Weblate Automatic Translation

Python script to trigger batch automatic translations via Weblate API for configured projects and languages. Designed for daily cron execution.

Installation

# Create virtual environment (recommended)
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Configure
cp config.yaml.example config.yaml
# Edit config.yaml with your settings

Configuration

Edit config.yaml:

weblate:
  url: "https://your-weblate.example.com"
  api_token: "${WEBLATE_API_TOKEN}"  # Uses environment variable

projects:
  - my-project-1
  - my-project-2

languages:
  - fr
  - de
  - es

machine_translation:
  engines: ["deepl"]
  threshold: "80"

filter:
  query: "state:<translated"

logging:
  level: INFO

Environment Variables

Set the API token as an environment variable:

export WEBLATE_API_TOKEN="your-api-token-here"

Get your API token from Weblate: User Settings → API access → Personal API key.

Usage

# Test with dry-run (shows actions without executing)
python weblate_autotranslate.py --dry-run

# Run for all configured projects
python weblate_autotranslate.py

# Run for a single project
python weblate_autotranslate.py --project my-project-1

# Use custom config location
python weblate_autotranslate.py --config /path/to/config.yaml

CLI Options

Option	Description
--config PATH	Config file location (default: config.yaml)
--dry-run	Show actions without executing
--project SLUG	Process only this project

Cron Setup

Run daily at 3 AM:

# Edit crontab
crontab -e

# Add entry
0 3 * * * WEBLATE_API_TOKEN="your-token" /path/to/venv/bin/python /path/to/weblate_autotranslate.py --config /path/to/config.yaml >> /var/log/weblate-autotranslate.log 2>&1

Or use a wrapper script:

#!/bin/bash
# /usr/local/bin/weblate-autotranslate.sh
export WEBLATE_API_TOKEN="your-token"
cd /path/to/weblate_automatic_translation
/path/to/venv/bin/python weblate_autotranslate.py

Filter Query Examples

The filter.query setting uses Weblate's search syntax:

Query	Description
state:<translated	Untranslated and unfinished strings
state:empty	Only empty translations
state:fuzzy	Only fuzzy/needs editing strings
NOT state:translated	All non-translated strings
state:empty AND priority:>=100	Empty strings with high priority

Machine Translation Engines

Common engine identifiers (must be configured in Weblate):

• deepl — DeepL
• google-translate — Google Translate
• microsoft-translator — Microsoft Translator
• aws — Amazon Translate
• libretranslate — LibreTranslate

Translation Mode

The machine_translation.mode setting controls how translations are saved:

Mode	Description
fuzzy	Mark as "Needs editing" (default) — requires human review
translate	Save as fully translated/approved
suggest	Add as suggestion only — doesn't modify string

Default is fuzzy to ensure human review of machine translations.

Weblate Requirements

1. API Token: User must have translation permissions
2. MT Service: At least one machine translation engine configured
3. Components: Target languages must be enabled per component

Troubleshooting

401 Unauthorized: Check API token is valid and exported

404 Not Found: Verify project/component slugs exist

No translations triggered: Check if target languages are enabled in components

Rate limiting: Add delays between API calls if needed (modify script)

Enable debug logging for detailed output:

logging:
  level: DEBUG