Translation providers & BYOK
Choose how you translate: your own API key, the Jokai model catalog or DeepL — plus custom prompts and AI OCR correction.
8 min read
Three translation engines
Settings → Translation is where you pick the engine. BYOK uses your own API key and consumes zero credits. Jokai models run on the server key with a curated model catalog — from 1 credit per page. DeepL gives high-quality generic translation at 1 credit per page, but ignores glossaries, context and custom prompts.
Your choice applies everywhere: chapter translation, OCR correction, glossary detection and reformulations all resolve through it.
Bring your own key
BYOK supports OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, xAI, OpenRouter, Z.ai (including Coding Plan keys), local servers like Ollama, and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint via a custom base URL. Keys are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM and never leave the server unencrypted.
Each key can override the provider defaults for requests-per-minute and concurrency, so aggressive rate limits never break long chapters.
- 1Settings → Translation → BYOK → Add key
- 2Pick the provider, paste the key, optionally set RPM and concurrency
- 3Re-check the key and sync its model list
- 4Set it as the default key — translations now run on it, at 0 credit
The Jokai model catalog
On Jokai models you pick a default from the curated catalog — cost per page is shown upfront, from 1 credit for fast models to 17 for frontier ones. The chapter engine selector in the Import Studio can override your default per chapter, frozen at submit time.
A thinking level (off to high) is available for models that support reasoning.
Per-chapter engine overrides only apply in Jokai models mode — BYOK always uses your active key.
Custom translation prompts
Replace the default translation instructions with your own persona and rules — per user in Settings → Translation, or per project in the project edit modal (the project prompt wins). Placeholders {{sourceLanguage}} and {{targetLanguage}} are replaced at call time, and the JSON input/output contract the app relies on is always preserved automatically.
DeepL ignores custom prompts, glossaries and story context — it is a plain but excellent text translator.
AI OCR correction
Enable it in Settings → OCR to send text blocks to an LLM for correction right after OCR, before translation: misread glyphs, broken segmentation, missing punctuation and hallucinated noise get fixed in batches of 20. Choose Low-confidence only (flagged blocks) or All blocks.
BYOK keys correct for free on your own model; server modes run a dedicated cheap model at 1 credit per corrected page.
Reformulation limits
The reformulation tool (see the typography guide) stores meaning-preserving alternatives per block. BYOK users choose their cap — 1 to 10 variants; on server modes the limit is fixed by the plan administrator.