Supported Resource File Formats

How to Translate YAML Files with PTC

This guide walks you through translating YAML files, from preparing your content for localization to getting AI-powered translations with PTC.

YAML (YAML Ain’t Markup Language) files are widely used in frameworks like Ruby on Rails, Symfony, and Laravel to store user-facing text such as error messages, notifications, and UI labels. Translating these files allows applications to support multiple languages, improving the user experience.

With PTC, you can automate YAML file translations with AI-powered translation accuracy and repository integration, ensuring that translations stay up to date as your project evolves.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

  • Prepare YAML files for translation
  • Translate YAML files into multiple languages

Why YAML Works for Localization

YAML is a human-readable file format often used to store and organize data in applications. Its clean and simple format relies on indentation and key-value pairs to represent data. Unlike JSON, it avoids brackets and commas.

Example: Basic YAML Structure

en:
  app_name: "MyApp"
  welcome_message: "Welcome to MyApp!"
  user:
    name: "Name"
    email: "Email"
    password: "Password"
  errors:
    login_failed: "Login failed. Please try again."
    missing_fields: "Please fill out all required fields."
  notifications:
    signup_success: "Thank you for signing up!"
    account_updated: "Your account information has been updated."

The simplicity of YAML makes it accessible for both developers and non-developers. It’s a great choice for managing translation data in localization projects.

For example, Ruby on Rails uses YAML as the default format for resource files, which store translations for different languages. If you’re working with RoR, you can learn more in our step-by-step tutorial on internationalizing and translating your Ruby on Rails applications.

Preparing for YAML Localization

Before translating your YAML files, make sure they follow a clear structure. You don’t need major changes to the source language file, but following these best practices can help avoid issues.

Use a Consistent Key Structure

Each key should clearly represent a term or phrase in your application. When you add translations in other languages, those same keys will be used.

Example:

en: 
greeting: "Hello" 
farewell: "Goodbye"

In this example, the keys “greeting” and “farewell” stay the same in all languages. Only the values – “Hello” and “Goodbye” – will be translated.

Use Placeholders Correctly

In many apps, you’ll need placeholders to insert dynamic values like names, dates, or quantities. Placeholders get replaced with actual values when your app runs.

Example:

en:
order_confirmation: "Thank you, %{customer_name}, for your order of %{product_quantity} items!"

Here, %{customer_name} and %{product_quantity} act as placeholders. Your app will fill them with real data at runtime. You’ll maintain the same structure across all translations.

How to Translate Your YAML Files (The Easy and Fast Way)

Now that you have your YAML files prepared and organized, it’s time to translate them. Just sign up for a PTC subscription to get Better Than Human Translations integrated into your development workflow.

How it Works

Code Repository Integration

PTC integrates with your code repository (e.g., GitHub, GitLab) and detects the YAML files that require translation.

Project Setup

In just a few clicks, you give PTC the extra project details it needs to deliver context-aware translations.

Instant AI Translation

PTC automatically translates your text using AI and provides you with Better Than Human Translation. It then sends the translations to your repository as a merge request.

Automatic Detection of Changes

Whenever you work on a new feature in a branch, PTC detects and translates any new text in that branch. You can control which branches to translate.

Once you accept the merge request, you can take look at your locales/ folder and you’ll see that each language is stored in its own separate file. Here’s an example of the content you might find in each file:

.yml

en.yml
greeting: "Hello" 
farewell: "Goodbye"

.yml

fr.yml
greeting: "Bonjour" 
farewell: "Au revoir"

.yml

es.yml
greeting: "Hola" 
farewell: "Adiós"

Simplify YAML File Translation

In this guide, you’ve learned how to:

Prepare your YAML files with a consistent key structure

Use placeholders to handle dynamic content

Organize translations into separate files for each language

Connect PTC with your software repository to translate YAML files in an instant

By using PTC, you can easily translate YAML files and ensure your multilingual project is always up to date with minimal effort.

Start your free trial today

Simplify YAML file translation and keep your workflow running smoothly—all free for 30 days.

Start your free PTC trial
Supported Resource File Formats

Start typing and press enter to search

Scroll to Top