Smartling’s Machine Translation (MT) API enables you to instantly translate content using your preferred MT engine or LLM provider, without submitting content through Smartling’s TMS platform. This synchronous, lightweight API is ideal for real-time translation needs and supports a wide range of MT use cases.

Please note that this is a paid product. For pricing information, please reach out to your Smartling Customer Success Manager.

Overview

The MT API allows you to send content directly to Smartling for machine translation using any configured MT Profile or LLM Profile. This enables direct integration with any of Smartling’s supported NMT or LLM providers, including custom-trained engines, custom-built providers, or Smartling’s preconfigured solution, Auto Select, which intelligently routes content to the most suitable MT engine.

Unlike traditional TMS workflows, content submitted through the MT API:

Is not stored in Smartling
Can only be translated using raw MT or LLM translation without a human in the loop, therefore it does not enter the translation memory
Is not processed through workflows

Content submitted through the MT API is counted towards your MT word usage.

Key Features

Real-time synchronous translations
Get immediate MT output without queuing or asynchronous processing.
Full MT Profile support
Use any MT or LLM Profile configured in the Smartling dashboard, including:
Content parsing without storage
Incorrect placeholders or tags can easily break your application or website. With the MT API, your translations can benefit from Smartling's AI Hub, which automatically detects and fixes common issues.

Common Use Cases

The MT API is ideal for scenarios where immediate translation is required, and content does not need to be retained or reviewed within Smartling. Typical use cases include:

Support tickets
Chatbots
User-generated content
First-pass translation for custom-built connectors and integrations

Did you know that Smartling also offers out-of-the-box MT integrations for popular support platforms? Check out our documentation on the Zendesk Support Plugin and Dynamic Translation with the ServiceNow Connector.

Getting started with Smartling's MT API

Follow the steps below to begin using Smartling's MT API.

Create an API token for authentication
Smartling uses OAuth2 for authentication. To use the MT API, you'll need to create an API token. You can create either a project token or an account token. Please refer to this article for step-by-step instructions on how to create an API token in Smartling.
Create an MT or LLM Profile
MT or LLM Profiles are collections of configurations for the MT engine or LLM used to translate your content. These profiles allow you to customize translation output.
Smartling supports a wide range of neural machine translation (NMT) providers and LLMs, including a pre-configured option called Smartling Auto Select.
If you’d like to use a specific engine, please contact your Customer Success Manager to enable the MT profile. If you prefer to bring your own key for the provider, you’ll need to create a set of credentials before proceeding to set up the Profile.
Tip: For more information, see Creating and Managing MT Profiles or Managing LLM Profiles and Prompts.
Enable the MT API
- Click into the AI Hub from the top navigation bar
- Go to the Instant MT tab
- Click into the MT API tab
- Toggle the Enable Machine Translation for MT API switch on
- Choose a default MT or LLM Profile from the dropdown menu
- (Optional) Define language-specific rules to use different Profiles per language.
  - For example, you can set "Google MT" as the default MT Profile, and use "Microsoft MT" specifically for French and Spanish.
- (Optional) Select one or more glossaries to enable Glossary Term Insertion for Machine Translation.
Call the MT API
Send content to the MT API endpoint. This will use the MT or LLM Profile that you specified in the previous step to translate the content. You can optionally include the profileUid parameter to use a different Profile than the default configured. This allows you to translate content using a different MT engine or LLM. You can find a Profile's profileUid by navigating to the AI Hub > Profiles tab. Then, click on the name of the MT or LLM Profile.
Example:

Please refer to our API documentation for full specifications and example requests.
Use the translated output
The translated text returned from the API can then be displayed or processed in your app, chatbot, support platform, or any other integration.

Usage Tracking

Words processed via the MT API are counted towards your MT Words usage. This content is not saved to your translation memory or tracked in job histories, as it is translated instantly and does not pass through a translation workflow in the Smartling dashboard.

Important Notes

The MT API is not intended for content requiring review, storage, or formal QA processes.
Ensure your MT Profile is properly configured before use.
For pricing and usage limits, please contact your Customer Success Manager.

Links to Related Articles

Information on Rate Limits and Error Codes
See Smartling's complete API documentation
Information on Smartling's key concepts