DeepL CLI

Install and use the DeepL CLI to translate text, documents, and more from your terminal.

This page shows you:

• How to install the DeepL CLI from source
• How to authenticate and run your first translation
• What commands are available for translation, writing, voice, and more

The DeepL CLI is an open-source (MIT license) command-line tool for interacting with the DeepL API. It covers text translation, document translation, writing enhancement, voice translation, glossary management, and admin operations — all from your terminal.

Installation

The CLI requires Node.js (v18+) and build tools for native compilation:

• macOS: Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install)
• Linux: python3, make, gcc (apt install python3 make gcc g++)
• Windows: Visual Studio Build Tools

git clone https://github.com/DeepL/deepl-cli.git
cd deepl-cli
npm install
npm run build
npm link

deepl --version

Quick start

1. Set up authentication

Use the interactive setup wizard:

deepl init

Or set your API key directly:

deepl auth set-key YOUR_API_KEY

Or use an environment variable:

export DEEPL_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY

2. Translate text

deepl translate "Hello, world!" --to es
# ¡Hola, mundo!

3. Enhance your writing

deepl write "Their going to the stor tommorow" --lang en-us
# They're going to the store tomorrow.

Key capabilities

Command	Description
deepl translate	Translate text with support for formality, context, and custom instructions
deepl translate --file	Translate text files while preserving code blocks and formatting
deepl document	Translate documents (PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX) with format preservation
deepl write	Enhance grammar and style via DeepL Write
deepl voice	Stream real-time speech translation via WebSocket
deepl watch	Monitor files and auto-translate on change
deepl glossary	Create, list, and manage glossaries
deepl admin	Manage API keys, usage limits, and team access
deepl usage	Check API usage and character quotas
deepl config	Configure defaults (target language, formality, model)

Usage examples

Translate with context and formality

deepl translate "Thank you for your patience" --to de --formality more \
  --context "Customer support email to a long-standing client"

Translate a document

deepl document translate report.pdf --to fr --output report-fr.pdf

Batch translate a directory

deepl translate --file src/locales/en/ --to de,fr,es --output src/locales/

Watch mode for development

deepl watch ./content/en --to de,fr --output ./content/

Git hooks integration

Automatically translate changed files before each commit:

deepl hooks install --pre-commit --languages de,fr

Developer workflow features

• Local SQLite cache with LRU eviction avoids redundant API calls
• Monitor billed characters for budget planning with deepl usage
• Use --quiet and --no-input flags for CI/CD pipelines
• Generate shell completions for bash, zsh, fish, and PowerShell

Further reading

• DeepL CLI on GitHub — full documentation, changelog, and source code
• DeepL API authentication — set up your API key
• Client libraries — official SDKs for six languages