Lokalise MCP Tool

You set up a minimal MCP server to connect Lokalise with your workflow, enabling you to add translation keys programmatically from Cursor or standalone. This server acts as a bridge that sends your key data to Lokalise, making localization faster and more automated.

How to use

You connect a client that supports the MCP protocol to this Lokalise MCP Server. In practice, you provide the project name and a list of keys you want to add. Each key includes the translation key name, a default value if you have one, and optional platform targeting. The server then communicates with Lokalise to create or update those keys in your specified project.

How to install

Prerequisites: ensure you have Node.js 22 or newer installed on your machine. You can also run the server via Docker if you prefer containerized execution.

Option A: Install the MCP server with npm (recommended)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lokalise": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "lokalise-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "LOKALISE_API_KEY": "your_actual_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Option B: Run the MCP server via Docker

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lokalise": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e", "LOKALISE_API_KEY",
        "rafee03/mcp-lokalise:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "LOKALISE_API_KEY": "your_actual_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration and startup notes

If you prefer to run locally without Cursor, you can install the MCP server package and start it directly in your environment. The configuration examples show the exact command and environment variables you should provide to enable Lokalise access.

Examples

Example: add two keys to a Lokalise project named SpaceX where both keys apply to the web platform, with default values Hello and Goodbye.

The MCP client will transform this input into the appropriate IPC payload for the Lokalise MCP Server, which then forwards it to Lokalise.

Security and environment variables

Protect your Lokalise API key. Store the key in a secure environment variable and do not commit it to source control. In examples, the placeholder your_actual_api_key should be replaced with your real Lokalise API key.

Troubleshooting and notes

If the server fails to authenticate with Lokalise, double-check the API key, ensure that the Lokalise project exists, and verify that the keys you submit conform to Lokalise naming rules.

Available tools

mcpServer

MCP server entry point that integrates with Cursor or standalone clients and handles the MCP protocol flow.

mcpApi

Shared API logic used to communicate with the Lokalise API and translate MCP requests into Lokalise actions.

httpServer

Optional HTTP server component for exposing MCP endpoints over HTTP (not required for Cursor usage).

addKeyCli

CLI utility to interactively add a key to Lokalise from the command line (not required for Cursor usage).