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Libretranslate

Translate text, detect languages, and list supported languages through any configured LibreTranslate-compatible endpoint.

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Install Libretranslate

Pick your client, then add it in one click or paste the config.

STDIONode.js
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "libretranslate": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@pipeworx/mcp-libretranslate"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PLATFORM_LIBRETRANSLATE_ENDPOINT": "YOUR_VALUE_HERE",
        "PLATFORM_LIBRETRANSLATE_KEY": "YOUR_VALUE_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Settings → Developer → Edit Config, merge this into mcpServers, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

Values are written into the snippet above so you can paste it as is. They never leave your browser.

Install not yet sandbox-tested— we haven't run this command through our automated sandbox yet. Not a red flag; we're working through the catalog.

Overview

Libretranslate MCP server connects MCP clients to any LibreTranslate-compatible instance for translation, language detection, and language-list queries. It uses the standard LibreTranslate v1 API and requires you to provide an endpoint, with an API key when the instance requires one. Run it locally over stdio or connect through the Pipeworx gateway. Reach for it when you need agent-accessible translation backed by a self-hosted, paid, or available community LibreTranslate deployment.

Use cases

  • Translate user content into a requested target language
  • Detect the language of incoming text
  • List languages supported by a configured instance
  • Connect an agent to a self-hosted translation service
  • Call translation tools over MCP or HTTP

Key features

  • Text translation with optional source language and format
  • Input-language detection
  • Supported-language listing
  • LibreTranslate v1 API compatibility
  • Standalone stdio and Pipeworx gateway modes
  • Optional API-key configuration

Security & health

What it can reach and how reliably it runs — from our own checks, not the maintainer’s claims.

ActiveLast checked 1d ago

Recent health check succeeded.

7/7 checks healthy over the last 45d

Supply-chain signal

No high-severity advisories surfaced by our automated scan.

Critical 0High 0Medium 0Low 0

Scanned 13d ago via OSV.dev · @pipeworx/mcp-libretranslate (npm)

Adoption & maintenance

Factual signals from GitHub, npm, and our automated checks — not a rating.

GitHub stars2Stargazers on the source repository.
npm downloads413Package downloads in the last 30 days.
Last commit26d agoMost recent push to the default branch.
Directory activity1 viewsConfig copies, upvotes, and views on AllMCPs.

How Libretranslate works

What Libretranslate MCP server does

The Libretranslate MCP server exposes a small set of language-service operations through the Model Context Protocol. It connects to an instance that implements the LibreTranslate v1 API rather than providing its own translation engine.

The server is useful when an agent needs translation as part of a workflow and the deployment can be controlled or selected by the operator. Supported backends include self-hosted LibreTranslate installations, paid LibreTranslate hosting, and community instances that remain available. Public, keyless availability is not assumed.

How it works

The Libretranslate MCP server forwards requests to the configured LibreTranslate-compatible endpoint using the standard v1 API shape. Its tools are:

  • translate(text, target, source?, format?) translates text into a target language. The source language and content format are optional inputs.
  • list_languages() retrieves the languages exposed by the configured instance.

Two operating modes are available. As a standalone package, it communicates over stdin and stdout and exposes only these pack-specific tools. Through the Pipeworx gateway, the scoped endpoint also lists shared gateway tools, including routing and discovery functions. The gateway can additionally be called over HTTP without an MCP client.

Setup and configuration

A running LibreTranslate-compatible service is required. The endpoint may be a self-hosted deployment, a paid service such as libretranslate.com, or another compatible community instance. Some services require an API key.

For the gateway, configure PLATFORM_LIBRETRANSLATE_ENDPOINT with the service URL and optionally set PLATFORM_LIBRETRANSLATE_KEY. A gateway URL can instead carry BYO settings through the _endpoint and _apiKey query parameters. The standalone package is launched with npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-libretranslate and does not require a Pipeworx account or gateway round-trip.

MCP clients can connect to the gateway at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/libretranslate/mcp. The full Pipeworx gateway is also available when direct access to all catalog packs is preferred. For HTTP use without an MCP client, the translation operation is exposed at the corresponding /v1/tools/libretranslate_translate route.

Tools and capabilities

The same tool set is available in standalone and gateway modes, although the gateway adds shared meta-tools to its tool listing.

The Libretranslate MCP server returns a structured missing-endpoint result when it is unconfigured instead of treating that condition as an upstream tool failure. This makes endpoint configuration an explicit deployment requirement. The gateway also provides ask_pipeworx, which can select and invoke tools from the wider Pipeworx catalog through a natural-language request.

Limitations and notes

This server does not include a default translation endpoint. The README reports that the checked free public instances were unavailable, restricted, returned errors, or required a key, so operators must supply a working endpoint. Upstream availability, supported languages, authentication, and usage limits depend on that endpoint.

The gateway-scoped connection includes shared Pipeworx schemas in addition to the three LibreTranslate tools. The standalone connection avoids those extra tools but does not provide gateway-wide routing. The package is licensed under MIT.

Read the full README View source on GitHub

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Frequently Asked Questions about Libretranslate

Libretranslate is an MCP server that connects AI clients to any LibreTranslate-compatible instance. Its main tools translate text into a target language, detect the language of input text, and list languages supported by the configured instance. It can run locally over stdio or through the Pipeworx gateway.

Install it as a local stdio server with `npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-libretranslate` and add that command to your MCP client configuration. You can also connect to the Pipeworx gateway URL instead. A working LibreTranslate-compatible endpoint must still be configured for tool calls.

It uses any LibreTranslate-compatible endpoint that you provide. Set `PLATFORM_LIBRETRANSLATE_ENDPOINT` for the gateway, or pass `_endpoint` in the gateway URL for BYO configuration. The endpoint may be self-hosted, paid, or a functioning community instance.

An API key is optional at the server configuration level but may be required by the selected LibreTranslate instance. For the gateway, provide it with `PLATFORM_LIBRETRANSLATE_KEY` or the `_apiKey` URL parameter. There is no guaranteed keyless public endpoint.

Yes. Cursor can connect to the Pipeworx MCP endpoint using its URL configuration. The package also supports local stdio mode, which can be configured in an MCP client that supports local servers. In either mode, a working LibreTranslate-compatible endpoint is required.

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