API 1 vs API 2

Wordbee Translator provides two APIs: API 1, the original interface, and API 2, the modern and continuously evolving successor. Both are maintained, but all new features and enhancements are added exclusively to API 2.

Evolution and Coverage

API 2 has grown rapidly and is now the foundation for many internal Wordbee components - including the Translation Editor and the Strings Database. It covers all major areas of the platform such as translation memories, term bases, QA, workflows, machine translation, and more.

While there remain a few isolated features available only in API 1, this gap continues to close over time.

Authentication and Access Control

One of the key differences between the two APIs lies in authentication and security:

• API 1 uses a single, global API key that grants administrator-level access.

  • It is simple but lacks flexibility and fine-grained control.

  • Only one key can be created, which may pose security and governance limitations.

• API 2, by contrast, introduces user-based API keys:

  • Each key belongs to a specific user account and inherits its permissions.

  • You can define precise access rights and even set usage limits per key.

  • This approach provides robust and granular security tailored to your organization’s needs.

Recommendation

For all new integrations, we strongly recommend using API 2.

It is the modern, feature-complete interface for automating translation workflows, ensuring secure, scalable, and future-proof connectivity with Wordbee Translator.