A centralized collection of all the text elements (or strings) used within a software application, website, or digital product.
A string catalog collects all text elements in one place, making localization, translation updates, and content management much easier across software projects. This includes organizing every piece of user-facing text, such as button labels, error messages, or help content, in one place to simplify processes.
String catalogs are fundamental to localization and software development workflows, helping teams track, modify, and translate content efficiently across multiple languages.
In a localization context, having a well-maintained string catalog reduces duplication, minimizes errors, and keeps content consistent across various parts of a product. Instead of hard-coding text directly into the application, developers pull text dynamically from the catalog. This approach also supports version control, collaborative workflows between developers and translators, and better scalability as products grow.
Many modern localization platforms (like Localazy) integrate tightly with string catalogs to automate translation updates and content synchronization.