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Langctl CLI

CLI-first translation management for developers

Langctl is a powerful command-line tool that lets you manage translations directly from your terminal. Create projects, manage translation keys, invite team members, export in multiple formats, and integrate seamlessly into your CI/CD pipeline.

👉 New to Langctl? Visit langctl.com to learn more about features, pricing, and see how Langctl compares to other translation tools.

Features

  • 🚀 Complete Project Management - Create, update, and manage translation projects
  • 🔑 Translation Key CRUD - Full control over translation keys and values
  • 👥 Team Management - Invite members, manage roles, and handle invitations
  • 📊 Organization Insights - View stats, plan limits, and usage metrics
  • 📦 Multi-Format Export - Support for JSON, iOS, Android, Flutter, and i18n
  • 🔄 Import Translations - Bulk import from JSON files
  • 🤖 CI/CD Ready - Perfect for automated workflows
  • 🌍 Multi-Language Support - Manage unlimited languages per project

Installation

npm install -g langctl

Or use with npx (no installation required):

npx langctl --help

Quick Start

📌 First time here? Check out our Getting Started Guide on the website for a complete walkthrough!

1. Get Your API Key

  1. Visit app.langctl.com and create a free account
  2. Go to Settings → API Keys
  3. Click "Generate New Key"
  4. Copy the key (it's only shown once!)

💡 Tip: Learn more about API keys and authentication at langctl.com/docs/cli/authentication

2. Authenticate

# Interactive setup
langctl init

# Or authenticate directly
langctl auth lc_your_api_key_here

3. Explore Your Organization

# View organization info
langctl org info

# Check statistics
langctl org stats

# List your projects
langctl projects list

4. Start Working with Translations

# List translation keys
langctl keys list my-project

# Export translations
langctl export my-project --language en --format json

# Create a new key
langctl keys create my-project home.welcome \
  --value-en "Welcome!" \
  --value-es "¡Bienvenido!"

Commands Overview

Authentication

  • langctl init - Interactive setup wizard
  • langctl auth <api-key> - Authenticate with API key
  • langctl logout - Clear credentials
  • langctl config - View current configuration

Organization

  • langctl org info - View organization details
  • langctl org stats - View organization statistics
  • langctl org plan - View subscription plan and limits

Projects

  • langctl projects list - List all projects
  • langctl projects create <name> - Create new project
  • langctl projects get <slug> - Get project details
  • langctl projects update <slug> - Update project
  • langctl projects delete <slug> - Delete project
  • langctl projects add-language <slug> <language> - Add language
  • langctl projects remove-language <slug> <language> - Remove language
  • langctl projects stats <slug> - View project statistics

Translation Keys

  • langctl keys list <project> - List translation keys
  • langctl keys get <project> <key> - Get key details
  • langctl keys create <project> <key> - Create new key
  • langctl keys delete <project> <key> - Delete key
  • langctl keys translate <project> <key> - Update translation
  • langctl keys publish <project> <keys...> - Publish/unpublish keys

Team

  • langctl team list - List team members
  • langctl team get <email> - Get member details
  • langctl team invite <email> - Invite team member
  • langctl team remove <email> - Remove team member
  • langctl team update-role <email> <role> - Update member role
  • langctl team invitations - List invitations
  • langctl team revoke-invitation <email> - Revoke invitation

Import/Export

  • langctl export <project> - Export translations
  • langctl import <project> <file> - Import translations

Detailed Command Reference

Authentication Commands

langctl init

Interactive setup wizard that guides you through authentication and configuration.

langctl init

langctl auth <api-key>

Authenticate with an API key from your dashboard.

langctl auth lc_abc123...

langctl logout

Clear stored authentication credentials.

langctl logout

langctl config

Display current configuration (API key, organization, etc.).

langctl config

Organization Commands

langctl org info

View your organization details.

langctl org info

Output:

  • Organization name and ID
  • Slug
  • Subscription plan
  • Creation date

langctl org stats

View comprehensive organization statistics.

langctl org stats

Output:

  • Total team members
  • Number of projects
  • Translation key counts (total, published, unpublished)
  • Languages used across projects
  • API keys and webhooks

langctl org plan

View subscription plan details and resource limits.

langctl org plan

Output:

  • Current plan (Free, Pro, Team, Enterprise)
  • Max members allowed
  • Max projects allowed
  • Max keys per project
  • Max API keys allowed

Project Management Commands

langctl projects list

List all projects you have access to.

langctl projects list

Output:

  • Project name and slug
  • Description
  • Supported languages
  • Default language
  • Available modules

langctl projects create <name>

Create a new translation project.

