The Google Translate API, explained

Yes, it's called Cloud Translation

Yes, Google has a translation API you can use in an app, site or script. Its name is Cloud Translation, rather than Google Translate API, though Google Translate may be the name you're looking for.

Google Translate covers almost 250 languages in its consumer app. For API access, the choice is between Cloud Translation Basic (v2) and Advanced (v3), with different authentication methods and access to different translation models.

That's the starting point. If you already have code that calls Google Translate v2, keep that version in mind as you compare the options below.

Basic (v2) vs Advanced (v3)

Basic (v2) uses Google's neural machine translation and accepts API keys. Advanced (v3) adds the Translation LLM and uses IAM service accounts instead of API keys.

Which one should you use? Start with the model and authentication your code needs. If you want Google's neural machine translation with an API key, Basic provides that combination. If you want the Translation LLM, look at Advanced.

Don't treat v3 as a version-number change alone. Moving from Basic to Advanced also changes how you authenticate, and the editions have different maximum request sizes even though they share the same per-minute character quota.

Authentication

With Basic, you can authenticate using an API key. Advanced uses IAM service accounts, not API keys.

That distinction belongs in your integration plan, before you start swapping v2 calls for v3 calls or choosing a model, since the authentication method is tied to the edition you're using.

Already have an API key? That's the credential type Basic accepts. It isn't the authentication method for Advanced.

And if you're looking specifically for the Translation LLM, plan around Advanced's IAM service account authentication rather than an API-key setup.

Quotas and request limits

Both v2 and v3 have a quota of 6,000,000 characters per minute. The maximum size of an individual request is separate from that quota.

Google recommends keeping requests under 5,000 code points. The hard limits are different:

• Advanced accepts up to 30,000 code points per request.
• Basic accepts up to 100,000 bytes.

Watch the units here. Advanced's limit is stated in code points; Basic's is stated in bytes. Don't read both limits as character counts.

A request that's too large returns 400 INVALID_ARGUMENT. Going over quota returns 403. If you're checking a failed request, distinguish its size from the amount you've sent during the minute rather than treating both errors as the same limit.

Pricing in short

As of November 2026, the first 500,000 characters a month are free, then the price is $20 per million characters.

The Translation LLM has separate input and output charges: $10 per million input characters plus $10 per million output characters. Keep both sides in your estimate, rather than using the input price as the whole translation cost.

Billing counts characters by code point, with spaces included.

When you compare the pricing, keep the standard character rate separate from the Translation LLM's input and output rates. They're different billing figures, not interchangeable prices for the same model.

Using it from existing code

If your code already sends Google Translate v2 requests, Translinga is another option to look at. It's a translation API made by Bitgate for Shopify stores, WordPress sites and apps, and Google Translate v2 requests work with it too. It uses the same language codes as the DeepL and Google Translate APIs.

For content with markup, it takes Liquid tags, HTML and placeholders out before translating. It then checks every reply tag by tag and retries any string that comes back with a tag missing.

Translinga has Fast at $2.50 per million characters and Quality at $5.00 per million. Every character counts, including spaces, once per target language. Credit is prepaid from $5 and never expires.

It's in early access. You can ask for a key using the Get early access button on translinga.com; the first $1 is free (about 400,000 characters on Fast), and you don't need a card for a key.