Accent
Developer-first, open-source translation management with CLI file sync, a collaborative editor, and a GraphQL API.
Accent is an open-source translation management system built around a developer-first workflow. Localization files stay in your repository and are synchronised through a CLI: accent sync reads your source files and pushes strings to the server, then writes translated files back into the project, with a dry-run mode that previews additions, removals, and updates before you commit.
The web app gives translators and developers a shared editor with full revision history and rollback, comments on individual translations, a spell checker, and an AI assistant that can be configured with per-project instructions and an OpenAI key. Machine translation can be triggered inline, for a whole document, for arbitrary files, or automatically on sync, using external providers such as Google Translate. A JIPT script also allows in-context editing inside the running application.
Accent supports Rails-style YAML, iOS .strings, Gettext, JSON, simple JSON, Android XML, ES6 modules, Java properties, Java properties XML, and Laravel PHP files. Its GraphQL API powers the UI and is documented for building plugins and libraries, while the CLI is published on npm as accent-cli with a GitHub Actions guide. It is BSD-3-Clause and self-hosted with Docker; PostgreSQL is the only external dependency, and login can go through GitHub, GitLab, Google, Slack, Discord, Microsoft, or any OIDC provider. Unlike subscription platforms such as Crowdin, Lokalise, Phrase, or Transifex, Accent has no per-seat fee and runs entirely on your own infrastructure.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Accent CLI keep localization files in sync?
Install accent-cli from npm, create an accent.json file with your instance URL, API key, and file globs, then run accent sync. The CLI pushes source strings to Accent and writes translated files back into your project; accent sync --dry-run previews new, removed, and updated keys first, and the --add-translations flag writes the additional languages. A namePattern option controls how document paths are derived from file paths.
Which localization file formats does Accent support?
Accent reads and writes Rails-flavored YAML, iOS .strings, Gettext PO files, JSON, simple flat JSON, Android-flavored XML, ES6 modules, Java properties, Java properties-flavored XML, and Laravel PHP arrays. Each format is selected per file entry in the CLI configuration.
What are the requirements to self-host Accent?
The official Docker image needs only an external PostgreSQL database, version 9.4 or newer, plus environment variables for DATABASE_URL and SECRET_KEY_BASE. The container serves the app on port 4000 and runs migrations at startup. For production, PostgreSQL must be publicly reachable and its role needs the pg_trgm extension, and you can enable dummy email-only login or configure GitHub, GitLab, Google, Slack, Discord, Microsoft, or OIDC authentication.
Does Accent have an API for automation and in-context editing?
Yes. The GraphQL API that powers the web UI is open and documented, and a GraphiQL endpoint is available on the demo instance, so you can build libraries, plugins, or integrations around it. Accent also ships a JIPT script that embeds the translation editor into your running app for in-context editing.
How do machine translation and AI features work?
You configure an external machine translation provider, such as Google Translate, in the project settings; the service key is encrypted with MACHINE_TRANSLATIONS_VAULT_KEY. Translation can then run inline on a single textarea, across a whole document, on arbitrary uploaded files, or automatically whenever a sync introduces new strings. Separately, an OpenAI key per project enables an AI assistant for correcting, rewriting, or translating text with custom instructions.
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Updated 10/26/2026, 2:01:03 PM
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