LocalizationGuide

Localizing in Storyline vs Rise: What to Review in Each

Storyline and Rise take different approaches to localization, and that changes what you review in each. This covers the concrete differences: Storyline's Localization menu, Layout Issue Finder, and Labels tab, and Rise's lack of an equivalent finder plus its shared-image behavior.

Reading time
~7 min
Difficulty
All levels
Resource type
Guide
Last updated
2026-09-10

Questions answered by this guide

  • How is localizing a Storyline course different from a Rise course?
  • Does Storyline have a tool for finding layout problems after translation?
  • Does Rise have a layout issue finder?
  • How do I translate the Next and Submit buttons in Storyline and Rise?
  • If I change an image in a localized Rise course, does it change in the other languages?

What you'll learn

  • Storyline has a Layout Issue Finder for multi-language projects (File, then Localization); Rise does not have an equivalent
  • Player and navigation text is translated separately in both: Storyline's Settings, then Labels tab, and Rise's course Labels
  • In Rise, changing an image changes it in every language version of the course
  • Because Rise has no layout finder, previewing translated text at full size matters more there

What's inside

Instructional designers reviewing localized courses built in Articulate Storyline 360 or Rise 360

  1. 01Two different models
  2. 02Storyline: the Localization menu
  3. 03Storyline: Layout Issue Finder
  4. 04Storyline: the Labels tab
  5. 05Rise: no layout finder
  6. 06Rise: shared images
  7. 07What to review in each

Why it matters

The review you run on a localized course depends on what the tool already checks for you. Storyline ships a Layout Issue Finder specifically for multi-language projects, so text expansion problems can be found inside the authoring tool before publishing. Rise has no equivalent, which means expanded-text problems in a localized Rise course are only found by looking at the published output. Knowing which tool you are in tells you where the gaps are.

When you'll encounter this

  • You are reviewing a translated Storyline course and want to use the tool's own checks first.
  • You are reviewing a translated Rise course and need to know what the tool does not check.
  • The player buttons are still in the source language after translation.
  • An image was updated in one language version of a Rise course and changed in all of them.

Examples

Storyline Layout Issue Finder

✕ Incorrect

A translated Storyline course is published without opening File, then Localization, then the Layout Issue Finder. Several slides have text that expanded past its box, found later by a reviewer.

Storyline can list the slides where translated text no longer fits, but only if you run the finder. Skipping it means those slides ship.

✓ Correct

The finder is run after import, it lists the affected slides, and each one is adjusted before publishing.

Using the tool's own multi-language check catches expansion problems at the source, before the published course is even reviewed.

Rise shared image

✕ Incorrect

A reviewer swaps a diagram in the French version of a Rise course for one with French labels. The diagram changes in the English and German versions too.

In Rise, image content is shared across all language versions of a course. Changing it anywhere changes it everywhere.

✓ Correct

The diagram is handled as a localization asset planned up front: either one version with no embedded text and a separate caption per language, or a deliberate per-language build.

Knowing images are shared means text-in-image decisions are made before translation starts, not patched per language afterward.

Best practices

  • In Storyline, after importing translations, run File, then Localization, then Layout Issue Finder, and work through every slide it lists.
  • In Storyline, translate the player interface in Settings, then the Labels tab, this is separate from the translated slide content.
  • In Rise, translate the course Labels for navigation and interface text, also separate from the translated content export.
  • In Rise, since there is no layout finder, preview every lesson of the translated course at full size and look for clipped or wrapped text.
  • In Rise, plan images that contain text before translation, because a per-language image swap affects every language.
  • In both tools, review the published output, not just the authoring preview, some layout behavior only appears in the real player.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming Rise has a layout check like Storyline's, it does not.
  • Publishing a translated Storyline course without running the Layout Issue Finder.
  • Leaving the player buttons in the source language because the Labels tab or course Labels were not translated.
  • Swapping an image in one language version of a Rise course and not realizing it changed all of them.

