Home Getting Started How globalize.now works — overview

How globalize.now works — overview

Last updated on Apr 30, 2026

globalize.now makes your app multilingual in four steps.

Already have i18n set up? If your codebase already has locale files and an i18n library configured, skip steps 1–3 and jump straight to Step 4. Run npx globalize-skills then "Set up globalize for this project" to connect your existing setup to auto-translate on push.

Free to start. Setup (steps 1–3) is free. You get a €5 translation credit when you sign up — enough to translate a small-to-medium app across multiple languages before you need to add billing.

Step 1 — Install skills

Run one command in your terminal from your project root:

npx globalize-skills

This installs skill files into your AI coding agent (Claude Code, Cursor, or VS Code Copilot/Codex). The agent now knows how to handle i18n. Nothing in your codebase changes yet.

Step 2 — Set up localization

Use Claude Opus for this step and Step 3. It handles messy, vibe-coded codebases reliably. Smaller models tend to miss strings or generate inconsistent key names.

Open your AI coding agent and type:

Set up localization for my project

The agent scans your repo, detects your framework, installs the right i18n library, and creates the locale file structure. Takes 3–8 minutes for a small app.

Step 3 — Convert your app

Type in your agent:

Convert my app

The agent rewrites your components to replace hardcoded strings with translation keys, and generates locale files for every language you selected. Roughly 30 minutes for a small-to-medium app — don't cancel the session mid-way.

Which mode? When prompted, choose unguided — it makes sensible decisions automatically. Use guided only if you have strong opinions about key naming or want to watch every step.

Step 4 — Connect your repo

Log in to globalize.now, connect your GitHub or GitLab repo, and enable auto-translate. From this point on, every time you push new code, globalize.now detects new strings, translates them, and opens a pull request with updated locale files. You review and merge — no other manual steps, ever.

What you get at the end

  • All UI strings extracted and translated into your chosen languages

  • Locale files committed to your repo (you own the files — no vendor lock-in)

  • A language switcher in your app

  • Automatic sync on every future push

Verify it worked

After setup, confirm the output looks right before you call it done. See the verify setup article.

Where to go next

  • Before you start — what to expect

  • What does globalize.now actually do to your code?

  • What project types and frameworks are supported?