RTL (Right-to-Left)
RTL (Right-to-Left) refers to writing systems—such as Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Urdu—that are read from the right side of the page to the left. Localizing for RTL requires mirroring the entire user interface, including text alignment, navigation menus, icon placement, and reading flow.
The Hardest Part of Design Localization
RTL isn't just flipping text direction—it's rebuilding the entire visual hierarchy. In English (LTR), logos go top-left, navigation flows left-to-right, and reading starts upper-left. In Arabic (RTL), logos move top-right, navigation reverses, and reading starts upper-right. Pagination arrows flip: "Next" points left instead of right. Checkout flows reverse. If you just translate text without mirroring layout, Arabic sites feel fundamentally broken and unusable. Facebook's Arabic version mirrors the entire newsfeed, chat layout, and navigation—it's not the same design, it's the mirror image.
LTR (Left-to-Right) vs. RTL (Right-to-Left)
Impact réel
E-commerce site launches Arabic with only translated text
Layout stays LTR, feels backwards to Arabic users
Bounce rate 78%, zero sales
Fully mirror layout: logo right, cart icon left, text right-aligned
Native-feeling Arabic experience
Bounce drops to 32%, conversion rate 4.1%