BoldDesk supports multiple languages in the Customer Portal, allowing customers to view portal content in their preferred language. Customers can choose a language by either selecting it from the language drop-down in the Customer Portal or by appending the language code to the Customer Portal URL. Before customers can use a language in the Customer Portal, administrators must enable Multilanguage support and configure the required language for the Customer Portal.

Prerequisites

Before customers can select a preferred language:

• Multilanguage support must be enabled.
• The required language must be added and enabled for the Customer Portal.

Enable Multilanguage Support

To enable multilingual support:

1. Navigate to Admin > Language.
2. Turn on the Multilanguage toggle. Learn How to Configure Multi-Language Support in BoldDesk.

Enable a Language for the Customer Portal

To make a language available in the Customer Portal:

1. Navigate to Admin > Language.
2. Click Add Language.
3. Select a supported language from the list. Explore BoldDesk Supported Languages and Language Codes.
4. Turn on Enable in Customer Portal.
5. Click Add Language.

Once enabled, customers can select the language in the Customer Portal.

Switching Customer Portal Language

The two methods you can use to switch customer portal language are discussed below;

Method 1. Select a Language from the Customer Portal

Customers can manually switch to their preferred language from the Customer Portal interface. Follow the steps below;

1. Sign in to the Customer Portal.
2. Locate the Language selector drop-down.
3. Select the preferred language.

The Customer Portal content will be displayed in the selected language.

Method 2. Use a Language Code in the Customer Portal URL

Customers can directly access the Customer Portal in a specific language by appending the language code to the Customer Portal URL. Below are examples;

https://support.company.com/en

https://support.company.com/fr

https://support.company.com/de

Replace the language code with the code of the language enabled in your Customer Portal.

How Language Selection Works

• Languages are displayed in the language drop-down only if they are enabled for the Customer Portal.
• Customers can switch between available languages at any time.
• Accessing the Customer Portal using a supported language code automatically loads the portal in that language.
• If multilingual support is disabled, customers can only access the default language.

Troubleshooting

The Language Drop-Down Is Not Visible

Verify that:

• Multilanguage support is enabled.
• At least one additional language has been added.
• The target language is enabled for the Customer Portal.

The Customer Portal Does Not Open in the Specified Language

Verify that:

• The language has been added in Admin > Language.
• Enable in Customer Portal is turned on for the language.
• The correct language code is used in the URL.

The Required Language Is Not Available

Only languages configured and enabled by an administrator are available for customers to select.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can customers change the Customer Portal language themselves?
   Yes. Customers can change the Customer Portal language using the Language drop-down in the Customer Portal.

2. Can customers open the Customer Portal directly in a specific language?
   Yes. Customers can append the language code to the Customer Portal URL (for example, /fr) to open the Customer Portal in that language, as long as the language is enabled for the Customer Portal.

3. Why is a language missing from the Customer Portal language selector?
   The language is not enabled for Customer Portal use. In Admin > Language, add the language (if needed) and turn on Enable in Customer Portal.

4. Do administrators need to enable Multilanguage before adding languages?
   Yes. Multilanguage must be enabled before customers can use configured languages in the Customer Portal.

5. Can customers use a language code for a language that is not enabled in the Customer Portal?
   No. If Enable in Customer Portal is not turned on for that language, the language cannot be selected in the UI and cannot be accessed through a language-code URL.

6. What happens if Multilanguage is disabled after languages were added?
   Customers can access the Customer Portal only in the default language, even if other languages were previously added.

Related Articles

1. How to Customize the BoldDesk Customer Portal
2. BoldDesk Supported Languages and Language Codes
3. How to Configure Multi-Language Support in BoldDesk