---
title: Localizing Kubernetes documentation
content_type: concept
approvers:
- remyleone
- rlenferink
weight: 50
card:
  name: contribute
  weight: 50
  title: Localizing the docs
---

<!-- overview -->

This page shows you how to
[localize](https://blog.mozilla.org/l10n/2011/12/14/i18n-vs-l10n-whats-the-diff/)
the docs for a different language.

<!-- body -->

## Contribute to an existing localization

You can help add or improve the content of an existing localization. In
[Kubernetes Slack](https://slack.k8s.io/), you can find a channel for each
localization. There is also a general
[SIG Docs Localizations Slack channel](https://kubernetes.slack.com/messages/sig-docs-localizations)
where you can say hello.

{{< note >}}
For extra details on how to contribute to a specific localization,
look for a localized version of this page.
{{< /note >}}

### Find your two-letter language code

First, consult the
[ISO 639-1 standard](https://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/code_list.php)
to find your localization's two-letter language code. For example, the two-letter code for
Korean is `ko`.

Some languages use a lowercase version of the country code as defined by the
ISO-3166 along with their language codes. For example, the Brazilian Portuguese
language code is `pt-br`.

### Fork and clone the repo

First, [create your own fork](/docs/contribute/new-content/open-a-pr/#fork-the-repo) of the
[kubernetes/website](https://github.com/kubernetes/website) repository.

Then, clone your fork and `cd` into it:

```shell
git clone https://github.com/<username>/website
cd website
```

The website content directory includes subdirectories for each language. The
localization you want to help out with is inside `content/<two-letter-code>`.

### Suggest changes

Create or update your chosen localized page based on the English original. See
[localize content](#localize-content) for more details.

If you notice a technical inaccuracy or other problem with the upstream
(English) documentation, you should fix the upstream documentation first and
then repeat the equivalent fix by updating the localization you're working on.

Limit changes in a pull requests to a single localization. Reviewing pull
requests that change content in multiple localizations is problematic.

Follow [Suggesting Content Improvements](/docs/contribute/suggesting-improvements/)
to propose changes to that localization. The process is similar to proposing
changes to the upstream (English) content.

## Start a new localization

If you want the Kubernetes documentation localized into a new language, here's
what you need to do.

Because contributors can't approve their own pull requests, you need _at least
two contributors_ to begin a localization.

All localization teams must be self-sufficient. The Kubernetes website is happy
to host your work, but it's up to you to translate it and keep existing
localized content current.

You'll need to know the two-letter language code for your language. Consult the
[ISO 639-1 standard](https://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/code_list.php)
to find your localization's two-letter language code. For example, the
two-letter code for Korean is `ko`.

If the language you are starting a localization for is spoken in various places
with significant differences between the variants, it might make sense to
combine the lowercased ISO-3166 country code with the language two-letter code.
For example, Brazilian Portuguese is localized as `pt-br`.

When you start a new localization, you must localize all the
[minimum required content](#minimum-required-content) before
the Kubernetes project can publish your changes to the live
website.

SIG Docs can help you work on a separate branch so that you
can incrementally work towards that goal.

### Find community

Let Kubernetes SIG Docs know you're interested in creating a localization! Join
the [SIG Docs Slack channel](https://kubernetes.slack.com/messages/sig-docs) and
the [SIG Docs Localizations Slack channel](https://kubernetes.slack.com/messages/sig-docs-localizations).