Back translation works best as part of a multi-layered quality approach, not as a standalone verification method. The right combination depends on your content type, risk tolerance, and resources.
- For low-risk content or tight budgets: combine back translation with Localazy’s automated QA checks (validation for placeholders, formatting, character limits). This catches technical errors without human review costs, giving you functional translations that work reliably in your application.
- For business-critical content: layer back translation, automated QA, and spot-checking by bilingual team members or native speakers. This balanced approach catches both obvious errors (via automation) and nuanced issues (via human review) without the cost of full professional translation.
- For high-stakes scenarios (legal, medical, public-facing marketing): use professional human translation from qualified translators, and add proofreading as a separate quality step. Back translation can supplement this but shouldn’t replace expert human judgment where accuracy is legally or commercially critical.
Think of back translation like spell-check: invaluable for catching obvious mistakes quickly, but you wouldn’t ship important content based on spell-check alone.