langctl projects create "Mobile App" \
  --description "iOS and Android translations" \
  --languages en,es,fr,de \
  --default-language en

Options:

  • -d, --description <text> - Project description
  • -l, --languages <langs> - Comma-separated language codes (default: en)
  • --default-language <code> - Default language (default: first language)

Examples:

# Simple project with English only
langctl projects create "My App"

# Multi-language project
langctl projects create "Global App" \
  -l en,es,fr,de,ja \
  --default-language en

# With description
langctl projects create "Mobile App" \
  -d "Translation keys for mobile application" \
  -l en,es

langctl projects get <slug>

Get detailed information about a specific project.

langctl projects get my-app

Output:

  • Project name, ID, and slug
  • Description
  • All supported languages
  • Default language
  • List of modules

langctl projects update <slug>

Update project details.

langctl projects update my-app \
  --name "New Name" \
  --description "Updated description" \
  --languages en,es,fr,de,ja \
  --default-language en

Options:

  • -n, --name <name> - Update project name
  • -d, --description <text> - Update description
  • -l, --languages <langs> - Update supported languages
  • --default-language <code> - Update default language

Examples:

# Change project name
langctl projects update my-app --name "Better Name"

# Add more languages
langctl projects update my-app -l en,es,fr,de,ja,zh

# Update description only
langctl projects update my-app -d "New project description"

langctl projects delete <slug>

Delete a project (soft delete - can be recovered).

langctl projects delete my-app

Warning: This will mark the project as deleted. Contact support to recover deleted projects.

langctl projects add-language <slug> <language>

Add a new language to an existing project.

langctl projects add-language my-app de

Examples:

# Add German
langctl projects add-language my-app de

# Add Japanese
langctl projects add-language my-app ja

# Add Chinese
langctl projects add-language my-app zh

langctl projects remove-language <slug> <language>

Remove a language from a project.

langctl projects remove-language my-app de

Note: Cannot remove the default language. Change default language first if needed.

langctl projects stats <slug>

View project statistics.

langctl projects stats my-app

Output:

  • Total translation keys
  • Published vs unpublished counts
  • Number of modules
  • List of module names

Translation Key Commands

langctl keys list <project>

List translation keys for a project.

langctl keys list my-app

Options:

  • -m, --module <name> - Filter by module
  • -p, --published - Show only published keys
  • -s, --search <term> - Search in key names
  • --limit <number> - Limit results (default: 100)
  • --offset <number> - Offset for pagination (default: 0)

Examples:

# List all keys
langctl keys list my-app

# Filter by module
langctl keys list my-app --module auth

# Show only published keys
langctl keys list my-app --published

# Search for specific keys
langctl keys list my-app --search "welcome"

# Pagination
langctl keys list my-app --limit 50 --offset 0
langctl keys list my-app --limit 50 --offset 50

langctl keys get <project> <key>

Get detailed information about a specific translation key.

langctl keys get my-app home.welcome

Output:

  • Key name and ID
  • Description
  • Module
  • Published status
  • All translations for all languages

langctl keys create <project> <key>

Create a new translation key with values for multiple languages.

langctl keys create my-app home.welcome \
  --description "Welcome message on homepage" \
  --module home \
  --value-en "Welcome to our app!" \
  --value-es "¡Bienvenido a nuestra aplicación!" \
  --value-fr "Bienvenue dans notre application!" \
  --value-de "Willkommen in unserer App!"

Options:

  • -d, --description <text> - Key description
  • -m, --module <name> - Module/namespace for organization
  • --value-en <value> - English translation
  • --value-es <value> - Spanish translation
  • --value-fr <value> - French translation
  • --value-de <value> - German translation
  • --tags <tags> - Comma-separated tags

Supported language options: You can use --value-{language} for any language code in your project.

Examples:

# Simple key with one language
langctl keys create my-app button.submit --value-en "Submit"

# Multi-language key
langctl keys create my-app home.title \
  --module home \
  --value-en "Home" \
  --value-es "Inicio" \
  --value-fr "Accueil"

# With description and tags
langctl keys create my-app error.network \
  --description "Network connection error" \
  --module errors \
  --value-en "Network error occurred" \
  --tags error,network

langctl keys delete <project> <key>

Delete a translation key.

langctl keys delete my-app home.welcome

langctl keys translate <project> <key>

Update the translation value for a specific language.

langctl keys translate my-app home.welcome \
  --language es \
  --value "¡Bienvenido!"

