Localize your website into Persian (Farsi)
Reach over 110 million Persian speakers across Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, plus sizable diaspora communities in the US, Europe, and the Gulf. The same underlying language goes by three different official names, Farsi, Dari, and Tajik, and Tajik is written in an entirely different script. MotaWord matches native linguists to the specific variety and script your audience actually uses.
110M+
TOTAL SPEAKERS
3
COUNTRIES, OFFICIAL STATUS
2
WRITING SYSTEMS IN ACTIVE USE
A large language family with a complicated map
Given the considerations above, diaspora communities and Afghanistan or Tajikistan are often the more practically addressable markets for most businesses.
1-2M
Iranian-American population, concentrated around Los Angeles
Growing
Afghan diaspora communities across the US and Europe
Top 20
Persian ranks among the most-spoken languages in the world
High
cultural and brand-trust value of native-language content for diaspora audiences
Persian-speaking markets
Each of the three countries where Persian is official calls it something different, and Tajikistan's version isn't even written in the same script as the other two.
Farsi, Dari, and Tajik: one language family, three identities
Spoken Farsi, Dari, and Tajik are largely mutually intelligible, similar to American, British, and Australian English. But officially, culturally, and in Tajik's case visually, they function as distinct varieties.
The reference standard most translation tools default to. Uses Perso-Arabic script with a few extra letters not found in Arabic.
Same script as Farsi, but with vocabulary that has deliberately diverged, partly for political reasons distinct from Iran.
Written entirely in Cyrillic since the Soviet era, with heavier Russian and Turkic vocabulary influence. Requires a genuinely separate localization effort, not just a script swap.
Cultural and technical considerations
Beyond the compliance note above, most Persian localization mistakes come from treating the three varieties as interchangeable.
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Don't reuse Farsi content for Tajikistan
The script difference alone makes a direct reuse unreadable. This needs a dedicated Tajik translation, not a character conversion.
Dari and Farsi are close, but not identical
Vocabulary choices in Afghanistan have diverged deliberately from Iranian Farsi. A native Dari speaker will notice Iran-specific phrasing.
RTL layout applies to Farsi and Dari, not Tajik
Farsi and Dari need the same full right-to-left layout mirroring as Arabic. Tajik, in Cyrillic, is left-to-right like English.
Afghanistan's infrastructure and political situation affect reach
Internet access, payment infrastructure, and stability vary significantly across the country. Diaspora audiences are often a more reliable near-term focus.
What Persian localization does for search and reach
Technical SEO setup depends heavily on which variety and script you're targeting.
fa (Farsi), prs (Dari), and tg (Tajik) are distinct ISO codes. Using the wrong one in hreflang tags can cause search engines to serve the wrong variant.
Farsi and Dari need full layout mirroring, the same consideration as Arabic. Broken RTL implementation affects both usability and mobile-first ranking.
For US or European diaspora audiences, geo-targeting alongside language targeting often matters more than targeting Iran directly.
Outside mainland China-style restrictions, standard Google SEO practices work for Persian-language content in the markets where it's reachable.
Translating and localizing a website into Persian
That depends on US sanctions and export control rules that go well beyond language. We'd point you to legal or compliance counsel for that specific question rather than guess at it here.
For basic content, largely yes, given the mutual intelligibility. For marketing or brand-facing content, Dari-specific vocabulary will read more naturally to an Afghan audience.
Yes. Tajik is written in Cyrillic, not Perso-Arabic, so this requires its own translation and its own left-to-right layout rather than a converted Farsi page.
Cost is driven by word count, file format, and which variety or varieties you need. MotaWord quotes per word with no subscription or platform fee.
What sets our Persian localization apart
Translators matched to Farsi, Dari, or Tajik specifically, not a single generic Persian pool.
The same layout mirroring capability we use for Arabic applies directly to Farsi and Dari projects.
We handle Tajik as its own project, script and all, rather than a converted Farsi file.
Instant machine-first localization with professional post-editing layered on top, so you can launch fast and refine over time.
Our collaborative translation model gets full-site projects done in hours, not the weeks a traditional agency needs.
Direct access to your project team throughout, with no ticket queue.
Not sure where to start?
Tell us about your site in the chat. Answer one quick question and we'll point you to the right next step.
Need Persian beyond your website?
MotaWord supports Persian beyond website localization, from official document translation to live interpretation.
Live on site
USCIS-accepted certified translation for birth certificates, diplomas, transcripts, and other official Farsi and Dari documents.
View certified translation → →
Coming soon
In-person interpreters for legal proceedings, medical appointments, school meetings, and business events.
Learn more → →
Coming soon
On-demand VRI and OPI interpreters for remote Farsi-language support, available 24/7.
Learn more → →