CASE STUDY

Airbnb Ai-Localized

Redesigning trust, one listing at a time

20% of Airbnb hosts wrote their listings using mixed languages (e.g. English + Spanish + German).

This made listings confusing for guests and impossible to auto-translate via Translated, Airbnb’s new MT partner.

The Strategic Solution

We redesigned the localization experience for hosts through usability testing, expert reviews, and design strategy. We surfaced invisible features, prevented errors, and built trust in machine translation.

Deployed in Airbnb’s Winter Release 2021

Launched globally in Airbnb's Winter Release 2021, our groundbreaking feature improvements, developed through extensive testing and cross-team collaboration, enhances core offerings, demonstrating our commitment to innovation and user experience.

Significant reduction in mixed-language listings

We significantly reduced mixed-language listings by implementing stricter detection and clearer seller guidelines. This enhances user experience and builds a more professional, trustworthy marketplace.

Improved UX and increased AI Powered Translation coverage

• Improved UX: Enhanced user experience through intuitive navigation, streamlined workflows, and a visually appealing interface, optimizing response times and simplifying processes.

• Increased AI-Powered Translation Coverage: Expanded AI translation to support more languages/dialects, offering accurate, contextually relevant translations to break down language barriers.

As of 2025, guest-host chats are auto-translated in real time

Right now, guest-host chat is featuring automatic real-time translation. This aims to effortlessly bridge language barriers for clearer understanding, fewer misunderstandings, and improved satisfaction for both parties.

Our Approach

My Role

UX Strategist & Research Lead – partnering with Airbnb’s Head of Localization, internal designers, and Translated’s tech team.

Process in Four Key Phases:

Desk research & hypothesis framing

Big Data-driven participant recruitment via internal Airbnb queries

Expert review of the listing creation journey

Usability testing with 16 hosts in 2 rounds + shadowing sessions

Tools & Tactics

Mixed-methods UX research

Remote moderated testing

Heuristic analysis

Microcopy and flow redesign recommendations

What we found out

A.K.A. ISSUES discovered

Localization features lack onboarding and discoverability.

No alerts are provided for incorrect language input.

There is no inline translation guidance or language reminders.

Currency conversion is a direct 1:1 ratio (e.g., $100 = €100).

There is no preview of the final output, leading to a lack of trust in machine translation (MT).

Put users in control

Guide & reassure

Explain & build trust

Prevent errors before they happen

Show and tell

Results & IMPACT

After release (Winter 2021):

✔ Significant drop in mixed-language listings

✔ Higher machine translation adoption and listing consistency

✔ Tangible improvements in guest comprehension

✔ Hosts more confident in the localization flow

And today:

In 2025, Airbnb supports natural language messaging between guests and hosts with high-fidelity, real-time translation—building on foundations laid in this redesign.

Lessons Learned

Good UX boosts customer retention, improves conversion rates, and reduces costs.

It also enhances brand perception and market differentiation, making UX a strategic business imperative for sustainable growth.

Localization is not a feature — it’s an experience

When users understand the process, they trust it

Microcopy can shape macro outcomes

Cross-functional collaboration with data science accelerates research

Ready to design multilingual

Experiences that convert?

Let’s build global-ready platforms that are easy to understand, trustworthy, and aligned with both user needs and business goals.

👉 Reach out for strategic UX consulting or book a lightning-fast Ekitai Sprint to improve your localization flow in just 5 hours.