The process of discontinuing translation and localization support for an underperforming language or market.
Locale sunsetting is the deliberate strategic decision to stop supporting a specific language or regional variant of a product due to poor market performance, high maintenance costs relative to returns, or strategic business shifts. This involves removing the locale from active translation workflows, archiving existing translations, and eventually deprecating or removing the localized version from distribution. Unlike adding new languages (which companies document extensively), sunsetting decisions are rarely publicized but represent an important part of localization lifecycle management.
Organizations sunset locales when maintenance costs exceed the revenue or strategic value they provide. This decision typically follows months of declining user engagement, minimal revenue contribution, or discovery that the target market uses a different primary language than anticipated. The process requires careful execution to avoid alienating existing users in that market, often involving gradual deprecation with advance notice, migration paths to alternative languages, and archiving translations for potential future reactivation if market conditions change.
Locale sunsetting is a natural part of the localization lifecycle. It ensures focus remains on languages that bring the most value while keeping workflows clean and efficient. When handled with clear communication and proper archival practices, it preserves translation integrity and prevents unnecessary maintenance overhead.
Sunsetting a locale does not always mean removing language support entirely. In many systems, it results in fallback to a broader or default locale, preserving functionality while dropping region-specific translations and formatting. Proper handling requires updating locale resolution rules, validating formatting defaults, and making sure users receive consistent messaging during the transition.