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Description
The Custom AWS Translation Engine integrates with Amazon Translate for secure and scalable translations. This engine uses your own AWS credentials to access enterprise level translation capabilities.
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Prerequisites
- An AWS account at https://console.aws.amazon.com
- Billing configured on your AWS account with sufficient service limits
- IAM permissions to create users and access keys
- Access to SimpleT with permission to manage Translation Engines
How to Obtain Credentials
Step 1 — Create an IAM User
- Go to https://console.aws.amazon.com
- Navigate to IAM → Users
- Click Create user
- Enter a username (e.g. "simplet-translate")
- Click Next → Attach policies directly
- Search for and select TranslateFullAccess
- Click Next → Create user
Step 2 — Generate Access Keys
- Click on the user you just created
- Go to the Security credentials tab
- Scroll to Access keys → click Create access key
- Use case: select Application running outside AWS
- Click Next → Create access key
- Copy and save both:
- Access Key ID (starts with AKIA...)
- Secret Access Key — shown only once, save it immediately
Step 3 — Enable Amazon Translate
- Go to AWS Console → Amazon Translate
- If prompted, click Get started to activate the service
- Ensure Amazon Translate is active in the us-east-1 region (used by SimpleT)
How to Create the Engine in SimpleT
- Navigate to Translation Engine in the NavBar
- Click New Engine
- Select AWS as the Translation Engine
- Fill in the fields:
| Field |
Value |
| Translation Engine |
AWS |
| Access Key ID |
Paste Access Key ID from Step 2 |
| Secret Access Key |
Paste Secret Access Key from Step 2 |
| Languages |
Select all languages this engine should support |
| Batch Size |
Default: 50 (recommended) |
| Priority |
Order in which this engine is used (1 = highest) |
- Click Create
Notes
- Store your AWS keys securely — never commit them to version control
- The region is fixed to us-east-1 — ensure Amazon Translate is enabled in that region
- Make sure billing is configured in your AWS account and service limits are sufficient
- Amazon Translate supports 75+ languages
- The TranslateFullAccess policy is recommended. If your security team requires a more restricted policy, ensure it includes the translate:TranslateText permission at minimum
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