---
title: "Rocket Chat Internationalisation Guide"
slug: "internationalization"
description: "Implement internationalisation in Rocket Chat. Build secure, multilingual collaboration experiences for global users."
updated: 2025-06-27T07:20:10Z
published: 2025-06-27T07:20:10Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.rocket.chat/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Internationalization

Internationalization, often abbreviated as i18n, is the process of designing and developing a product in a way that removes barriers to its use in different locales. It involves ensuring that the software can handle different languages, character sets, and cultural conventions (like date and time formats) without modification. Essentially, internationalization prepares the software for localization.

This guide briefs you on how to implement internationalization in Rocket.Chat.

When you're building for Rocket.Chat, you can add text to our files. Later, our community will translate this text into different languages.

- **Tools used**: In Rocket.Chat, internationalization is implemented using the [TAP:i18n](https://github.com/TAPevents/tap-i18n) meteor package, and managing contributions from the translator's community is done using [lingohub](https://lingohub.com/).
- **Adding strings to the translation files:** To translate a string in Rocket.Chat, you'll first need to create a `key`, which serves as the identifier for the string you wish to translate. For instance, the string `This room is read-only` should have the key `room_is_read_only`.
  - It's important to remember that keys should replace spaces with underscores (_) and be written in English, as this is the language used for Rocket.Chat's code. The key/value pair would then look like this: `"room_is_read_only:"This room is read-only"`. You can also include `placeholders` in your strings, which allow for dynamic information changes when the `i18n` method is invoked.
  - A placeholder is enclosed by two double underscores (`__ __`). For example,`"Conversation_closed": "Conversation closed: __comment__."` where `__comment__` can be substituted with any string provided in the parameters. Next, you'll need to add this key to the appropriate `i18n.json` file located in the [i18n](https://github.com/RocketChat/Rocket.Chat/tree/develop/apps/meteor/packages/rocketchat-i18n/i18n) folder. Once your pull request is merged, our contributors at `LingoHub` will be alerted to the new string and will begin translating it.
- **Using Translated Strings on the code**: Having added your strings to the translation files, it's now time to utilize them in your code! When working with a `.js `file, you can employ the global method `TAPi18n.__()`. The parameters for this method can vary based on where it's being called from.****If invoked from Rocket.Chat's back-end, you'll need to specify a language, typically derived from a user's object. The method would then appear as follows: `TAPi18n.__('YOUR_KEY_HERE', {}, user.language)`.
  - You can also pass parameters in the second argument to substitute placeholders in the translated strings. However, if you're calling from the front-end, you can simply use `TAPi18n.__('YOUR_KEY_HERE', {})`, which will translate the selected string into the user's currently chosen language. If the selected key isn't found in the corresponding `.i18n.json` file, it defaults to English. If no key is found at all, the method displays the key inserted as a string.
  - When working with a `.html` file, you can simply enclose the string with `{{ "{{_ " }}}}` like so: `{{ "{{_ YOUR_KEY_HERE" }}}}`. This works similarly to the method mentioned above, with the added convenience of being able to add it directly to the `.html` file. In some instances, you may encounter methods that require an object with an `i18nLabel `or `i18nDescription`. In these cases, you only need to provide the key of the string, and the method will handle the rest.

Understanding and implementing internationalization in Rocket.Chat is essential for developers aiming to create a user-friendly and globally accessible application. By leveraging the `TAPi18n.__()` method, developers can ensure that their software communicates effectively with users in their preferred language, thereby enhancing the overall user experience.