Options:

  • -l, --language <code> - Language code (required)
  • -v, --value <text> - Translation value (required)

Examples:

# Update Spanish translation
langctl keys translate my-app home.title -l es -v "Inicio"

# Update French translation
langctl keys translate my-app button.submit -l fr -v "Soumettre"

# Add translation for new language
langctl keys translate my-app home.welcome -l de -v "Willkommen"

langctl keys publish <project> <keys...>

Publish or unpublish translation keys.

# Publish keys
langctl keys publish my-app home.welcome home.title button.submit

# Unpublish keys
langctl keys publish my-app home.welcome --unpublish

Options:

  • --unpublish - Unpublish instead of publish

Examples:

# Publish single key
langctl keys publish my-app home.welcome

# Publish multiple keys
langctl keys publish my-app home.welcome home.title home.subtitle

# Unpublish keys
langctl keys publish my-app test.key --unpublish

Team Management Commands

langctl team list

List all team members in your organization.

langctl team list

Output:

  • Member email
  • Role (viewer, member, admin, owner)
  • Join date

langctl team get <email>

Get details about a specific team member.

langctl team get user@example.com

langctl team invite <email>

Invite a new team member.

langctl team invite user@example.com --role member

Options:

  • -r, --role <role> - Member role (default: member)
    • viewer - Read-only access
    • member - Can manage translations
    • admin - Full project and team management

Examples:

# Invite as member (default)
langctl team invite user@example.com

# Invite as admin
langctl team invite admin@example.com --role admin

# Invite as viewer
langctl team invite viewer@example.com --role viewer

langctl team remove <email>

Remove a team member from your organization.

langctl team remove user@example.com

Note: Cannot remove the organization owner. Cannot remove yourself (use appropriate UI for that).

langctl team update-role <email> <role>

Update a team member's role.

langctl team update-role user@example.com admin

Valid roles: viewer, member, admin

Examples:

# Promote to admin
langctl team update-role user@example.com admin

# Demote to viewer
langctl team update-role user@example.com viewer

langctl team invitations

List all invitations (pending, accepted, or cancelled).

# List all invitations
langctl team invitations

# List only pending invitations
langctl team invitations --pending

Options:

  • -p, --pending - Show only pending invitations

langctl team revoke-invitation <email>

Revoke a pending invitation.

langctl team revoke-invitation user@example.com

Export/Import Commands

langctl export <project>

Export translations in various formats.

langctl export my-app --language en --format flat-json

Options:

  • -l, --language <code> - Language to export (default: exports all languages)
  • -f, --format <type> - Export format (default: flat-json)
  • -o, --output <path> - Output file path (optional)
  • -m, --module <name> - Export only specific module
  • --include-unpublished - Include unpublished keys (default: published only)

Supported formats:

  • flat-json - Flat key-value JSON (default)
  • nested-json - Nested JSON structure
  • i18n-json - i18next compatible format
  • android-xml - Android strings.xml format
  • ios-strings - iOS Localizable.strings format
  • flutter-arb - Flutter ARB format

Examples:

# Export single language as JSON
langctl export my-app -l en -f flat-json

# Export all languages
langctl export my-app

# Export for iOS
langctl export my-app -l en -f ios-strings -o ./ios/en.lproj/Localizable.strings

# Export for Android
langctl export my-app -l es -f android-xml -o ./android/res/values-es/strings.xml

# Export for Flutter
langctl export my-app -l fr -f flutter-arb -o ./lib/l10n/app_fr.arb

# Export specific module
langctl export my-app -l en --module auth

# Include unpublished translations
langctl export my-app -l en --include-unpublished

langctl import <project> <file>

Import translations from a JSON file.

langctl import my-app translations.json --language en

Options:

  • -l, --language <code> - Target language (required)
  • --overwrite - Overwrite existing translations
  • --publish - Auto-publish imported keys

Examples:

# Import English translations
langctl import my-app en.json -l en

# Import and overwrite existing
langctl import my-app en.json -l en --overwrite

# Import and auto-publish
langctl import my-app en.json -l en --publish

# Import multiple languages
langctl import my-app en.json -l en --publish
langctl import my-app es.json -l es --publish
langctl import my-app fr.json -l fr --publish

Supported JSON formats:

// Flat format (recommended)
{
  "home.welcome": "Welcome!",
  "home.subtitle": "Get started",
  "button.submit": "Submit"
}

// Nested format (auto-flattened)
{
  "home": {
    "welcome": "Welcome!",
    "subtitle": "Get started"
  },
  "button": {
    "submit": "Submit"
  }
}

Export Format Examples

Flat JSON (Default)

{
  "home.welcome": "Welcome!",
  "home.subtitle": "Get started with {{appName}}",
  "button.submit": "Submit"
}

