Translating conversations in the Zendesk Agent Workspace – DEMETER ICT

Zendesk Support Suite

Agents can communicate with end users and other agents, even if they are using different languages, using the native translation feature in Agent Workspace.

The translation feature is enabled by default for all customers using the Agent Workspace, and can be used by any Chat-enabled agent.

This article includes the following topics:

About the translation feature

With the native translation feature in Agent Workspace, Chat agents can choose to translate incoming messages (coming from the end user) and outgoing messages (going to the end user) in the following channels:

Live chat
Social channels
Sunshine Conversations channel
Zendesk messaging

Additionally, Chat agents can choose to translate incoming email messages sent by end users and created by the API. The native translation feature in Agent Workspace also supports the translation of incoming emails sent via other channels, such as web forms, web services, messaging Web Widget, Web Widget (Classic), and closed tickets, but it doesn't support any outbound emails sent to end users.

A user’s language is determined based on recent messages they have sent, then Google Translate is used to translate text.

If the agent’s and end user’s languages are different, a translation banner is displayed informing the agent of the language difference, and they can choose to enable translation for that conversation.

Both the original and translated messages sent by the agent appear in the Event log. End user messages only appear in the original language.

Limiations to this feature include:

There is a 5,000 character limit per message for translation. Any message over 5,000 characters will not be translated.
SunCo Shorthands are not supported for translations.

Using translation in the workspace

In Agent workspace, translation is managed by the Chat agent currently conversing with the end user. This section discusses the following topics:

Enabling translation

When a language difference is detected in an incoming message, a banner appears on the workspace, letting the agent know the end user’s language and allowing them to enable translation, if they choose.

To enable translation for an incoming conversation

In the translation banner, click Translate. The banner updates to display the translation status:
If you do not want to enable translation for the conversation, click the X to dismiss the banner.

If you decline to translate a conversation initially, you can still enable translation during the conversation.

To enable translationin an ongoing conversation

In the conversation header, click the Options menu (), then click Translate. The translation banner appears, displaying the translation status as shown above.

Disabling translation

You can also turn off translation if it is no longer needed – for instance, if a new end user takes over the conversation, or if it is passed to another agent who speaks the same language as the end user.

To disable native translation

In the translation banner, click Stop. Or, in the conversation header, click the Options menu (), then click Stop translating.

Switching between original and translated message text

Agents can view an end user’s original (untranslated) messages, as well as the translated version of their own messages.

To view an end user’s original message text

At the end of the end user’s message, click Show original. The untranslated version appears.

To view your own translated message text

At the end of the message, click Show translation. The translated version of the message appears.

The end user experience

When an agent enables translation for a conversation, the end user does not receive an activation notification – agent messages simply appear in their detected language. However, translated agent messages are identified in the conversation.

In a live chat, translated messages have a Show original link, which end users can click to display the untranslated message:

Through Social Messaging and Zendesk messaging, translated messages are indicated with the word Translated in their detected language; however, they cannot display the untranslated version of the message: