A do-not-translate list is a project-specific reference that identifies terms and strings which must remain in their original form, including brand names, legal entity names, code identifiers, trademarked product names, and some UI element IDs. It is usually delivered as part of the localization kit or style guide so that translators and reviewers consistently leave these items untouched in every file, screen, and campaign asset.
Translators encounter this list when preparing files in CAT tools, especially for software strings, marketing copy, legal content, or product documentation. The list is often enforced through a termbase, a QA check, or a locked glossary that flags any translated instance of a protected term so it can be reverted before delivery.
A frequent mistake is assuming that partial translation is allowed, such as translating a product name's generic noun while keeping the brand portion; this can break trademark usage and create legal exposure. Another issue is forgetting to apply the list to screenshots or metadata, where a protected term may be overlooked because it does not appear as a standard segment.
For creative and consumer content the failure mode is flatness, not inaccuracy — and flatness passes an accuracy check. Terms here also carry technical constraints (reading speed, character budgets) that are part of the brief.
Angel Translation locks terms like this into a project terminology base before expert review begins, so the same source term resolves to the same target term across every document in a submission — and stays consistent in the next revision. See the 8-step AI + expert workflow.
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