Getting Started with Bulk Translate
A step-by-step guide to setting up your API key, picking languages, and running your first batch translation.
1. Open Settings and Add Your API Key
Click the gear icon in the top-right corner. A panel slides in from the right with your API configuration.
Pick a provider. The dropdown includes OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Groq, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, Together AI, and Ollama. Each comes pre-configured with the correct endpoint URL and a curated list of popular models.
Paste your API key. The field is masked by default. If you don't have a key yet, head to your provider's developer console and create one — most offer free credits for new accounts.
Choose a model. Each provider's dropdown shows their popular models. Pick one. For your first run, I'd suggest gpt-4o-mini (fast and cheap) or gemini-2.0-flash (very affordable).
Your key never leaves your browser. It's stored in localStorage and sent directly to the API endpoint you configured. We don't proxy, log, or even see your requests.
2. Add Target Languages
The language bar sits between the input area and the grid. It starts empty — you decide what you need.
Click the + button to open the language picker. Search or scroll through 65+ languages. Use the arrow keys to navigate the list and Enter to select. Each language you add appears as a chip in the bar and creates a column in the grid.
Drag chips left and right to reorder. The grid columns will follow.
Save your setup as a preset (the bookmark icon). Give it a name like "Work" or "European languages." Next time, load it with one click instead of re-selecting everything.
3. Paste Your Text
The text area at the top is where your content goes. Each line of text becomes one row in the grid. Empty lines are skipped automatically.
Paste a few lines to start. Maybe some UI strings, email subjects, or product descriptions. Press Cmd+Enter (Mac) or Ctrl+Enter (Windows) to commit, or click the Add rows button.
Your text appears in the first column. Translation cells show an em dash — waiting to be filled.
4. Translate
Click the Translate button in the toolbar. Each cell updates independently:
- Cells show a pulsing "Translating…" while processing
- Completed translations appear in their cells as they finish
- Any errors show the problem with a retry button
Up to 7 translations run in parallel. You can click Cancel at any time to stop everything.
5. Review and Export
Click any translation cell to edit it directly. Changed your mind about the input? Click the input cell, edit the text, and press Enter — that row's translations clear automatically so you can re-translate.
When you're happy with the results, use the Export dropdown in the toolbar:
- CSV — spreadsheet-ready
- JSON — structured data for scripts
- Copy to clipboard — tab-separated, paste directly into Excel
Customize the Experience
Once you've got the basics down, make Bulk Translate feel like your tool:
- Switch themes — Six palettes in Settings → Appearance. Try Nord or Catppuccin
- Toggle dark mode — Click the sun/moon icon in the header
- Change fonts — Pick from seven Google Fonts including Inter, JetBrains Mono, and Lora
- Color-code columns — Click the colored dot on any language chip to assign a background tint
- Adjust font size — S, M, or L in the toolbar. The default is Large
Tips for Larger Batches
Once you're comfortable, here's how to scale up:
- Use a faster model (
gpt-4o-mini,claude-haiku-4-5) for batches over 50 rows - Lock rows you've manually reviewed so re-translate doesn't overwrite them
- Check placeholder preservation on a small sample before running a full batch
- If you hit rate limits, reduce to 3 target languages or run in smaller chunks
Bulk Translate is designed to fade into the background and let you focus on your content. If something feels off or you have a feature idea, we'd love to hear it.