Use this checklist to verify that multilingual outputs generated from one approved source remain consistent before website publication, document delivery, or print approval. Each control is checked first by the format owner (Self) and then by an integrated QA reviewer (Reviewer). For explanations and examples, see the companion guide, Multilingual Manual Publishing QA Across PDF HTML Mobile and Print.
Release information and approval record
| Product / model | |
|---|---|
| Document revision | |
| Approved source / build revision | |
| Release languages / locales | |
| Output formats ☐ PDF ☐ HTML ☐ Mobile ☐ Print | |
| Build / publication date | |
| Format owner / check date | |
| QA reviewer / review date | |
| Final decision ☐ Approved ☐ Rejected / rebuild required |
Severity and completion rules
| Priority | Release treatment |
|---|---|
| A Critical | 8 checks | Release blocker. No unresolved Critical issues at sign-off; document any authorized exception and remaining risk. |
| B Major | 8 checks | Target zero open issues. Record impact, owner, and corrective plan for any unresolved finding. |
| C Minor | 1 check | Track deviations for follow-up in a later build or release. |
Check all applicable locales and formats for Critical controls. For Major and Minor presentation checks, use documented risk-based sampling by script family and platform as appropriate. Mark N/A only when the format or feature is outside release scope, and record the reason. “Not tested” is not N/A.
17 release checks
A Single-source integrity
| Item / priority | Check, acceptance criteria, and verification |
|---|---|
| 1 / A | Source revision All PDF, HTML, mobile, and print outputs match the approved source/build revision. Compare build records. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Format owner (Self) ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
| 2 / C | Manual overrides Record manual changes made after automated output generation so future builds remain reproducible. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
| 3 / B | Build completion Review failures, warnings, skipped files, and missing locale outputs; reconcile expected vs. actual deliveries. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
B PDF output consistency
| Item / priority | Check, acceptance criteria, and verification |
|---|---|
| 4 / B | PDF export presets Use the correct distribution, print, or archival preset; verify security, compression, color, and bookmarks as applicable. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
| 5 / A | PDF navigation and links Click-test bookmarks, internal cross-references, and external URLs in each language; no broken destinations. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
| 6 / B | Applicable PDF requirements Validate required PDF/A, PDF/X, or PDF/UA conformance, where specified for the output purpose. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
| 7 / B | PDF metadata Check localized title, author, language code, keywords, and document revision; no accidental source-language metadata. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
C HTML and web consistency
| Item / priority | Check, acceptance criteria, and verification |
|---|---|
| 8 / A | HTML semantic structure Retain heading hierarchy and lists; verify accessible structure and that essential table content is searchable and usable. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
| 9 / A | HTML language attributes Verify page language and language changes within mixed-language content; do not default all locales to English. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
| 10 / B | HTML validation Check malformed tags, nesting, missing closures, and duplicate IDs; resolve errors and assess warnings. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
| 11 / B | Localized search and navigation Test local-language search indexes, side navigation, previous/next controls, and directionality for RTL locales. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
D Mobile and responsive delivery
| Item / priority | Check, acceptance criteria, and verification |
|---|---|
| 12 / A | Responsive layout Check 320–1920 px representative widths; tables, visuals, code, and long URLs must remain readable and reachable. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
| 13 / B | Touch interactions Test interactive controls, zoom behavior, table scrolling, and target size/spacing on mobile devices. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
| 14 / A | Multilingual font fallback In environments without the primary font, confirm proper glyph display for relevant CJK, Arabic, Thai, Indic, and other scripts. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
E Cross-format synchronization
| Item / priority | Check, acceptance criteria, and verification |
|---|---|
| 15 / A | Content identifiers Match topic, section, table, and figure IDs/numbers across outputs; ensure equivalent references lead to the same content. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
| 16 / B | Revision and language labels Compare revision labels and locale names on covers, print pages, web footers, and language selectors. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
| 17 / A | Printed QR destinations Scan a printed proof; each code must open the current digital content at the intended locale and location. Notes / evidence: ______________________________________ Self ☐ Reviewer ☐ N/A ☐ |
Results summary and sign-off
| Priority | Status and release condition |
|---|---|
| Critical A (8) | Open ____ Resolved ____ N/A ____ Open Critical findings must be zero before approval. |
| Major B (8) | Open ____ Resolved ____ N/A ____ Aim for zero; document owner and remediation for exceptions. |
| Minor C (1) | Open ____ Resolved ____ N/A ____ Track and close in a controlled follow-up release. |
Outstanding finding IDs / exception rationale: ___________________________________________
Corrective action owner and target date: ___________________________________________________
Release approver / approval date: ________________________________________________________
Frequently asked questions
- Do all checks need to be repeated for each language and format? Apply each control to formats and locales where it is relevant. Verify Critical controls across the release set. For lower-priority checks, a documented script-family and platform sampling plan can be practical. A new transform, publishing channel, or AI conversion workflow merits expanded coverage.
- How long will the review take? Time depends on manual length, locale count, publishing complexity, automation, and the maturity of output templates. Plan the first review with enough time to resolve policy and transform issues, then use recorded results to establish an evidence-based estimate for future releases.
- When can an item be marked N/A? Only when the corresponding format or function does not exist in this release. For example, the printed QR check is N/A when there is no printed deliverable. Record why it does not apply; a skipped test due to time pressure remains open.
- What if a Critical finding remains at the deadline? Hold release pending correction and re-verification. If organizational policy permits an exception, capture the accountable approver, rationale, residual risk, scope, and corrective-action date. Print-related exceptions require special care because delivered copies cannot be updated in place.
- What records should be retained? Save the completed checklist, release manifest, build logs, test evidence, exception register, QR scan results, corrective actions, and final approval as part of the release package.
Pre-Launch QA Series for Multilingual Manuals (8 parts)
The series follows a multilingual manual from translation intake to market release, one gate at a time. Each part pairs a guide with a self-check checklist.
- Part 1 · Translation integrity Catching defects in translated files before editing
- Part 2 · DTP Multilingual typesetting and layout integrity
- Part 3 · Regulatory Market-specific regulatory and standards marking
- Part 4 · UI matching Synchronizing product screens with the document
- Part 5 · Accessibility EAA, WCAG, PDF/UA, and Section 508 conformance
- Part 6 · Multi-channel output Consistency across PDF, HTML, and mobile (this checklist)
- Part 7 · Print Bleed, CMYK, font embedding, and print readiness
- Part 8 · Data management Turning source files and TM into reusable assets