# gt-react: General Translation React SDK: SPA development translations
URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/docs/react/tutorials/spa-development-translations.mdx
---
title: SPA development translations
description: See translations update live while developing your single-page React app
---

Development translations let you preview translated content as you edit your SPA. They require the GT compiler and a development API key.

**Prerequisites:**

* A single-page React app configured with the [SPA Quickstart](/docs/react/tutorials/quickstart-spa)
* A development API key that starts with `gtx-dev-`

## Step 1: Install the compiler

Install `@generaltranslation/compiler` as a development dependency:

<Tabs items={['npm', 'yarn', 'bun', 'pnpm']}>
  <Tab value="npm">
    ```bash
    npm i -D @generaltranslation/compiler
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab value="yarn">
    ```bash
    yarn add --dev @generaltranslation/compiler
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab value="bun">
    ```bash
    bun add --dev @generaltranslation/compiler
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab value="pnpm">
    ```bash
    pnpm add --save-dev @generaltranslation/compiler
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Step 2: Add the compiler plugin

Add the plugin for your bundler. For Vite:

```ts title="vite.config.ts"
import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react';
import { vite as gtCompiler } from '@generaltranslation/compiler'; // [!code highlight]
import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
import gtConfig from './gt.config.json'; // [!code highlight]

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [gtCompiler({ ...gtConfig }), react()], // [!code highlight]
});
```

<Accordions>
  <Accordion title="Not using Vite?">
    `@generaltranslation/compiler` also exports `webpack`, `rollup`, and `esbuild` plugins. Import the plugin that matches your bundler.

    ```ts
    import { webpack as gtCompiler } from '@generaltranslation/compiler';
    ```
  </Accordion>
</Accordions>

## Step 3: Add development credentials

Get a development API key at [dash.generaltranslation.com](https://dash.generaltranslation.com/signup) or by running:

```bash
npx gt auth
```

Then add your project ID and development API key to `.env.local`:

```bash title=".env.local"
VITE_GT_PROJECT_ID="your-project-id"
VITE_GT_DEV_API_KEY="your-dev-api-key"
```

`gt-react` reads these values automatically during initialisation.

<Callout type="warn">
  **Development only:** Use a key starting with `gtx-dev-`. Never expose a production key that starts with `gtx-api-` in browser code.
</Callout>

## Step 4: Start developing

Start your development server and switch to a non-default locale. When you edit translatable content, the compiler registers the change and `gt-react` requests an updated development translation.

## Next steps

* [SPA Quickstart](/docs/react/tutorials/quickstart-spa) - Review the full SPA setup
* [Compiler](/docs/react/concepts/compiler) - Learn about compiler validation and automatic JSX injection
* [Production vs Development](/docs/react/concepts/environments) - Understand how translation behaviour changes by environment