--- title: "Handle multilingual chats" slug: "configuration-manager-vovcc-handle-multilingual-chats" updated: 2026-07-23T10:07:08Z published: 2026-07-23T10:07:08Z canonical: "help.8x8.com/configuration-manager-vovcc-handle-multilingual-chats" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.8x8.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Handle multilingual chats An insurance customer in Rome, Italy initiates a chat with a support representative in New York. Using the automatic translation tool, the agent is able to handle the chat request in English while the customer uses their native Italian. The tool translates chat conversations between customers and agents, giving them the flexibility to communicate in their respective native languages. If this chat is handled by an agent who happens to speak Italian, they can choose to handle the conversation without the aid of the translation tool. **8x8 Contact Center** introduces multilingual support for chat. Customers can choose to chat in any of the [supported languages](/documentation/docs/configuration-manager-vovcc-handle-multilingual-chats#supported-languages). Agents can handle customer chats in any of the supported languages they know or use automatic translation tool. Each **8x8 Contact Center** agent is associated with one primary and one or more secondary languages of fluency. - If the chat request is in one of these languages, agents can chat in the requested language. - If the chat request is not in their primary or secondary language, agents can use the automatic translation tool. With Multilingual support for chat: - Administrators can provide language choice in embedded chat. - Customers can choose to chat in a language of their choice. - Agents can handle customer chats in any of the supported languages. ## Supported languages **8x8 Contact Center** offers chat translation support for: English, Russian, German, Japanese, Spanish, French, Chinese, Portuguese, Italian, and Polish. ## Configure multilingual support for chat To configure multilingual support for chat, administrators must: - Configure a pre-chat form in the embedded chat flow. - Offer language choice for customers in the pre-chat form. - Include the pre-chat form in the chat script that controls the chat flow. - Indicate the primary and secondary languages of agents. **Step 1: Configure a pre-chat form to offer language choice.** In your embedded chat flow, you must add a pre-chat form which offers language choice for customers. Using this form, customers select a language to chat in. Follow the steps described here to design a pre-chat form. 1. From the **Configuration Menu**, open **Chat Design**. 2. Click the **Form** tab. 3. Select to edit an existing pre-chat form or create a new one. For details, refer to [Design a Chat Form](/documentation/docs/chatdesignoverview1-design-a-chat-form). 4. Select **Translation** under **Format**. This offers customers a language choice question. A list of languages supported for chat translation shows up. 5. Enter a **Question**, such as