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DeepL API

Character count and billing in DeepL API

Content is translated from English using DeepL Pro.

Learn how DeepL calculates, and bills, character consumption in DeepL API plans.

 

Character count

DeepL counts the characters in the source text, i.e., the original text you want to translate.

One character corresponds to one unicode code point, where a single character can consist of several bytes. For example, the character é is represented as two bytes in UTF-8. However, DeepL only considers this as one character. Invisible characters such as spaces, tabs, line feeds, etc., also count as characters.

 

If the parameter "tag_handling" is set to either "xml" or "html", the characters of the HTML or XML tags (including all their attributes and values) are not counted towards billing.

For example:

<h1 style="color:red;">This is an important title</h1>

With the "tag_handling" parameter set to "xml" or "html", only the bold characters above will be billed. Learn more about the XML and HTML handling in DeepL's API documentation.

 

Learn how to track your key-level character translation usage here.

 

Character count in document translation

For the following file types, a minimum of 50,000 characters will be counted for each document translated, even if the document contains fewer characters:

  • Word (.docx / .doc)
  • PowerPoint (.pptx)
  • Excel (.xlsx)
  • PDF (.pdf)

This is done to cover the cost of processing the document.

Files containing more than 50,000 characters will be counted to the exact character.

 

For the following file types, characters will be counted to the exact character, with no minimum character count per document: 

  • HTML (.html)
  • SRT (.srt)
  • Text (.txt)
  • XLIFF (.xlf / .xliff)

 

Billing per API plan

DeepL API Free

With DeepL API Free, you can translate up to 500,000 characters per month for free. To translate more, you can upgrade to DeepL API Pro at any time.

 

DeepL API Pro

In addition to a monthly base price, the DeepL API Pro subscription is billed according to the number of characters sent to DeepL's servers in API requests, charged at the exact number of characters translated and improved during the billing period. The monthly base price and character rates can be found here. DeepL API Pro plan does not include any free characters. The DeepL API Pro plan places no limit on the amount that you can translate.

Use cost control to limit the number of characters you and your team can translate or improve per month.

The DeepL API Pro plan is available only on a monthly basis.

 

DeepL reserves the right to charge usage-based costs to your payment method periodically in advance, depending on your current consumption. Subsequent invoicing and debiting of any remaining balance occurs at the end of each billing period. You will receive a monthly invoice on the overall monthly remuneration paid at the end of the billing period. For more detailed information, please also consult our Terms and Conditions.

 

 

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