface the appropriate version; the annotations should connect the relevant alternates, including the page itself. Google also relies on visible page content to determine language, so avoid mixing multiple full-language versions side by side on one page. Keep each localized page crawlable and ensure navigation, canonical URLs, and language selectors work. Do not assume hreflang will increase traffic or guarantee rankings; it helps signal language variants. Store locale-specific terms and currency/date formats in a controlled glossary. Test forms, buttons, checkout messages, and screen-reader labels, not just headings. For a regional variant, review units, regulations, shipping, and support hours with a knowledgeable person. Update translated pages when the source changes and track which language version was reviewed. AI can reduce translation effort, but the organization remains accountable for the accuracy, usability, and cultural fit of every published page. Localized pages should keep equivalent content connected while respecting region-specific product availability and support information. A language switcher should remain visible so users can correct automatic assumptions.