CSV format

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) format provides a tabular approach to localization where each row represents one translatable string. A typical CSV locale file uses the first column as the string key and subsequent columns as translations for each language, with a header row identifying locale codes. A source-and-target layout uses two columns per bilingual pair.

CSV locale files are readable in any spreadsheet application and are useful for content-heavy projects where non-technical contributors manage translations. String values containing commas must be wrapped in quotation marks. Newlines within values require double-quoted cells. The flat structure makes CSV best suited for non-hierarchical content.

Best practice: use CSV for content managed in spreadsheets — marketing copy, help text, or data tables managed by non-developers. For application UI strings, prefer a structured format like JSON or YAML that integrates directly with your framework's i18n library. Language Monster supports CSV import and export for projects that use spreadsheet-based workflows alongside repository-connected translation pipelines.

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