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Start translating a repository

translate_repository
Destructive

Start translating a connected repository: the locale files on the branch are translated into the project's target languages and delivered back to the repository, by default as a pull request. Runs in the background; this call returns once the translation is queued. Refused when the organisation is out of credits, when the repository has no locale path patterns (see set_repository_patterns), or when a Workflow handles the branch. The id is connect_repository's id, or the connected repository get_project returns.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "id": "<id>"
    },
    "name": "translate_repository"
  }
}

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
idYesRepository id
branchNoBranch to translate. Defaults to the primary branch (the first watched).
deliveryModeNo"pr" (default) opens a pull request; "push" commits to the branch.pr
idempotencyKeyNoMakes the start safe to retry: a repeat with the same key and arguments never starts a second translation. Use a fresh key for every translation you mean to start.

Output Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
branchYesThe branch being translated
acceptedYes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Added

TDQS

A4.7/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Adds substantial context beyond the annotations: the call is asynchronous ('runs in the background; this call returns once the translation is queued'), the default delivery is a pull request, and preconditions are spelled out. The annotations already flag destructiveHint=true and openWorldHint=true, and the description complements rather than repeats them.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three dense sentences, front-loaded with the action and its effect, then delivery semantics, then refusal conditions. No filler and no repetition of schema text verbatim.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a background mutation with an output schema and four documented parameters, the description covers what an agent needs: what starts, what is returned immediately, default delivery, and every refusal condition. Nothing essential is left unstated.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so 3 is the baseline, but the description goes further by clarifying that 'id' is a connected-repository id sourced from connect_repository or get_project, and by stating the default branch (primary/first watched) and default delivery mode (PR). This resolves ambiguity the schema alone leaves open.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('Start translating a connected repository') plus its scope: locale files on a branch translated into target languages and delivered back as a pull request. This clearly separates it from the file-level sibling translate_files without needing to name it.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Enumerates the three conditions under which the call is refused (no credits, no locale path patterns, branch handled by a Workflow) and points to set_repository_patterns for the fixable one. It also tells the agent where the required id comes from (connect_repository or get_project). What's missing is an explicit comparison against translate_files for file-level translation.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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