@babelize/cli

Babelize CLI — AI-powered i18n platform for managing translations from your terminal.

Install

npm install -g @babelize/cli

Quick start

In your project's folder:

npx babelize        # or: npx @babelize/cli

It checks git (offering git init and a first commit, and warning about uncommitted changes), finds your framework, i18n library and source language on your machine, signs you in if needed (GitHub or Google in the browser, or email and password), asks which languages you want (remembered in .babelize/config.json), then writes locale files and i18n code for review with git diff. Signed in, no API key is needed: translation is billed in Babelize credits, and the summary shows how many were used.

When it's done, add a language switcher (ready-made ones at https://elements.babelize.co, or build your own). Run npx babelize again after changes: only new or changed text is translated. For pull requests instead, connect the repo at https://app.babelize.co or run babelize run start.

Without a terminal, pass the languages: babelize start --to fr,de --yes. (The interactive command menu is now babelize shell.)

With your own LLM key, or in CI

babelize translate is the same local translation with flags instead of questions. Use your own LLM key (no account needed), your signed-in session, or a Babelize API key:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...   # or OPENAI_API_KEY, GEMINI_API_KEY, GROQ_API_KEY, OPENROUTER_API_KEY
npx babelize translate --to fr,de,ja
git diff

Or use Babelize-hosted translation: create an API key at https://app.babelize.co/api-keys (free tier included), then

export BABELIZE_API_KEY=bblz_sk_...
npx babelize translate --to fr,de,ja

• Frameworks: React, Next.js (App Router), Django and static HTML are supported. Vue and React Native (Expo and bare) are in beta.
• Key: the first LLM key found in the order above is used; with none, BABELIZE_API_KEY selects Babelize-hosted translation, and with no key at all your signed-in session does (strings only, never code; billed in Babelize credits). Pick another with --provider (babelize for hosted), or a different model with --model.
• Output: --json prints the QA report, which is also written to .babelize/local/report.json (--report <path> moves it). A run where some keys failed exits 6 unless --allow-partial.
• Safety: it needs a git repo with a clean working tree (--force overrides). It works on a temporary copy and touches nothing if the run fails. --dry-run prints the diff without writing.
• Re-runs: commit .babelize/local/babelize-lock.json and later runs only translate new or changed strings.

Full guide: https://docs.babelize.co/cli/translate

Quick Start (platform)

# Log in to your Babelize account
babelize auth login

# Initialize a new project
babelize init

# Start a translation run
babelize run start

Commands

Run babelize <command> --help for subcommand details.

Shell Completion

Generate bash or zsh completion scripts:

babelize completion bash > /usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/babelize
babelize completion zsh > /usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions/_babelize

The script dynamically reflects all registered commands at generation time.

Configuration

Credentials and preferences are stored at:

• macOS: ~/Library/Preferences/@babelize/cli-nodejs/config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/@babelize/cli-nodejs/config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\@babelize\cli-nodejs\Config\config.json

The API URL resolves in this order:

• --api-url flag — per-command override
• BABELIZE_API_URL env var — e.g. http://localhost:3001/api for local dev
• Stored config — the URL saved by babelize auth login --api-url <url> or the "Self-hosted" login choice (localhost URLs included). A URL is only stored when you ask for it.
• Default: https://api.babelize.co/api

Environment Variables

CI / Non-Interactive Mode

The CLI is CI-safe. Set CI=true (most pipelines do automatically), set BABELIZE_NON_INTERACTIVE=1, or pass --non-interactive / --yes, and the CLI will never block on a prompt. --yes also answers "yes" to confirmations such as deletes; without it, a confirmation in non-interactive mode fails with exit code 2:

CI=true babelize run start -p <project-id> -l es,fr --no-poll --json

In non-interactive mode, missing required flags exit with 2 (usage) and an actionable message instead of prompting. Closed stdin (non-TTY) is also treated as non-interactive.

Authenticate in CI with a token rather than a stored session:

export BABELIZE_TOKEN=bblz_sk_xxxxxxxx

For local translation in CI, set BABELIZE_API_KEY (or your own LLM key) and run npx babelize start --to fr,de --yes.

See the CI/CD docs for a full GitHub Actions recipe.

Exit Codes

A cancelled prompt exits 128, never 0 — so a pipeline step can't silently pass when required input is missing.

Scripts can use these codes for conditional logic:

babelize run start --no-poll || exit_code=$?
if [ $exit_code -eq 3 ]; then
  babelize auth login
fi

JSON Mode

Append --json to a command for machine-readable JSON output. Coverage is per subcommand: where a subcommand doesn't implement it, --json is ignored and the usual human-readable output is printed (e.g. babelize projects list --json returns JSON, but some members and notifications subactions do not).

With --json, spinners and other progress output never touch stdout (errors and notices go to stderr), so babelize --json auth whoami | jq works. When stdout is not a terminal, spinners are replaced by plain lines on stderr.

Telemetry

The CLI sends anonymous usage data: the command, CLI/Node/OS version, framework, translator type, target locales, counts and whether the run succeeded. Never your code, strings, file names or account details. babelize check and --provider pseudo send nothing. A notice is printed the first time.

Turn it off with babelize telemetry disable, BABELIZE_TELEMETRY=0 or DO_NOT_TRACK=1. Details: docs.babelize.co/cli/telemetry.

Update Notifications

The CLI checks npm registry for new versions once per session (non-blocking). To update:

npm update -g @babelize/cli

Troubleshooting

Links

• Website
• Docs