Intercom Localization: Complete Setup Guide for Multilingual Support (2026)

Setting up Intercom localization correctly from the start saves hours of rework later. This guide covers everything from enabling languages to automating your multilingual workflow.

What you'll learn:

• How to enable and configure languages in Intercom
• Messenger localization settings for visitor experience
• Help Center multilingual setup
• Automation options to eliminate manual translation work

Understanding Intercom's Localization vs Translation

Intercom provides localization infrastructure but not translation services. This distinction matters:

Intercom Provides	Intercom Does NOT Provide
Hosting for multiple language versions	Machine translation
Automatic language detection	Content sync across languages
Messenger in 40+ languages	Alerts when translations are outdated
Multi-language Help Center structure	Bulk translation tools

You can set up a fully localized Intercom workspace. But filling it with translated content requires either manual work or external tools.

For a deeper dive on Intercom's translation capabilities and gaps, see our guide: Does Intercom Support Translation?

Step 1: Enable Languages in Your Workspace

Start by adding the languages you want to support.

Path: Settings → Workspace → General → Languages

1. Click Add language and select from the list
2. Repeat for each target language
3. Set your default language (usually English)
4. Save changes

Pro tip: Only add languages you're ready to support. Adding Spanish but having zero Spanish content creates a poor customer experience.

Once languages are enabled, your Help Center articles will show language tabs, and your Messenger can adapt to visitor preferences.

Step 2: Configure Messenger Localization

The Messenger itself adapts to your visitor's browser language. Intercom handles this automatically for system strings like "Send us a message" or "Type your message."

To customize Messenger text per language:

1. Go to Settings → Messenger → Content
2. Select the language from the dropdown
3. Customize greeting messages, intro text, and team availability messages
4. Save

Limitations to know:

• Custom bot messages and product tours must be duplicated manually for each language
• No automatic translation of your custom Messenger content
• Outbound messages (campaigns, banners) need separate versions per language

Step 3: Set Up Multilingual Help Center

Your Help Center is where localization matters most. Customers searching for answers expect content in their language.

Enable Languages for Help Center

1. Go to Settings → Help Center → Basics
2. Under "Languages," enable each language
3. Set the default language for your Help Center

Create Language Versions of Articles

For each article:

1. Open the article in the editor
2. Click the language selector (top of editor)
3. Select the target language
4. Write or paste the translated content
5. Publish the language version

The problem: This manual process works for 10 articles. At 100 articles across 5 languages, you're managing 500 pages. Updates to the original article require manually finding and updating each translation.

Organize Collections Per Language

Collection names and descriptions also need translation:

1. Go to Help Center → Collections
2. Select a collection
3. Use the language selector to add translated titles and descriptions

Step 4: Handle Ongoing Localization Maintenance

Initial setup is just the beginning. The real challenge is maintenance.

The Update Problem

When you update an English article:

• The Spanish version stays unchanged
• No notification that translations are stale
• Customers in different regions see different information

This creates support inconsistency and erodes trust with international customers.

Manual Tracking Options

Without automation, teams typically use:

• Spreadsheets tracking article IDs and last-updated dates
• Calendar reminders to review translations monthly
• Designating a "localization owner" on the team

None of these scale well beyond a small Help Center.

Step 5: Automate Translation and Sync

The fastest path to sustainable Intercom localization is automation.

TranslateDesk connects directly to your Intercom workspace and:

1. Translates articles in bulk: Select 50 articles, pick languages, translate in minutes
2. Preserves formatting: Links, images, callouts, code blocks stay intact
3. Syncs updates: When you update the English version, re-translate with one click
4. Uses DeepL: Professional-quality machine translation

This eliminates the copy-paste workflow and the "stale translation" problem.

Try TranslateDesk free with 5 translations to see how it works with your Intercom Help Center.

Intercom Localization Checklist

Use this checklist when setting up localization:

• Languages enabled in workspace settings
• Messenger greetings customized per language
• Help Center languages enabled
• Collection names translated
• Initial articles translated (prioritize high-traffic pages)
• Process defined for updating translations when originals change
• Consider automation tool for scaling

Common Localization Mistakes

Starting with too many languages. Focus on 2-3 languages where you have real customers. Expand later.

Translating everything at once. Prioritize FAQ articles and top 20 pages first. Low-traffic content can wait.

Ignoring Messenger content. Customers see the Messenger before the Help Center. A localized Messenger with an English-only Help Center feels inconsistent.

No update process. Translation without maintenance creates outdated content. Build the update workflow before you start.

Conclusion

Intercom localization works well when you:

1. Enable languages thoughtfully
2. Customize Messenger per language
3. Create translated Help Center content
4. Have a process for ongoing updates

The infrastructure is solid. The gap is translation and sync, which requires external tooling.

For teams scaling past a few articles or languages, automation tools like TranslateDesk eliminate the manual work and keep your multilingual Help Center current.

→ Get started: Translate your Intercom help center

Related guides:

• Intercom Translation: Complete guide to translating your Intercom Help Center
• Does Intercom Support Translation?
• Best Practices for Managing Translated Content
• Complete Guide to Help Center Translation