AI translation uses neural models to interpret meaning and rephrase it in a target language, producing natural, fluent results for most business use cases. Quality improves further when guided by context like tone, domain, and a preferred terminology list; human review remains important for legal, medical, or high‑stakes content.
Why Stackby's Approach is Different: Global Control
Stackby’s unique "Bring Your Own AI" philosophy ensures your translation workflows are flexible, high-quality, and cost-effective.
Feature | Benefit for Translation |
Bring Your Own Key | Connect directly to world-leading AI models (OpenAI, Gemini, Anthropic) for top-tier neural translation quality, using your existing accounts. |
Full Context Control | Translation quality is enhanced by referencing other fields like {Tone}, {Glossary}, or {Product Name} directly in the prompt for highly contextual results. |
Transparent Costs | AI usage is billed directly to your chosen provider via your own API key, offering transparent, pay-as-you-go pricing for scaling translation needs. |
How to Add AI for Text Translation in Your Stackby Workflow
Here is the step-by-step process to set up an AI-powered translation workflow using Stackby's no-code environment, ideal for customer support, marketing localization, or global content management.
Step 1: Set Up Your Database
Start with a foundational database structure that separates the source content from the translated output.
Create a New Stack: Start a new "Stack" (database) from your Stackby dashboard.
Create Tables: Create an essential table to manage the content:
"Global Content": Store multilingual content. Include columns for: Source Text (original language), Target Language (Single Select), and Tone (Single Select).
(Optional) "Glossary": A separate table to store preferred brand terms (Term → Preferred Translation).
Step 2: Add AI-Powered Columns (AI Field Agents)
Integrate the translation intelligence directly into your data table.
Select Column Type: In the "Global Content" table, click the + icon to add a new column.
Choose "AI" Field Agent: Select the AI column type. This is Stackby's AI Field Agent, which will perform the translation task.
Name Your Column: Give the column a clear, descriptive name reflecting the output, such as "Translated Text" or "Localized Description."
Step 3: Connect Your AI Provider (Bring Your Own Key)
As with all Stackby AI features, you manage the connection to the external AI service.
Find Your API Key: Obtain your unique API key from your preferred AI provider (e.g., OpenAI, Gemini).
Paste Key into Stackby: Configure your new AI column by pasting your API key. Once linked, Stackby transmits your request and receives the translation, with all billing handled by the provider.
Step 4: Craft Your Custom AI Prompt
The prompt is your instruction manual for the AI, defining the translation task, rules, and context.
Define Your Prompt: In the AI column configuration, write your translation instruction.
Use Column Variables: Reference the source text and desired parameters using brackets [ ] to ensure dynamic, accurate translation.
Target Table | Output Column | Example Prompt |
Global Content | Translated Text | "Translate the following [Source Text] into [Target Language]. Maintain the [Tone]. Do not translate product names like 'Stackby Pro'." |
Global Content | Support Reply (Auto) | "Translate [Source Text] to English for agent analysis. Return only the translated text." (Used in an Automation step) |
Advanced Step: Automate Translation Workflows
Use Stackby Automations to trigger translations in bulk or in real-time for dynamic workflows.
Inbound Support: Trigger on New support message received → Action 1: Translate message to English for the agent's table → Action 2: Draft a reply → Action 3: Translate the English reply back to the user's language → Action 4: Send the reply.
Batch Localization: Trigger When Status changes to 'Ready for Translation' to automatically translate hundreds of product descriptions or FAQs, storing the output in the "Translated Text" column.
Governance and Quality Control
Human Review: Always maintain a “Needs review” view to confirm high-stakes or critical content (legal, medical, or key marketing copy) before publishing.
Glossary Management: Maintain a separate table for key brand terminology (Term → Preferred Translation) and link it into your prompts to enforce brand consistency globally.
Prompt Determinism: Set randomness to low (or 0) in the AI configuration for deterministic phrasing and consistent translation outputs.
