i18n Guideline

Tech Stack

• i18n: next-intl
• Framework: Next.js

Non-Negotiables

• /en/* must not exist (permanently redirect to non-prefixed)
• Missing translation keys must fail build
• No hardcoded user-facing strings outside localization
• Translation bundles must be split by namespace or route (no monolithic language files)

Context

Internationalization isn't just translation — it's making the product feel native to each market. Bad i18n is obvious to users and signals that they're second-class citizens. Good i18n is invisible.

Consider: dates, numbers, currency, pluralization, text direction, cultural norms. Does the product feel like it was built for each locale, or does it feel like a translation of an English product?

Driving Questions

• What would make the product feel native to a non-English user?
• Where do translations feel awkward or machine-generated?
• What cultural assumptions are baked into the UX that don't translate?
• How painful is the translation workflow for adding new strings?
• What locales are we missing that represent real market opportunity?
• Where do we fall back to English in ways users would notice?
• How large are the translation bundles, and what's being sent to the client?

Bundle Constraints

• No monolithic language files — split by namespace (common, auth, dashboard, etc.)
• Server Components for translations wherever possible — client bundles must not include translations that could stay on server
• Each route should load only its required namespaces
• Measure client bundle size impact of translations