Nested JSON

{
  "home": {
    "welcome": "Welcome!",
    "subtitle": "Get started with {{appName}}"
  },
  "button": {
    "submit": "Submit"
  }
}

i18next JSON

{
  "home": {
    "welcome": "Welcome!",
    "subtitle": "Get started with {{appName}}"
  }
}

iOS Strings

/* Welcome message */
"home.welcome" = "Welcome!";

/* Homepage subtitle with app name placeholder */
"home.subtitle" = "Get started with %@";

Android XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
  <!-- Welcome message -->
  <string name="home.welcome">Welcome!</string>

  <!-- Homepage subtitle with app name placeholder -->
  <string name="home.subtitle">Get started with %1$s</string>
</resources>

Flutter ARB

{
  "@@locale": "en",
  "home.welcome": "Welcome!",
  "@home.welcome": {
    "description": "Welcome message"
  },
  "home.subtitle": "Get started with {appName}",
  "@home.subtitle": {
    "description": "Homepage subtitle",
    "placeholders": {
      "appName": {
        "type": "String"
      }
    }
  }
}

Real-World Workflows

Complete Project Setup

# 1. Authenticate
langctl auth lc_your_api_key_here

# 2. Create project
langctl projects create "Mobile App" \
  -l en,es,fr,de \
  --default-language en \
  -d "iOS and Android application"

# 3. Add translation keys
langctl keys create mobile-app home.welcome \
  --module home \
  --value-en "Welcome!" \
  --value-es "¡Bienvenido!" \
  --value-fr "Bienvenue!"

langctl keys create mobile-app button.submit \
  --module common \
  --value-en "Submit" \
  --value-es "Enviar" \
  --value-fr "Soumettre"

# 4. Publish keys
langctl keys publish mobile-app home.welcome button.submit

# 5. Export for platforms
langctl export mobile-app -l en -f ios-strings -o ./ios/en.lproj/
langctl export mobile-app -l en -f android-xml -o ./android/res/values/

Bulk Import Workflow

# 1. Prepare JSON files (en.json, es.json, fr.json)
# 2. Import all languages
langctl import my-app en.json -l en --publish
langctl import my-app es.json -l es --publish
langctl import my-app fr.json -l fr --publish

# 3. Verify imports
langctl keys list my-app --published
langctl projects stats my-app

Team Collaboration

# 1. Invite team members
langctl team invite developer@example.com --role member
langctl team invite manager@example.com --role admin

# 2. Check invitations
langctl team invitations --pending

# 3. Manage roles
langctl team update-role developer@example.com admin

# 4. View team
langctl team list

Multi-Platform Export

# Export for all platforms
PROJECT="my-app"
LANG="en"

# Web (i18next)
langctl export $PROJECT -l $LANG -f i18n-json -o ./src/locales/$LANG.json

# iOS
langctl export $PROJECT -l $LANG -f ios-strings -o ./ios/$LANG.lproj/Localizable.strings

# Android
langctl export $PROJECT -l $LANG -f android-xml -o ./android/res/values/strings.xml

# Flutter
langctl export $PROJECT -l $LANG -f flutter-arb -o ./lib/l10n/app_$LANG.arb

CI/CD Integration

GitHub Actions

Automated translation sync workflow:

name: Sync Translations

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 0 * * *' # Daily at midnight
  workflow_dispatch: # Manual trigger

jobs:
  sync-translations:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Setup Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: '18'

      - name: Install Langctl
        run: npm install -g langctl

      - name: Authenticate
        env:
          LANGCTL_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.LANGCTL_API_KEY }}
        run: langctl auth $LANGCTL_API_KEY

      - name: Export Translations
        run: |
          langctl export my-project -l en -f i18n-json -o ./locales/en.json
          langctl export my-project -l es -f i18n-json -o ./locales/es.json
          langctl export my-project -l fr -f i18n-json -o ./locales/fr.json

      - name: Commit Changes
        run: |
          git config user.name "Langctl Bot"
          git config user.email "bot@langctl.com"
          git add locales/
          git diff --staged --quiet || git commit -m "chore: update translations [skip ci]"
          git push

GitLab CI

sync-translations:
  image: node:18
  script:
    - npm install -g langctl
    - langctl auth $LANGCTL_API_KEY
    - langctl export my-project -l en -f json -o ./locales/en.json
    - langctl export my-project -l es -f json -o ./locales/es.json
    - git config user.name "Langctl Bot"
    - git config user.email "bot@langctl.com"
    - git add locales/
    - git diff --staged --quiet || git commit -m "chore: update translations"
    - git push origin $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH
  only:
    - schedules

Docker

FROM node:18-alpine

RUN npm install -g langctl

WORKDIR /app

COPY . .

