Localization Technology Management at GitLab
Mission and vision
Localization technology at GitLab - mission and vision
Localization technology stack - Overview
The Localization team manages a sophisticated technology ecosystem designed to automate and enhance translation workflows across GitLab’s global content. Our technology stack consists of purpose-built custom solutions, commercial Language Technology Platforms (LTPs), and emerging AI-powered services that collectively enable localization of GitLab’s product UI, marketing content, and product documentation.
Localization technology stack - Components
See more details and visuals in the Localization management technology stack at GitLab issue.
Tools inventory
Commercial Tools:
- Argo as a platform, aka Request Management System and its components (by Spartan Software)
- Phrase TMS (by Phrase)
- TranslationOS (TOS) and Matecat (by Translated)
- Crowdin (by Crowdin)
At GitLab:
- Google Cloud Platform sandbox with ai-machine-transl project
- Anthropic Claude UI with emerging standalone projects
Orchestration platform
Argo - Localization Request Management system serving as the central orchestration hub, consisting of the following specialized services:
- Argo web client (UI) - Argo web UI used by localization program managers, stakeholders and vendors
- Argo web services - backend/API orchestration engine
- Argo-Phrase integration - service for GitLab product docs localization workflow
- Argo-TOS integration - service for marketing localization workflow
- Argo-GitLab integration - service handling webhooks
- Argo GitLab agent - service for preprocessing GitLab product docs markdown files
- Database & reporting - business analytics and tracking, available within Argo UI
GitLab integration services
- Argo GitLab Integration - GitLab Translation Service that bridges GitLab projects with translation management systems through webhook automation and Translation MR delivery
- Argo GitLab Agent - specialized service for GitLab markdown preprocessing and other content processing tasks
Integrations with Language Technology Platforms
- TranslationOS integration - for semi-automated translation workflow for marketing content, via Translated
- Phrase TMS integration - for automated product documentation translation via Argos Multilingual, with AI enhancement capabilities
- Crowdin integration - for community-driven product UI translation
AI-powered translation
- Tech Docs AI-powered translation - Google Cloud Vertex AI with Gemini LLM processing GitLab product documentation, using advanced NLP, chained prompt systems, multiple glossaries and style guide injection, and file transformations and validations
- Emerging AI tools - standalone AI projects in Claude in the early stages of prototype and trial for translation production, to be transformed into services orchestrated by Argo
Content management system integrations
- Decap CMS integration - Marketing website content workflow automation through GitLab repositories
- Legacy integrations: Contentful
Supporting tools and services
- GitLab String Search - context-enhanced localization solution for product UI (implementation epic)
- Crowdin Automation - automated workflow management for product UI translations
- Kalcium Quickterm - terminology management system.
Central content repository
All localization workflows converge through GitLab as the single source of truth for content and translations. This GitLab-centric approach ensures:
- Version control for all source and translated content
- Unified delivery mechanism through Translation MRs
- Consistent quality gates and approval workflows
- Integrated CI/CD pipelines for content publishing
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