Translation API Specification & Integration Reference

POST Translation API

/api/v1/ai/translation

Translate text into one or multiple languages simultaneously, with automatic source language detection.

Base Billing 1 Credit
Typical Response 1-3 s
Client Timeout 15-30 s (recommended)
Provider Fallback Automatic
JSON Contract Envelope v1

Architecture Role & AI Definition

Translation API provides low-latency, deterministic REST execution for production engineering workflows. It processes structured payloads with strict schema validation, returns uniform JSON envelopes, and is secured via SHA-256 API key authentication with atomic credit pre-authorization locks.

Production Reliability Guidelines

1. Strict Timeout Windows

Configure a hard client timeout of 5 to 8 seconds. If network latency spikes, cancel connection to avoid holding open sockets in worker pools.

2. Exponential Backoff with Jitter

Upon receiving 429 Rate Limit or transient 5xx, pause with exponential backoff:
wait = min(max_backoff, base * 2^attempt + jitter).

3. Atomic Pre-Auth Locks

RSFlowHub acquires an atomic lock verifying base credits before model invocation. If validation fails, zero credits are deducted.

Request Body Parameters

Field Type Required Description
text string Required The user text to analyze or translate (Max: 15,000 characters).
translate boolean Optional Whether to apply translation. Set to false to just detect language. Default is true.
target_language string Optional A single language to translate into. Required if target_languages is not provided.
target_languages array of strings Optional Translate text into multiple languages at once (Max 10 items).
preserve_formatting boolean Optional Optional. If true, preserves HTML/XML tags and Markdown symbols verbatim without translating them. Default is true.
protected_keys array of strings Optional Optional. List of dynamic placeholders/variables (e.g. ["user_name", "count"]) that must NOT be translated. Max 30 items.
glossary object Optional Optional. Custom key-value terminology dictionary (e.g. {"Wallet": "Billetera"}) to enforce exact translations. Max 30 items.
tone string Optional Optional. Custom tone style. Options: "formal", "casual", "friendly", "professional".
Important Note on Credit Usage

Your Content Size (Input Characters) is multiplied based on the number of target languages you request. For example, translating a 1,000-character text into 3 languages (target_languages array) consumes more processing credits than translating it into 1 language. Please be mindful of the content length and requested languages.


Example Request (Multiple Languages)

JSON Request
{
  "text": "Hello, how can I help you today?",
  "translate": true,
  "target_languages": ["Spanish", "French"]
}
curl-trigger.sh cURL
curl -X POST https://rsflowhub.com/api/v1/ai/translation \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "text": "Hello, how can I help you today?",
    "target_languages": ["Spanish", "French"]
  }'

Example Response

response.json JSON Response
200 OK
{
  "success": true,
  "request_id": "req_7f3a9c2d1e4b8a6f",
  "data": {
    "result": {
      "detected_language": "English",
      "translation_applied": true,
      "translated_text": "Hola, ¿cómo puedo ayudarte hoy?",
      "target_language": "Spanish",
      "translations": [
        {
          "target_language": "Spanish",
          "translated_text": "Hola, ¿cómo puedo ayudarte hoy?"
        },
        {
          "target_language": "French",
          "translated_text": "Bonjour, comment puis-je vous aider aujourd'hui ?"
        }
      ]
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "version": "v1",
    "timestamp": "2026-09-27T12:34:56+00:00"
  }
}

Advanced Example (Formatting, Variables & Glossary)

This example demonstrates translating HTML-marked text while protecting placeholders, using a custom trademark glossary, and setting a casual tone.

Advanced JSON Request
{
  "text": "Hello <b>{user_name}</b>, welcome to RSFlowHub! Please check your Wallet balance.",
  "target_languages": ["Spanish"],
  "preserve_formatting": true,
  "protected_keys": ["user_name"],
  "glossary": {
    "RSFlowHub": "RSFlowHub",
    "Wallet": "Billetera"
  },
  "tone": "casual"
}
response.json Advanced JSON Response
200 OK
{
  "success": true,
  "request_id": "req_7f3a9c2d1e4b8a6f",
  "data": {
    "result": {
      "detected_language": "English",
      "translation_applied": true,
      "translated_text": "¡Hola <b>{user_name}</b>, bienvenido a RSFlowHub! Por favor, revisa el saldo de tu Billetera.",
      "target_language": "Spanish",
      "translations": [
        {
          "target_language": "Spanish",
          "translated_text": "¡Hola <b>{user_name}</b>, bienvenido a RSFlowHub! Por favor, revisa el saldo de tu Billetera."
        }
      ]
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "version": "v1",
    "timestamp": "2026-09-27T12:34:56+00:00"
  }
}

API Request Example

Use the cURL snippet below to test the endpoint.

curl-trigger.sh cURL
curl -X POST 'https://rsflowhub.com/api/v1/ai/translation' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "text": "Hello, how can I help you today?",
    "target_languages": [
        "Spanish",
        "French"
    ]
}'

Want to try it without code? Test this request in the live Playground.

Supported Languages
The API uses advanced models and generally supports all major global languages automatically. Source language is auto-detected.

Common Failure Modes & Troubleshooting Matrix

HTTP Code Error Code Root Cause Recommended Remediation
400 bad_request Malformed JSON syntax or missing required top-level parameters. Validate JSON payload with Content-Type: application/json and ensure all required fields are present.
401 unauthorized Missing, revoked, or incorrectly formatted x-api-key header. Verify API key exists in Dashboard → API Keys and pass in x-api-key or Authorization: Bearer.
402 insufficient_credits Account credit balance is lower than the base required credits (1 credits). Top up credits in billing settings or enable auto-recharge to prevent pipeline interruption.
422 validation_error Input failed parameter constraints (e.g., character length exceeded or invalid array types). Review parameters table above and adjust payload length, types, or structure accordingly.
429 rate_limit_exceeded Concurrency limit (60 requests/minute default) reached for this endpoint key. Back off and retry using the timestamp in Retry-After response header, or batch requests.

Technical Q&A (FAQ)

Each Translation API call costs 1 base credit, plus about 1 credit per 1,000 input characters and 1 credit per 500 output characters. Failed calls are not charged.

The text field accepts up to 15,000 characters per request. Larger inputs return a 422 validation error, so split long content into chunks.

Translation API runs on Google Gemini (gemini-2.5-flash-lite), with automatic fallback to OpenAI (gpt-4.1-mini) if the primary provider fails or rate-limits. Models are tuned per task, so your integration does not change when we upgrade them.

Yes. Identical requests within 24 hours are answered from cache, which is faster and free or discounted in credits.

Most requests complete in 1 to 3 seconds; set a client timeout of 15 to 30 seconds to cover long inputs. On HTTP 429, wait for the Retry-After delay. Retry network errors once or twice with exponential backoff and jitter.

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