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Limits and timeouts

Request limits (defaults)​

  • Max q items: 100
  • Max total input characters: 200,000

Timeouts (defaults)​

  • Server-side deadline for the translation call: 60s. Not configurable per request; no request header changes it.

Retries and circuit breaker​

  • Retries happen for upstream 429 and 5xx responses (limited, with backoff)
  • If the upstream circuit breaker is open, the API may return 503 INTERNAL

Frequently asked questions​

What happens if I send more than 100 items or more than 200,000 characters in a single request?​

The API will reject the request. You must split the text across multiple requests. These limits cannot be increased per account through the API.

Can I translate large files (DOCX, PPTX, PDF) through this endpoint?​

No. Use the separate document translation endpoint (POST /v2/document/translate) instead. That endpoint has different, higher limits and is designed for file-based translation.

What does the 60-second timeout mean exactly?​

The API cancels your request if the translation call has not finished within 60 seconds server-side. There is no way to request a longer or shorter deadline; if you're calling from a client with its own timeout, set it a bit above 60s (see the Timeout & Retry Guide for a recommended client-side value and retry strategy).

Does the API retry when an upstream provider returns a 429 or 5xx error?​

Yes, but retries are limited and use backoff. If the circuit breaker opens, you may receive a 503 INTERNAL response.

Can I request higher limits for the text endpoint?​

No. The 100-item and 200,000-character limits are fixed. If you need to translate more content, split it into multiple requests or use the document translation endpoint.