# Set API key via environment variable
ENV LANGCTL_API_KEY=""

# Example: Export translations on build
RUN langctl auth $LANGCTL_API_KEY && \
    langctl export my-project -l en -f json -o ./public/locales/en.json

Best Practices

Project Organization

  1. Use modules to organize keys by feature:

    langctl keys create app auth.login.title --module auth
langctl keys create app home.hero.title --module home
langctl keys create app settings.profile.name --module settings

  2. Follow naming conventions:

    module.screen.element
auth.login.title
home.hero.subtitle

  3. Add descriptions to keys:

    langctl keys create app button.submit \
  --description "Primary action button across the app" \
  --value-en "Submit"

Translation Workflow

  1. Create keys unpublished (draft mode)

  2. Add translations for all languages

  3. Review and test translations

  4. Publish when ready:

    langctl keys publish my-app key1 key2 key3

  5. Export published translations only:

    langctl export my-app -l en

Team Management

  1. Use appropriate roles:

    • viewer - Stakeholders, reviewers (read-only)
    • member - Translators, content writers
    • admin - Project managers, team leads

  2. Regular access reviews:

    langctl team list
langctl team invitations

Security

  1. Never commit API keys to version control

  2. Use environment variables:

    export LANGCTL_API_KEY="lc_..."
langctl auth $LANGCTL_API_KEY

  3. Rotate keys periodically from app.langctl.com

  4. Use different keys for different environments:

    • Development key for local work
    • CI/CD key for automated workflows
    • Production key for releases

Troubleshooting

Authentication Issues

"Not authenticated" error:

# Solution: Authenticate with your API key
langctl auth lc_your_api_key_here

"Invalid API key" error:

  • Verify key format (starts with lc_, 67 characters total)
  • Check key hasn't been revoked at app.langctl.com
  • Generate a new key if needed

Project Issues

"Project not found" error:

# Check project slug (not name)
langctl projects list

# Use the slug shown in the list
langctl keys list correct-slug-here

Cannot remove language:

  • Cannot remove the default language
  • Change default language first: 
    langctl projects update my-app --default-language en
langctl projects remove-language my-app fr

Import/Export Issues

Import fails with format error:

  • Ensure JSON is valid
  • Use flat key-value format or nested objects
  • Check language code is valid

Export shows no keys:

  • Verify keys are published: 
    langctl keys list my-app --published
  • Or include unpublished: 
    langctl export my-app -l en --include-unpublished

Connection Issues

If experiencing connectivity problems:

  1. Check your internet connection
  2. Verify you're not behind a restrictive firewall
  3. Try again in a few moments
  4. Contact support if issue persists

FAQ

Q: What's the difference between slug and name? A: The slug is the URL-friendly identifier (e.g., my-app), while the name is the display name (e.g., "My App"). Use slugs in CLI commands.

Q: Can I use the CLI without installing it? A: Yes! Use npx langctl instead of langctl for any command.

Q: How do I get my project slug? A: Run langctl projects list to see all project slugs.

Q: Can I export multiple languages at once? A: Yes, run langctl export my-app without -l flag to export all languages.

Q: What happens to unpublished keys? A: They're excluded from exports by default. Use --include-unpublished to include them.

Q: Can I undo a delete operation? A: Projects and keys use soft deletes. Contact support to recover deleted items.

Q: How do I change my default language? A: Run: langctl projects update my-app --default-language <new-language>

Q: Can I use the CLI in CI/CD? A: Yes! Store your API key as a secret and use it in your workflow. See CI/CD Integration.

Platform Support

  • ✅ macOS (Apple Silicon & Intel)
  • ✅ Linux (x64, ARM64)
  • ✅ Windows (x64, ARM64)
  • ✅ Node.js 16.0.0 or higher

🌟 Why Langctl?

Tired of expensive translation management tools? Langctl offers:

  • ✅ Free to start - No credit card required
  • ✅ 90% cheaper than enterprise alternatives
  • ✅ Developer-first - Built for your workflow
  • ✅ AI-powered - Context-aware translations
  • ✅ Open source CLI - Inspect, fork, contribute

See pricing and compare features →

📚 Resources & Support

Contributing

We welcome contributions! This is an open-source project and we'd love your help making it better.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Copyright © 2026 Litcode Private Limited. All rights reserved.

Built with ❤️ by the Langctl team

Making translation management simple, fast, and developer-friendly.

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