𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦: 2 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘴🕒
Want better translations? It all starts with a better brief.
A solid brief is one of the simplest ways to improve translation quality, reduce turnaround time and avoid reworks.
In this post, we’ll walk you through exactly what to include in your brief to your translation company. And, we've also included a checklist to get you started.
Why a translation brief matters
Very quickly, before we start, it's important to know that a good brief helps your provider:
-
Understand the purpose of the content
-
Use the right tone, terminology and formatting
-
Meet your deadline and technical requirements
-
Avoid ambiguity, inconsistencies or surprises
In short, it helps providers, like Wolfestone, deliver better work,.
Translation brief checklist
Here’s what to include in every translation brief:
1. Project overview
Give a quick summary of what’s being translated and why.
-
What type of content is it? (e.g. product manual, marketing brochure, contract)
-
What’s the purpose or goal?
-
Who is the end audience?
2. Languages
Clearly state:
-
The source language
-
The target language(s), including region or variant (e.g. French – Canada vs France)
3. Tone and style
Specify:
-
Level of formality
-
Preferred tone (e.g. friendly, professional, persuasive)
-
Any brand voice guidelines or writing samples
4. File format and layout
Let the provider know:
-
What format the files are in (e.g. Word, Excel, InDesign)
-
Whether layout/DTP is required
-
Any limitations (e.g. character limits, line breaks, coding tags)
5. Reference materials
Share any helpful assets, such as:
-
Previous translations
-
Glossaries or term bases
-
Style guides or brand guidelines
-
Contextual documents (e.g. product screenshots, campaign briefings)
6. Deadline
Be realistic but clear. If there are staggered deadlines or multiple batches, include a schedule. Wolfestone, for example, can accommodate urgent translation requests.
7. Review and approval process
Let your provider know:
-
Who is reviewing the content on your side (if anyone)
-
Whether you’ll provide feedback or request changes
-
If in-market or legal reviews are required
8. Special instructions
Include any other relevant info, such as:
-
SEO keywords
-
Non-translatable terms (e.g. product names, slogans)
-
Confidentiality requirements (Wolfestone is ISO 27001 certified as standard, for example)
Summary
A strong brief doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to be clear. A good brief saves time, avoids mistakes, and ensures the final translation reflects your brand, your goals and your audience.
Get in touch for a free consultation, quote or if you need helping crafting a translation brief.
𝘒𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 2021 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘨𝘰 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴.
