An application archive is searched for an existing translation for a text string in an application to be localized. The text string is associated with context information that identifies a location of the text string in the application. If an existing translation is found that matches the text string, and all, or alternately part of, the context information, the existing translation is logically linked to the text string. In one aspect, the existing translation is selected from multiple matches based on number of occurrences. In another aspect, the existing translation is submitted to a manual validation process.