ai_translate

Alternative translation method: translate English text to project locales using backend AI (Gemini). Prefer agent-local translation (translate yourself, then set_translation + check_entry_quality) for better quality. Use this tool for bulk-filling new locales (100+ keys) or when the user explicit...

Server Localization localization-mcp-server
Category Read
Risk class Low
Parameters 42 required

What ai_translate does on Localization

AI agents call ai_translate to retrieve information from Localization without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
text string Yes English text to translate
context string Context about where/how this key is used (max 1000 chars). Helps AI translate ambiguous strings accurately. Describe: screen, UI element type, meaning in this p
projectSlug string Yes Project slug for usage tracking
targetLocales array Optional list of locale codes to translate into (e.g. ["uk", "nb-NO"]). When omitted, translates to all non-default project locales. Use this for efficiency whe

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

Why ai_translate needs a policy

Even though ai_translate only reads data, uncontrolled read access leaks sensitive information and racks up API costs — an agent caught in a retry loop can make thousands of calls a minute without anyone noticing.

Questions about ai_translate

What does the ai_translate tool do? +

Alternative translation method: translate English text to project locales using backend AI (Gemini). Prefer agent-local translation (translate yourself, then set_translation + check_entry_quality) for better quality. Use this tool for bulk-filling new locales (100+ keys) or when the user explicitly requests backend translation. Returns translations for each configured locale. Usage is tracked per project. Optionally accepts context (where the text appears in UI) to improve translation quality for short or ambiguous strings. Optionally accepts targetLocales array to restrict translation to specific locales instead of all project locales. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Localization MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

What parameters does ai_translate accept? +

ai_translate accepts 4 parameters: text, context, projectSlug, targetLocales. Required: text, projectSlug. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.

How do I enforce a policy on ai_translate? +

Register the Localization MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for ai_translate: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Localization. Nothing to install.

What risk level is ai_translate? +

ai_translate is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit ai_translate? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the ai_translate rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block ai_translate completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for ai_translate. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides ai_translate? +

ai_translate is provided by the Localization MCP server (localization-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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