---
title: "Platform overview"
description: "Understand what AI Glot translates, when it is a good fit, and how a CSV moves from upload through review to a structure-safe result."
canonical: "https://ai-glot.com/docs/platform/overview"
updated: "2026-08-10"
---

# Platform overview

AI Glot is built for structured content that already lives in a CSV: product catalogues, CMS exports, localization tables, marketplace feeds and other row-and-column data.

> **Info: CSV platform**
>
> Upload and translation run in the web app today. The REST API, CLI and MCP cover automation around existing translations, usage and glossaries.

## When AI Glot is a good fit

**Product and ecommerce data**

Translate titles, descriptions, metadata and attributes without changing product IDs or import columns.

**Localization tables**

Fill one or several language columns from a shared source column.

**CMS and database exports**

Translate selected fields while keeping keys, slugs and operational columns untouched.

**Whole-table translation**

Translate every non-empty text cell when the complete CSV is intended for another language.

AI Glot is not a spreadsheet editor and does not redesign your data. It preserves the CSV structure so the completed file can return to the system that exported it.

## The workflow

```mermaid title="From source CSV to translated CSV"
flowchart LR
  A["Upload CSV"] --> B["Structure and language analysis"]
  B --> C["Review columns, languages and cost"]
  C --> D["Translate in parallel"]
  D --> E["Validate and rebuild the CSV"]
  E --> F["Download or retrieve later"]
```

Analysis is free. Credits are reserved only after you approve the final mapping and cost. If a translation fails, its reservation is returned automatically.

**Before translation**

AI Glot detects the structure, languages, billable words and likely mapping without consuming credits.

**At approval**

You see the exact scope and estimate, then credits are reserved in one operation.

**After completion**

The rebuilt CSV keeps its operational structure and remains available from translation history.

## Four translation modes

| Layout                     | Use it when                                  | What changes                                                                       |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Single column**          | One field contains the source text           | One source column is translated into an existing or new destination column         |
| **Selected columns**       | Several fields need the same target language | Chosen columns are translated in place; headers and other columns remain untouched |
| **Multi-language columns** | One source feeds several locale columns      | Each destination column receives its own fixed language                            |
| **Full CSV**               | The whole table is human-facing content      | Every detected text cell is translated, including headers                          |

You choose an initial layout before upload, but the analysis screen lets you switch before translation begins.

## Ways to operate AI Glot

| Interface | Best for                                     | Can start a translation? |
| --------- | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Web app   | Upload, mapping review and day-to-day use    | **Yes**                  |
| REST API  | Integrations and HTTP automation             | Not in v1                |
| CLI       | Terminal, CI and coding agents               | Not in v1                |
| MCP       | ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor and agent frameworks | Not in v1                |