# vue: Storing translations locally
URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/docs/vue/guides/storing-translations.mdx
---

title: Storing translations locally
description: How to generate, bundle and load gt-vue translation catalogues with your application.
related:
  links:
    - /docs/vue/guides/configuring
    - /docs/vue/guides/developing-spa-translations
    - /docs/vue/guides/managing-locales
    - /docs/vue/guides/translating-content

---

`gt-vue` receives target-locale catalogues through a [`loadTranslations`](/docs/vue/reference/types/load-translations) callback. Generate these catalogues in your source tree to bundle them with the app and avoid a dependency on a runtime translation service.

Bundled catalogues make translation updates part of your deployment. Regenerate and redeploy the app whenever source content or a translation changes.

## Configure the output path [#configure]

Set the `gt` output in `gt.config.json` to a path within your source directory. The `[locale]` placeholder creates one file for each target locale:

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

The default locale does not need a catalogue file because its source content is already present in the application.

## Generate the catalogues [#generate]

Run the CLI after adding or changing translatable content:

```bash
npx gt translate
```

The command extracts supported [`<T>`](/docs/vue/reference/components/t), [`useGT()`](/docs/vue/reference/composables/use-gt), [`msg()`](/docs/vue/reference/functions/msg), and [`t()`](/docs/vue/reference/functions/t) usage, then writes the target-locale files. Treat those files as generated output rather than editing them manually.

Add translation generation before the production build when every deployment should include up-to-date catalogues:

```json title="package.json"
{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "npx gt translate && vue-tsc -b && vite build"
  }
}
```

The CLI needs `GT_PROJECT_ID` and `GT_API_KEY` in the build environment. Keep the production key out of the browser bundle.

## Load catalogues with Vite [#vite]

Create a [`loadTranslations`](/docs/vue/reference/types/load-translations) callback whose import path matches the configured output:

```ts title="src/loadTranslations.ts"
import type { LoadTranslations } from 'gt-vue';

const loadTranslations: LoadTranslations = async (locale) => {
  try {
    return (await import(`./_gt/${locale}.json`)).default;
  } catch {
    return {};
  }
};

export default loadTranslations;
```

Pass it to [`createGT()`](/docs/vue/reference/functions/create-gt) for reactive loading or [`initializeGTSPA()`](/docs/vue/reference/functions/initialize-gt-spa) for a preloaded browser-only SPA.

The callback above treats a missing file as an empty catalogue, so source content renders for that locale. Let the error reject instead if a missing production catalogue should prevent the locale from changing or the application from bootstrapping.

## Use explicit imports when required [#explicit-imports]

Some bundlers cannot discover every file behind a variable import. Define a static loader map so each target is visible at build time:

```ts title="src/loadTranslations.ts"
import type { LoadTranslations } from 'gt-vue';

const loaders = {
  es: () => import('./_gt/es.json'),
  fr: () => import('./_gt/fr.json'),
};

const loadTranslations: LoadTranslations = async (locale) => {
  const load = loaders[locale as keyof typeof loaders];
  return load ? (await load()).default : {};
};

export default loadTranslations;
```

Keep this map synchronised with `locales` in `gt.config.json`. Returning `{}` is appropriate for an intentionally unsupported locale; rejecting makes the failure visible to the caller.

## Load from another source [#custom-source]

The callback can fetch a catalogue from your own endpoint instead of importing a bundled file:

```ts
const loadTranslations: LoadTranslations = async (locale) => {
  const response = await fetch(`/translations/${locale}.json`);
  if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Catalog unavailable for ${locale}`);
  return response.json();
};
```

[`createGT()`](/docs/vue/reference/functions/create-gt) caches each successfully loaded catalogue for the lifetime of its plugin instance and deduplicates concurrent loads. Validate responses at your endpoint boundary; the runtime expects a complete hash-keyed [`TranslationCatalog`](/docs/vue/reference/types/translation-catalog) for the requested locale.
## Next steps

- /docs/vue/guides/configuring
- /docs/vue/guides/developing-spa-translations
- /docs/vue/guides/managing-locales
- /docs/vue/guides/translating-content