ISO 17100 and ISO 18587 explained

ISO 17100 and ISO 18587 are two different translation-industry standards. They are often mentioned together because both relate to professional language services, but they do not describe the same workflow.

ISO 17100 concerns professional translation services. It sets requirements for core processes, resources and other aspects needed to deliver a translation service according to applicable specifications. In practical terms, it is associated with structured human translation workflows, translator competence, project management, revision and quality control.

ISO 18587 concerns full human post-editing of machine translation output. It applies when a machine translation system has produced an initial version and a qualified human post-editor edits that output against the source text and project requirements.

These standards do not mean that every document should be processed in the same way. A legal contract, certified birth certificate, medical report, technical manual, software interface, financial report and marketing campaign may each require a different workflow. The role of ISO standards is to provide a structured framework, not to replace professional judgement.

LinguaVox is ISO 9001, ISO 17100 and ISO 18587 certified. Clients can use this page to understand how these standards relate to translation services, certified translation services, business translation services and MTPE workflows.

What are the ISO 17100 and ISO 18587 quality standards?

ISO 17100 defines requirements for professional translation services. It relates to the translation process, translator and reviser competences, project specifications, client communication, project management and other elements that affect the delivery of a professional translation service.

A typical ISO 17100-aligned workflow may involve project assessment, source-file review, translator selection, translation, revision by a second suitably qualified person where required by the specification, final checks and delivery. This is especially relevant for legal, technical, medical, financial, certified, corporate and public-facing content.

ISO 18587 is different. It relates to full human post-editing of machine translation output. The starting point is not a human translation, but machine-translated text. The post-editor must compare the output with the source, correct errors, resolve terminology, improve readability, remove mistranslations and ensure that the final text meets the agreed specification.

ISO 18587 does not certify a machine translation engine. It does not mean that raw machine translation is automatically reliable. It applies to the human post-editing process and to the competences required of post-editors.

When do these strict translation industry standards matter for your projects?

ISO translation standards matter when accuracy, consistency, traceability, confidentiality, terminology and workflow control are important. This is common in legal, medical, technical, financial, certified, corporate, regulatory, software, public-sector and multilingual documentation projects.

For official documents, certified translation may be required. In that context, the receiving body decides the accepted format. ISO certification can support a structured professional workflow, but it does not mean a court, government department, university, bank, employer, immigration authority or foreign institution will accept a specific translation format.

For business and technical documents, ISO-aligned processes can help manage terminology, file handling, translator selection, revision, project instructions and final checks. This is useful for companies that send recurring projects, work in regulated environments or need consistent multilingual documentation.

For high-volume content, ISO 18587 may be relevant if MTPE is appropriate. However, MTPE should not be selected only because it appears faster or cheaper. The decision should consider content risk, language pair, source quality, MT output quality, confidentiality, intended use and whether the final text must be publication-ready.

Key technical criteria to verify before selecting a certified translation partner

Before selecting a translation provider, ask which workflow will be used: human translation, human translation with revision, certified translation, MTPE, localisation, legal translation, medical translation, technical translation or another process.

Check whether the provider can manage terminology, confidentiality, file formats, revision, certification wording, deadlines, multilingual coordination and recurring projects. For specialist files, ask whether the assigned linguists have relevant subject-matter experience.

For ISO 17100-related workflows, the key question is whether the project will be managed as a professional translation service with suitable resources, project specifications and review steps. For ISO 18587-related workflows, the key question is whether the project involves full human post-editing of machine translation output by a qualified post-editor.

You should also check whether ISO certification is actually relevant to your project. A low-risk internal text may not need the same workflow as a court document, clinical file, product manual, financial report or public-facing campaign. The best workflow depends on the project, not only on the existence of a standard.

How ISO-certified workflows support your brand and documentation

ISO-certified workflows can support brand consistency, terminology control, repeatability, documentation quality and project traceability. This is useful for companies that translate contracts, manuals, websites, software, HR documents, policies, marketing content, product information, tenders or technical files across several languages.

LinguaVox can work with glossaries, style guides, previous translations, reference documents, terminology lists, product names and client instructions. This helps maintain consistency across recurring projects and multilingual documentation sets.

Related resources include Human translation vs machine translation, When do you need a certified translation?, How to request a certified translation, Certified translation UK requirements and Certified vs sworn translation.

Common language requests include Spanish translation services, French translation services, German translation services, Italian translation services, Portuguese translation services and other languages. To request a translation quote, send the files, target languages, deadline, intended use, quality requirements and any terminology or certification instructions.

Frequently asked questions