Batch-translate thousands of items with a cheap API
When you need to translate a whole catalog, a spreadsheet of messages, or a backlog of documents,
you want a fast, low-cost API and a simple loop with some concurrency. APIVAI fits: it's
OpenAI-compatible, GPT-5.5 is fast and fluent for translation, and the per-token price is a fraction
of list — which matters at thousands of items.
The approach
- Read your items (CSV/JSON/DB).
- Translate each with GPT-5.5 over the OpenAI-compatible endpoint, a few in parallel.
- Write the results back.
Code (Python, with concurrency)
import os, asyncio
from openai import AsyncOpenAI
ai = AsyncOpenAI(api_key=os.environ["APIVAI_API_KEY"], base_url="https://api.apivai.com/v1")
SEM = asyncio.Semaphore(5) # limit concurrency to be gentle on rate limits
async def translate(text, target="Spanish"):
async with SEM:
r = await ai.chat.completions.create(
model="gpt-5.5",
messages=[
{"role": "system", "content": f"Translate to {target}. Output only the translation, preserve meaning and any product specs."},
{"role": "user", "content": text},
],
temperature=0.2,
)
return r.choices[0].message.content.strip()
async def main(items, target="Spanish"):
return await asyncio.gather(*(translate(t, target) for t in items))
# items = [...] # your strings
# results = asyncio.run(main(items))
Tips for large batches
- Concurrency: 3–8 parallel requests is usually a good balance; back off on 429s.
- Retries: wrap calls with exponential backoff for transient errors.
- Glossary: include key terms in the system prompt to lock terminology across the batch.
- Cost control: keep prompts tight; a smaller model can do a first pass, GPT-5.5 for the rest.
- Idempotency: record which items succeeded so a re-run only does the remainder.
Use cases
- Localize an e-commerce catalog (titles, descriptions) for a new market.
- Translate a backlog of support messages or reviews.
- Pre-translate UI strings or knowledge-base articles.
FAQ
What's the cheapest way to batch-translate? A fast model (GPT-5.5) over a discounted
OpenAI-compatible gateway like APIVAI, with light concurrency — far cheaper than official list at
volume.
Which model for bulk translation? GPT-5.5 for quality; a smaller model for a cheap first pass.
How do I avoid rate limits? Limit concurrency (a semaphore) and retry 429s with backoff.
Can I pay without a card? Yes — APIVAI takes crypto, USDT, and Alipay.
Get started
Get an APIVAI key and run the concurrent loop above over your items. Examples:
APIVAI examples repo.
