canonical: https://jentic.com/apis/localizejs.com/localizejs

# Localizejs Localize API

Jentic publishes the only available OpenAPI specification for Localize API, keeping it validated and agent-ready. Localize translates websites and applications without code changes, and the API exposes the underlying translation database to development and content teams. The endpoints cover projects, phrases, languages, and glossary terms, with bulk import and export operations for moving translation memory between environments. It is built around a project model where each project has its own phrases, languages, and glossary.

## For AI agents

Manage translation projects, phrases, glossary terms, and languages, and run bulk import and export operations against the Localize translation platform.

## Scope

Does not handle machine translation engines, content authoring, or runtime serving of translated pages - use for managing translation projects, phrases, and glossaries via the Localize API only.

## Capabilities

- Manage translation projects and the languages enabled on each
- Create, update, and remove individual phrases attached to a project
- Update a phrase translation for a specific language code in one call
- Maintain a project glossary of terms with consistent translations
- Bulk import phrases into a project from an external source
- Bulk export project phrases for backup or migration

## Use cases

### Continuous Translation Sync

Product teams shipping copy changes daily need translation memory to stay in sync across environments. Localize's bulk import endpoint accepts new and updated phrases, and the export endpoint pulls the current state for staging or QA. A scheduled job can move phrases between dev, staging, and production projects.

Example prompt: Call POST `/v1/projects/{projectId}/import` with the latest phrase set from the dev project, then GET `/v1/projects/{projectId}/export` from staging to verify.

### Glossary-Driven Translation Quality

Companies enforcing brand voice across languages maintain a glossary of terms. The Localize API exposes the glossary per project so a translation review tool can flag any phrase that conflicts with a glossary term and suggest the approved translation. Glossary terms can be created and updated through the API as the brand voice evolves.

Example prompt: Pull GET `/v1/projects/{projectId}/glossary` and POST new terms when the marketing team adds approved translations for brand vocabulary.

### AI Agent Translation Assistant

An AI agent helping a product manager localise a new feature can use Jentic to add phrases to the relevant Localize project, set translations for each enabled language, and confirm the import was clean. The agent never holds the API key; Jentic injects it at execution time.

Example prompt: Use Jentic to call POST `/v1/projects/{projectId}/phrases` for each new string the user provides and PUT translations for each enabled language.

## Key endpoints

| Method | Path | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GET | `/v1/projects` | List translation projects |
| POST | `/v1/projects/{projectId}/phrases` | Add a phrase to a project |
| PUT | `/v1/projects/{projectId}/phrases/{phraseId}/translations/{languageCode}` | Set a translation for a phrase in a given language |
| POST | `/v1/projects/{projectId}/import` | Bulk import phrases |
| GET | `/v1/projects/{projectId}/export` | Bulk export phrases |
| POST | `/v1/projects/{projectId}/glossary` | Create a glossary term |

## Key resources

- **Projects** — Read translation projects and their settings
- **Phrases** — Create, update, and remove phrases attached to a project
- **Languages** — Manage languages enabled on a project
- **Glossary** — Maintain project-specific glossary terms
- **Import/Export** — Bulk move phrases in and out of a project

## Why Jentic

- **Setup:** Wiring the Localize API by hand means setting up its Authorization key auth, attaching it to every call against api.localizejs.com, and handling retries yourself across phrase and glossary management. Through Jentic you install once, import the Localize API from the API Directory, store the key once, and your agent calls it.
- **Permission scoping:** Localize puts the project id in the URL path (`/v1/projects/{projectId}/...`), so a rule can pin your agent to one project: it can add phrases, update translations, and manage the glossary there and nothing else. You choose the operations it may call, so a project import with POST `/v1/projects/{projectId}/import` is not included unless you add it.
- **Credential handling:** Your Localize API key is stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and injected as the Authorization header at execution time. It never enters the agent's prompt, logs, or context.
- **Discovery method:** Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'add a phrase for translation' or 'export a project', and Jentic returns the matching Localize operation with its input schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing the reference docs.

## Related APIs

- **Phrase API** — Alternative translation management platform with broader file format and CI integration coverage
- **Smartling API** — Alternative enterprise translation platform with managed translation services
- **POEditor API** — Pair Localize for live website strings with POEditor for source-file based translation

## FAQ

### Why is there no official OpenAPI spec for Localize API?

Localize does not publish an OpenAPI specification. Jentic generates and maintains this spec so that AI agents and developers can call Localize API via structured tooling. It is validated against the live API and kept up to date. Get started with Jentic One, the self-hosted execution layer.

### What authentication does the Localize API use?

Localize uses an API key sent in the Authorization header. Through Jentic, the key is held encrypted in the vault and injected at execution time, so the raw value never reaches the agent or its logs.

### Can I add a phrase and translate it in one call?

Not in one call, but in two: POST `/v1/projects/{projectId}/phrases` creates the phrase, then PUT `/v1/projects/{projectId}/phrases/{phraseId}/translations/{languageCode}` sets the translation per language. Loop the PUT for each enabled language.

### What are the rate limits for the Localize API?

Rate limits are not declared in the spec. Localize applies plan-level limits to API throughput; teams running heavy bulk imports should batch requests and respect any 429 backoff signals returned by the API.

### How do I import a batch of phrases through Jentic?

Search Jentic for 'import translation phrases'. Jentic returns the POST `/v1/projects/{projectId}/import` operation. Load the schema, supply the project ID and the phrase payload, and execute. Use the matching export endpoint to verify.

### Can I maintain a brand glossary alongside my translations?

Yes. The `/v1/projects/{projectId}/glossary` endpoints let you create and read glossary terms scoped to a single project. Pair them with the phrases endpoints to enforce consistent translation of brand vocabulary.

### Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the Localize API?

Yes. Because you run Jentic One yourself, your own rules decide which Localize operations and credentials the agent may use. Since Localize puts the project id in the URL path (`/v1/projects/{projectId}/...`), a rule can pin the agent to a single project so it can add phrases, set translations, and manage that project's glossary and nothing else. You also choose the exact operations it may call, so a bulk import with POST `/v1/projects/{projectId}/import` is excluded unless you add it.