For your team
Spot the button
Under a visitor message that isn't English you'll see Translate from Spanish (or French, Arabic, German and so on). English messages never get a button.
Tap it
The message turns into English, with Translated from Spanish · Show original under it to flip back.
Auto-translate the chat
After your first translation, a bar above the reply box asks Translate their messages automatically in this chat? Say yes and every message in that chat, earlier and upcoming, shows in English. Turn it off from the same bar.
Said "Not now"? Open the chat's ⋯ menu at any time: Translate this chat automatically is there whenever the visitor doesn't write in English, and Stop auto-translating while it's on.
For your visitors
Your replies get a Translate to … button in the chat widget, naming their language. The first time they use it, they're asked Translate every reply to Spanish?; with Yes, always, your replies arrive in their language from then on, with Show original to see your exact words.
The language is picked in this order:
- what they typed: someone writing in French gets French, even from a US address,
- the country they're in: Mexico gets Spanish, Brazil Portuguese, Germany German, Japan Japanese, Saudi Arabia Arabic,
- their browser's language.
Visitors who write in English and browse from an English-speaking country see no button at all.
Casual writing, slang and mixed languages
Nobody chats in textbook language. Visitors use slang, typos, abbreviations, and often mix two languages in one message, or write their language in English letters. Translation keeps the meaning and the tone rather than going word by word, and replies go back in the same casual style the visitor uses.
You write: Growth is $49 a month and comes with 10 agent seats.
They see: Growth cuesta $49 al mes e incluye 10 asientos para agentes.
Good to know
- Prices, numbers, plan and product names, links and emails are kept exactly as written.
- Each message is translated once and kept, so switching back and forth is instant.
- If translation is briefly unavailable, the original message is always there; tap Translate again in a moment.
- Only the message text is sent to be translated, never who the visitor is.
Asked before
Tap a question. I'll answer right here.
- Does Initio translate chats automatically?
- Each side gets a Translate button. After the first translation in a chat, agents are offered auto-translate for that chat, and visitors are offered to translate every reply. Nothing is translated without one of those choices.
- Does it handle slang and informal writing?
- Yes. Translation keeps the meaning and tone of casual messages, including slang, abbreviations and mixed languages, and replies go back in the same informal style.
- How does it know the visitor's language?
- From what they type first, then the country they're browsing from, then their browser's language. The button always names the language it will use.
- Can I switch on auto-translate after saying Not now?
- Yes. Open the chat's menu (the three dots at the top) and choose Translate this chat automatically. The same menu turns it off.
- Will numbers and prices change in translation?
- No. Prices, numbers, plan and product names, links and emails are kept exactly as they were written.
