Account models

Glossia separates repository instructions from model-provider credentials. Repositories describe what should be translated, while accounts decide which large language model performs the work.

Why models belong to accounts

A team often translates several repositories with the same provider relationship. Account-scoped models let administrators rotate a provider key or switch the underlying model once without editing every repository.

This boundary also keeps credentials out of source control. A repository contains a readable handle such as translation-default, not the provider key.

Handles provide stable intent

The model field in GLOSSIA.md refers to an account model handle:

model: translation-default

The handle expresses the repository's intent. An administrator can later update which provider model that handle selects while the repository configuration stays stable.

How several models are used

Glossia uses one configured model for each document translation. Adding several models does not create an ensemble, a fallback chain, or an automatic quality tier. The repository author chooses their purpose through stable handles such as translation-default, long-form, or japanese-specialist.

Selection follows the context hierarchy for the document and target locale:

1. The closest GLOSSIA/<locale>.md file that declares model wins for that locale.
2. Otherwise, the closest GLOSSIA.md file that declares model wins for its directory.
3. Parent GLOSSIA.md settings are inherited when a closer file does not declare a model.
4. When no applicable context file declares a handle, Glossia uses the account default.

An explicitly configured handle must exist. Glossia reports an error for an unknown handle instead of silently switching to the account default.

Default selection

Project setup needs a model before a repository has its own GLOSSIA.md. Glossia therefore selects the account default. The first model added to an account becomes the default, and an administrator can make another model the default from its settings page.

Once a repository has GLOSSIA.md, using an explicit handle makes its choice clear to reviewers. Omitting model keeps the repository on the account default.

The human review boundary

Model output is proposed work, not an automatic merge. Setup and translation activity stays visible in Glossia, while repository changes are published through a pull request for the team to review. This preserves the same quality and ownership boundary teams already use for code.