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Multi-Language Support & Internationalization

For international brands and cross-border Shopify stores, delivering a localized shopping experience is essential for conversion. A customer browsing a German or French storefront should not be greeted by English placeholder text or mismatched suggestion buttons.

ShopGuide provides a comprehensive, multi-tiered localization architecture designed to work seamlessly with Shopify Markets and multilingual themes.

1. Per-Locale UI Customization​

Inside ShopGuide → Appearance, merchants running multi-language stores can author storefront widget text for each published language in their store:

  • Chat Heading: Author distinct titles per language (e.g., "Ask our Specialist" in English, "Frag unseren Berater" in German, or "Vraag onze specialist" in Dutch).
  • Input Field Placeholder: Customize the prompt box placeholder text per locale (e.g., "Ask me anything..." vs. "Stelle mir eine Frage...").
  • Single-Language Fallback: For languages without a specific translation, ShopGuide cleanly inherits the primary store language defaults.

2. Localized Launch Messages & Suggestion Chips​

Your opening greetings and suggested prompt buttons adapt dynamically to the shopper's active language:

  • Proactive Greetings: Configurable under Settings → Essentials, you can set unique opening lines for each language.
  • Quick-Reply Suggestion Chips: The interactive buttons shown at the beginning of a chat (e.g., "Find my size", "Check shipping times", "Recommend a gift") automatically render in the customer's language.
  • Smart Intent Alignment: When the AI suggests follow-up prompt chips, it automatically matches the customer's active locale so shoppers never encounter awkward language switches mid-conversation.

3. Conversational AI Language Coverage​

While the widget's primary interface elements are localized, the AI's conversational engine supports a vast array of global languages:

  • Automatic Language Detection: The AI detects the language the customer is typing in and automatically responds in the same language.
  • Product Catalog Translation: If your product descriptions are written in English but a customer asks questions in Spanish or Japanese, the AI accurately translates product details, specifications, and instructions in real-time.
  • Shopify Markets Integration: Prices, currencies, and inventory rules align with the visitor's selected Shopify Market.

Best Practices for Multilingual Stores​

  1. Match Your Theme's Active Locale: Ensure your store's locale switcher passes standard ISO codes (en, de, fr, es, nl). ShopGuide reads request.locale.iso_code directly from Shopify Liquid.
  2. Review Knowledge Base in Primary Languages: If your customer base is heavily bilingual, upload FAQ pairs in both languages or ensure your primary knowledge documents clearly state international policies.
  3. Audit Unanswered Questions: Use Chats to filter transcripts by customer language to spot regional questions (such as country-specific import duties or European voltage compatibility).