Changing the Visitor Language in Chat
When chatting with visitors who speak a different language, you can translate messages directly within the chat. The Visitor Language feature lets you switch the chat language so that messages are translated automatically in real time.
What Happens When You Change the Visitor’s Language
After selecting a new visitor language:
- Agent messages are translated for the visitor. Each message you send is automatically translated into the visitor’s selected language.
- Visitor messages are translated for the agent. The visitor’s replies are translated into your language so you can read and respond without using external translation tools.
This two-way translation helps maintain natural communication between the agent and the visitor even when they don’t share the same language.
How to Change the Visitor Language
1. During an active chat, click Visitor Language in the chat header.
2. Select the visitor’s language (for example, Spanish).
3. Click Change to apply it.
4. Continue chatting. Translations will now occur automatically.
The agent sees messages in their language (English in this example), while the visitor sees them translated into the selected language (Spanish in this example).
Agent’s conversation panel
Visitor’s window chat in Spanish
Note: You can customize your chat window design to match your audience’s language. This includes the overall look of the chat window (custom headers and introductory auto replies), pre-chat and post-chat surveys, conditional rules that route visitors based on their language preferences, and dedicated workflows for audiences that require support in different languages.
How Translations Behave When the Visitor Changes Languages
The translation system continues to work based on the last selected visitor language until it’s updated again.
Example:
- The agent’s language is English.
- The visitor’s selected language is French.
- The agent’s messages are translated into French, and the visitor’s French replies appear in English.
If the visitor switches to English, the agent will see English directly (no translation needed). However, their replies will still be translated into French, since the system continues using the selected visitor language.
If the visitor switches to a third language (for example, Spanish):
- The agent will start seeing the visitor’s messages in Spanish, not translated into English.
- The system will still translate the agent’s replies into French.
- To resume proper translation, the agent must update the visitor language to Spanish. Once changed, the agent’s messages will translate into Spanish, and the visitor’s replies will appear in English again.
Translation Best Practices
Confirm with the visitor that the selected translation language is correct.
Write clear, direct messages to improve translation quality.
Avoid idioms, abbreviations, or regional slang that may not translate accurately.
If the visitor changes to a different language, update the selection immediately to maintain correct translations.
Note: This feature is available on selected plans. Contact Velaro Support for details about translation settings and plan availability.