Practical checklist

  • Storyline: the Layout Issue Finder (File, then Localization) has been run and every listed slide addressed.
  • Storyline: the Labels tab (Settings) is translated for the target language.
  • Rise: the course Labels are translated.
  • Rise: every lesson of the translated course has been previewed at full size for text fit.
  • Rise: any image containing text has a localization plan that accounts for images being shared across languages.
  • Both: the review was done on the published output, not the authoring preview.

How A11yCheck reviews this

A11yCheck reviews the published, rendered output of either tool, so it does not depend on whether you ran Storyline's Layout Issue Finder. Its Localization review compares the source and target published courses on the same 10 mechanical checks regardless of authoring tool, including text overflow, which is the failure Storyline's finder targets and which Rise has no built-in check for. A11yCheck cannot see inside the authoring file, so it does not know whether player Labels were translated in the tool, it only sees whether the published player text is in the target language, and player-label language is a manual check. It also cannot tell that a Rise image is shared across language versions; that is a property of the source project, not the published output.

Frequently asked questions

Does Rise have a layout issue finder like Storyline?

No. Storyline 360 has a Layout Issue Finder for multi-language projects, reached through File, then Localization. Rise 360 has no equivalent. In Rise, layout problems from translated text are found by previewing the published course.

How do I translate the Next and Submit buttons?

In Storyline, open Settings and use the Labels tab to provide translated player text. In Rise, translate the course Labels. In both tools this is separate from the translated slide or lesson content and is a common thing to miss.

If I change an image in one language of a Rise course, does it affect the others?

Yes. In Rise, image content is shared across all language versions of a course. Changing an image in one version changes it in all of them. Plan images that contain text before you start translating.

Does it matter which tool I used, for A11yCheck's review?

Not for the Localization comparison itself, A11yCheck reviews the published output of either tool the same way. It matters for knowing what the authoring tool already checked: Storyline's finder covers text expansion inside the tool, Rise leaves that entirely to your review of the published course.

Related Guides

Localization QA for eLearning: What to Check in a Translated Course→

Localization QA is checking that the translated version of a course still works the way the source does, structurally, visually, and for assistive technology, not judging whether the wording is good. Here is what to review source-vs-target, and which of those checks A11yCheck runs automatically.

Localization QA Checklist: Reviewing a Translated Course Before You Publish→

A pre-publish pass for a course that has been translated, run per language version. It is split into the mechanical checks A11yCheck compares automatically between source and target, and the checks that still need a human.

Text Clipped Guide: Why Text Gets Cut Off and How to Fix It→

Text gets clipped when a fixed-size text box doesn't grow to match zoomed-in text, so words are cut off at the box's edge. Here's how to fix it in Storyline and Rise.

Storyline vs. Rise: Which Is More Accessible by Default→

Rise is more accessible out of the box because its native blocks handle structure and keyboard access automatically, but it has real gaps of its own: drag-and-drop interactions aren't accessible, and button and tab text always renders in all caps with no way for a course author to change it. Storyline gives full control, which means nothing is accessible by accident, every setting and every tab order has to be deliberately configured.

Accessibility After Localization: What Translation Can Break→

A course that passed an accessibility review in its source language can fail in a translated version. This covers the regressions translation introduces, missing language metadata, untranslated accessible names, right-to-left reading order, font fallback, and reflow from expanded text, and what A11yCheck can and cannot see.

Summary

Storyline has a Layout Issue Finder for multi-language projects (File, then Localization) and a Labels tab for player text; Rise has neither a layout finder nor per-language images (images are shared across all languages). Because Rise has no layout check, previewing translated text at full size matters more there. A11yCheck reviews the published output of either tool the same way and compares source vs target on the same 10 mechanical checks.

Review your course before you publish it.

A11yCheck reviews Storyline and Rise courses for:

  • Accessibility
  • Course Quality
  • Course Engagement
Start a free review →

www.a11ycheck-dev.com