# Visitor chat languages and text direction

Present visitor labels and configured content in the selected language, including right-to-left chat layout for Arabic and Hebrew.

*Release 3.3 · admin, developer, visitor*

**Settings › Chat › Themes** · **Settings › Chat › Chat Pane** · **Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey** · **Settings › General Settings › Supported Languages** · **Settings › General Settings › Regional Settings**

## What it is

**Language** options control the labels and configured content visitors see. Forms, theme messages and other content can have different language versions. The current chat pane also adjusts its layout for Arabic and Hebrew.

## Who uses it and why

People with the **Settings** role provide translated labels and messages for the languages their website serves. Developers check that website integrations and custom content supply the intended language context. Visitors receive the available interface and content variants for their visit.

## Where to find it

With the **Settings** role, edit multilingual text in **Settings › Chat › Themes** and **Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey**. Older panes have a **Language** selector in **Settings › Chat › Chat Pane**.

Powerfront manages **Settings › General Settings › Supported Languages** and can change the website **Language** in **Settings › General Settings › Regional Settings** for you.

## How it works

The visitor interface loads translated standard labels and selects available language versions of configured text. Language selection depends on the component and the website setup.

For reusable pre-chat, an explicit chat-pane language takes priority over the configured visitor-interface language. If the choice is missing or unsupported, INSIDE tries the visitor language, then the website language. A supported regional match can use its base language. The final pre-chat fallback uses the website default, or English when no website language is set.

Individual theme and content values have their own fallback behaviour. They can use a base-language version, English or another available value when the requested version is absent. Supply all intended variants instead of relying on the same fallback everywhere.

The current pane uses right-to-left layout when its resolved labels identify Arabic or Hebrew. Appointment booking receives language information, while transcript requests include local date formatting, timezone offset and text direction.

Changing the interface language does not automatically translate the words operators or visitors type. Conversation translation is configured separately.

## Configure it

Ask Powerfront to review **Supported Languages**, fallback choices and the website language. With the **Settings** role, fill in the language versions of the labels, instructions, consent text and result messages you use in your theme and form editors.

For an older pane, use the **Settings** role to choose **Language** in **Chat Pane**. Use a fixed language, **Auto-Detect Visitor Language**, or **Custom Variable** with the corresponding visitor data mapping.

Test the actual visitor experience for each intended language, including regional variants, missing translations, forms and transcripts. For Arabic and Hebrew, check the live pane layout as well as the translated text.

### Settings

| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Settings › Chat › Chat Pane | website | Auto-Detect Visitor Language in the editor when not configured | Settings role | Choose a fixed supported pane language, automatic visitor-language detection or Custom Variable for an older pane. |
| Language | Settings › General Settings › Regional Settings | website | English | Settings role | Set the website language used by website-language fallback paths. |

### Permissions

| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Edit client-managed chat labels, pre-chat forms and pane language options. |

## Limits and good to know

- A language in a selector does not guarantee that every standard or custom label has a translation.
- Missing custom translations can produce mixed-language content.
- Operator account language and visitor chat language serve different purposes.
- Regional report **Date Format** and **Time Format** settings describe report exports; they are not a universal visitor timestamp setting.
- Do not assume an older pane, current theme and reusable form all choose their language in the same way.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Configured in** [Website and regional settings](ADM-004.md): Website language and regional configuration contribute to language fallback.
- **Configured in** [Supported languages](ADM-022.md): Supported Languages supplies language choices and fallback configuration.
- **Configured in** [Visitor chat themes and branding](VX-003.md): Themes provide language variants of visitor-facing messages.
- **Configured in** [Legacy chat pane settings](VX-032.md): Legacy Chat Pane settings choose fixed, automatic or custom visitor-language selection.
- **Works better with** [Browser language and device context](VIS-004.md): Visitor language and timezone context contribute to local presentation.
- **Related** [Conversation translation](CHAT-023.md): Conversation translation translates message text separately from interface labels and configured content.

### Used by

- **Configures** [Browser language and device context](VIS-004.md): Chat-language settings choose between a fixed language, detected visitor language and a mapped value.
- **Configures** [Conversation translation](CHAT-023.md): Visitor language settings determine the language used for localised chat content.
- **Configures** [Legacy chat pane settings](VX-032.md): The older pane has its own language selection and multilingual labels.
- **Configures** [Previous chat history for visitors](VX-033.md): Language and text direction affect labels, dates and layout.
- **Configures** [Virtual Assistant task messages and identity](ENG-014.md): Visitor language affects the wording selected for messages.
- **Enhances** [Visitor chat themes and branding](VX-003.md): Theme text and some assets can have language-specific values.
- **Enhances** [Pre-chat survey for visitors](VX-008.md): Survey labels, text and custom choices support language variants.
- **Enhances** [Department selection before chat](VX-009.md): The department prompt supports translated text.
- **Enhances** [Custom fields in visitor forms](VX-010.md): Custom labels and choice text can have translations.
- **Enhances** [Offline help for visitors](VX-011.md): Offline form labels and confirmation text support language variants.
- **Enhances** [Visitor tracking consent and communication opt-ins](VX-012.md): Privacy and opt-in messages can be translated.
- **Enhances** [Visitor survey questions and scores](VX-013.md): Survey wording and selected rating assets support multiple languages.
- **Enhances** [Email and print transcripts for visitors](VX-022.md): Transcript requests carry local date formatting, time-zone and text-direction information.
- **Enhances** [Appointment booking for visitors](VX-023.md): Form labels and booking information use the visitor language.
- **Related** [Supported languages](ADM-022.md): Review visitor language selection and fallback when checking translated content.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why is part of the form still in English?

Check the language version of that custom label or message. Missing content can fall back to English or another available version.

### Why does the pane use a different language from the browser?

A fixed pane language, an explicit language choice or the website fallback can take priority. Check the applicable pane and form configuration.

### Why is the chat right-to-left?

The current pane's resolved language is Arabic or Hebrew. Check the language context if that is unexpected.

### Does changing Language translate the conversation?

No. It changes interface and configured content selection. Use conversation translation for message text.

### Can I add a supported language myself?

Ask Powerfront to change **Supported Languages** and its fallback configuration. You can then provide the relevant language versions in client-managed content editors.