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Claude Desktop Integration

Use XliffAI as a tool inside Claude Desktop and Claude Code

What is MCP Integration?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) allows Claude to use XliffAI as a native tool. Once configured, you can ask Claude to translate your XLIFF files, check translation status, and download results — all through natural conversation.

Upload & Translate

Send XLIFF files directly to Claude and ask it to translate them using XliffAI.

Conversational

Just describe what you need in plain language — Claude handles the rest.

Automated Workflow

Claude can translate, poll for status, and download results automatically.

Prerequisites

  • An XliffAI account (sign up for free at xliffai.com)
  • Your XliffAI API key (found in Settings)
  • Claude Desktop app or Claude Code CLI installed

Step 1: Get Your API Key

1

Sign in to XliffAI

Go to xliffai.com and sign in with your Google account.

2

Open Settings

Navigate to the Settings page from the sidebar.

3

Copy your API key

Copy your API key — you will need it in the next step (Bearer token).

Keep your API key secret. Do not share it publicly or commit it to version control.

1

Claude (web) — Add custom connector

In Claude in the browser, go to Connectors and click Add custom connector.

Remote MCP server URL: https://xliffai.com/api/v1/claude-mcp

Leave OAuth Client ID and Secret blank. Where the UI asks for authentication or token, use your XliffAI API key (Bearer token).

2

Claude Desktop App

Add XliffAI to your Claude Desktop configuration file.

1

Open the config file

Open Claude Desktop, go to Settings > Developer > Edit Config, or open the file directly:

Config file location:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
2

Add the XliffAI server

Paste the following configuration. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual API key from Settings.

{
"mcpServers": {
"xliffai": {
"url": "https://xliffai.com/api/v1/claude-mcp",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
}
}
}
}
3

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop. You should see XliffAI tools available in the tools menu (hammer icon).

3

Claude Code CLI

If you use Claude Code in the terminal, run this command to add XliffAI:

claude mcp add xliffai \
--transport http \
--url https://xliffai.com/api/v1/claude-mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Available Tools

Once connected, Claude has access to these 5 tools for working with your XLIFF translations:

translate_xliff

Translate an XLIFF file content from one language to another. Small files (under 50 segments) are translated instantly. Larger files are processed in the background.

Parameters

file_content (string, required) — The raw XML content of the XLIFF file
target_language (string, required) — Target language code (e.g., 'uk', 'fr', 'de')
source_language (string, optional) — Source language code (auto-detected if omitted)
filename (string, optional) — Original filename for reference
get_translation_status

Check the current status of a translation. Use this to poll for completion of large files that are processed asynchronously.

Parameters

translation_id (integer, required) — The ID of the translation
list_translations

List your recent translations with their status, languages, and timestamps. Supports filtering by status.

Parameters

limit (integer, optional) — Number of results to return (default: 10, max: 50)
status (string, optional) — Filter by status: processing, success, failure
download_translation

Download the translated XLIFF file content once a translation is complete.

Parameters

translation_id (integer, required) — The ID of the translation
list_supported_languages

List all supported language codes and names that can be used for translation.

Parameters

No parameters required

Example Prompts

Here are some things you can say to Claude once XliffAI is connected:

"Translate this XLIFF file to Ukrainian" (attach or paste your file)

"What languages does XliffAI support?"

"Show me my recent translations"

"Check the status of translation #42 and download it if it's done"

"Translate my file to French and German" (Claude will run both translations)

How It Works

Here is the typical workflow when translating files through Claude:

1

Send your XLIFF file

Paste the XML content or ask Claude to read a file from your computer.

2

Claude calls translate_xliff

Claude sends the content to XliffAI with your chosen target language.

3

Translation is processed

Small files return instantly. Large files are queued and Claude can poll for status.

4

Get your translated file

Claude downloads the translated XLIFF and can save it to disk or display the content.

Limits & Quotas

File Limits

  • Maximum file size: 5 MB
  • Supported formats: XLIFF 1.2, XLIFF 2.0
  • Synchronous processing: up to 50 segments
  • Async processing: larger files (poll for status)

Rate Limits

  • Translations per minute: depends on plan
  • Translations per hour: depends on plan
  • Higher limits available on paid plans

Troubleshooting

Tools not appearing in Claude

Make sure you restarted Claude Desktop after editing the config file. Check that the JSON syntax is valid and the URL is exactly https://xliffai.com/api/v1/claude-mcp.

Authentication errors (401)

Verify your API key is correct (copy from Settings). Use header: Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY with a space after Bearer. Keys with or without sk- prefix are accepted.

Rate limit exceeded

Wait a moment and try again. If you hit limits frequently, consider upgrading your plan for higher quotas.

Large file timeout

Files with more than 50 segments are processed asynchronously. Claude will automatically poll for status. If it times out, ask Claude to check the translation status by ID.

Ready to Get Started?

Get your API key from Settings and connect XliffAI to Claude Desktop in under 2 minutes.

Go to Settings View API Docs