# General Translation Python SDKs: Storing translations locally
URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/docs/python/guides/storing-translations.mdx
---

title: Storing translations locally
description: How to load General Translation translations from local files instead of the CDN in Python.
related:
  links:
    - /docs/python/guides/configuring
    - /docs/python/guides/translating-strings
    - /docs/python/guides/detecting-locale
    - /docs/python/guides/declaring-variables

---

By default, the Python SDK loads translations from the General Translation CDN. Alternatively, generate translation files, ship them with your app, and load them with a `load_translations` callback. This removes the runtime CDN dependency at the cost of redeploying to update translations.

## Configure a local output path [#configure]

In `gt.config.json`, set the `gt` file output to a path in your project, using the `[locale]` placeholder.

```json title="gt.config.json"
{
  "defaultLocale": "en",
  "locales": ["es", "fr"],
  "files": { "gt": { "output": "translations/[locale].json" } }
}
```

## Generate the files [#generate]

Run the [CLI](/docs/cli/quickstart) to translate your content and write one file per locale.

```bash
gt translate
```

## Load them on initialisation [#load]

Pass a `load_translations` callback to [`initialize_gt`](/docs/python/reference/functions/initialize-gt) that reads the file for a locale and returns a dict.

```python
import json
from pathlib import Path

def load_translations(locale: str) -> dict[str, str]:
    path = Path("translations") / f"{locale}.json"
    return json.loads(path.read_text()) if path.exists() else {}

initialize_gt(
    app,
    default_locale="en",
    locales=["es", "fr"],
    load_translations=load_translations,
)
```

With a local loader in place, translations are read from disk and no CDN request is made. To switch back to CDN delivery, remove `load_translations` and set `project_id` (see [Configure the Python SDK](/docs/python/guides/configuring#delivery)).
## Next steps

- /docs/python/guides/configuring
- /docs/python/guides/translating-strings
- /docs/python/guides/detecting-locale
- /docs/python/guides/declaring-variables