MCP Server - Quick Start Guide

What is the GetTranslated MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) lets AI editors call external tools. Our MCP server exposes your GetTranslated project to Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and other MCP-capable clients — so you can upload source strings, run AI translations, check status, and download translated files without leaving your editor.

It's the same translation engine as the CLI and SDKs — validation, placeholder protection, translation memory, and protected words all apply — driven conversationally instead of by typed commands.

💡 MCP vs CLI: The CLI is great for scripts and CI/CD. The MCP is for interactive, in-editor work ("translate the strings I just added to Spanish and French"). Both authenticate with the same Server API Key and act on the same project.

Prerequisites

A GetTranslated account and a project already created
Your project's Server API Key (the sk- key)
An MCP-capable client: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or any client supporting the Streamable HTTP transport

Step 1: Get Your Server API Key

Open your project, go to project settings, and copy the Server API Key (it starts with sk-). Each project has its own key, and it scopes the MCP to that one project.

Security Note: Treat your Server API Key like a password. Don't commit it to version control or paste it into shared chats. If it leaks, rotate it from project settings — the old key keeps working during a short grace period so you won't break anything.

Step 2: Connect Your Editor

The server lives at:

https://www.gettranslated.ai/mcp/translate/

Authentication is a bearer header: Authorization: Bearer <your-sk-key>.

Claude Code (CLI)

Run a single command — replace the key with your own:

claude mcp add --transport http gettranslated \
  https://www.gettranslated.ai/mcp/translate/ \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer sk-your-server-key"

Then check it connected:

claude mcp get gettranslated   # should show: Status: ✔ Connected

Start a new session and the gettranslated tools will be available.

Cursor & other JSON-config clients

Add an HTTP server entry to your client's MCP config (e.g. .cursor/mcp.json for Cursor). The exact filename varies by client, but the shape is the same:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gettranslated": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://www.gettranslated.ai/mcp/translate/",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer sk-your-server-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart the editor so it picks up the new server.

Codex & other CLI clients

CLI clients such as Codex expose their own mcp add command (or an MCP config file). Point it at the same endpoint URL with the Authorization: Bearer <your-sk-key> header — the server speaks standard MCP over HTTP, so any compliant client connects the same way.

💡 Tip: MCP servers load when your editor session starts. After connecting, open a fresh session so the GetTranslated tools appear.

Step 3: Localize From the Chat

Once connected, just ask in plain language. Some examples:

"Show my GetTranslated project status."

"Upload src/i18n/locales/en.json to GetTranslated, then translate
 the new strings to Spanish and French."

"Download the Spanish translations and write them to
 src/i18n/locales/es.json."

"Add 'GetTranslated' and 'Pickleball' to the protected words so they
 aren't translated, then re-translate."

Claude will call the right tools, and for large projects it will keep running translate in batches until everything is done — you don't have to manage that.

💡 How translation runs: Each translate call processes one bounded batch and reports whether more work remains. Your AI client loops automatically until the project is fully translated — no background jobs, no waiting on a single long request.

What Claude Can Do

The MCP exposes these tools, all scoped to the project your key belongs to:

Inspect — view project config, translation status/progress, file list, and validation issues
Upload — sync a source localization file (Android XML, iOS .strings, React Native JSON, Flutter .arb)
Translate — run AI translation for your target languages
Download — get translated files back in platform-native format
Quality — run a grammar pass on base strings, review and accept/reject grammar recommendations, and auto-fix validation issues
Configure — set protected words, translation tone, and target languages

For the full list with arguments and behavior, see the MCP Tool Reference.

Common Issues & Solutions

"Invalid or inactive server key" / connection fails with 401

The bearer token is missing or wrong. Confirm you copied the full Server key (starts with sk-, not the ck- client key), and that the header is exactly Authorization: Bearer sk-....

Tools don't appear after connecting

MCP servers are loaded at session start. Open a new editor session (or restart the app) after adding the server.

"This language is not available on your current plan"

The requested target language isn't included in your plan tier. Upgrade your plan or choose a language that's available — ask Claude to "show my project" to see the languages you can use.

"Grammar check / protected words is not available on your current plan"

These are plan-gated features. They unlock on higher tiers; everything else (upload, translate, download) works on every plan within your usage limits.

Translation seems to stop before finishing

Each translate call does one batch. If your client didn't loop, just ask it to "keep translating until it's done" — it will continue from where it left off.