# General Translation Python SDKs: Storing translations locally
URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-US/docs/python/guides/storing-translations.mdx
Docs index: https://generaltranslation.com/llms.txt
Description: How to load General Translation translations from local files instead of the CDN in Python.

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 at initialization [#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

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