I coded my own JSON translation tool to easily localize my side project
Hi HN, I’m Joan, the developer of Quicklang. I made this app to easily translate and keep in sync all my localization JSON files for my side projects. While searching online for a similar tool, I only found enterprise solutions that do not allow direct editing of JSON files. I used to use ChatGPT to translate the JSON translation file changes before coding Quicklang. However, I realized that ChatGPT only allows you to input short content for translation into another language (even if you provide a .json file), and each time I had to request translations for one language at a time. So, I…
In plain words
Quicklang is a JSON translation tool designed for developers managing localization files in side projects. It automatically translates JSON file changes into multiple languages simultaneously using the OpenAI API, then syncs the results back into the files. Unlike enterprise localization platforms, it allows direct JSON editing and processes only changed content rather than entire files, making it faster and more efficient than manual translation workflows.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
Hi HN, I’m Joan, the developer of Quicklang. I made this app to easily translate and keep in sync all my localization JSON files for my side projects. While searching online for a similar tool, I only found enterprise solutions that do not allow direct editing of JSON files. I used to use ChatGPT to translate the JSON translation file changes before coding Quicklang. However, I realized that ChatGPT only allows you to input short content for translation into another language (even if you provide a .json file), and each time I had to request translations for one language at a time. So, I decided to build an app that only sends the changes I’ve made to the OpenAI API and easily translates them into all the target languages for my side projects. Technical details: I used Next.js to build the front end and backend, and I use a custom VPS (EC2 instance) on AWS to handle the translation process. This is because the translation can take several minutes, and Vercel Functions time out after 10 seconds by default (up to 60 seconds on the Hobby plan). Finally, I save the translation files in an S3 bucket. What’s next? I want to add cool features like change history, the capability to add context to the OpenAI API to make translations as accurate as possible, and maybe allow developers to interact with the API in order to use the tool. Let me know your thoughts and feedback. It’s been a blast working on this so far, and I think it’s just neat :)
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