# Locales & markets

> Managing locales, source markets, and brand identity per region.

**Category:** Markets | **Tab:** features

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Locales define the languages and regions your terminology covers. Each locale can have detailed market definitions that guide how content should sound in that market.

## What is a locale?

A locale is a language-region combination identified by a code like `en-us`, `es-es`, or `ar-sa`. Each locale has:

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| **Code** | Standard locale code (e.g., `de-de`) |
| **Name** | Display name in English (e.g., "German (Germany)") |
| **Native name** | Display name in the locale's own language (e.g., "Deutsch") |
| **Direction** | Text direction — LTR (left-to-right) or RTL (right-to-left) |
| **Status** | Active or inactive |

## Adding locales

Navigate to **Markets** in the sidebar and click **Add Locale**. Select from the predefined list or create a custom locale code.

Your workspace's **source locale** is set in workspace settings and determines which terms are treated as source terms. The source locale is visually distinguished by a badge and cannot be deleted.

## Source market

One locale per workspace is designated as the **source market**. This is your primary locale (typically English US) and holds your canonical brand identity — name, tagline, and positioning statement. All other locales are considered target markets.

## Brand identity per locale

Each locale can have its own brand identity fields:

- **Brand name** — may remain the same or be adapted for the market
- **Brand tagline** — localized or retained from the source
- **Brand positioning** — market-specific positioning statement

These fields appear in the locale detail view and are included in exports.

## Market definitions

Each locale can have detailed **market definitions** — structured guidelines covering voice, tone, grammar, cultural conventions, and more. These definitions are what make your ontology actionable for translators and AI agents.

→ See [Market definitions](/docs/features/market-definitions) for a full guide on the ten sections and best practices.