Zendesk Help Center Translation Tool Guide: Compare Your Options

To translate your Zendesk help center, you can use manual translation, translation management platforms like Crowdin or Lokalise, or automated translation tools. Each approach has trade-offs in cost, speed, and maintenance.

This guide compares translation tools for Zendesk, explains how each works, and helps you choose the right solution for your help center.

Translation Tool Categories

Category 1: Manual Translation

Manual translation means translating articles yourself or hiring translators to translate content directly in Zendesk.

Tools:

• Zendesk's built-in translation features
• Professional translators
• Translation agencies

How it works:

1. Create new articles in Zendesk for each language
2. Copy English content
3. Translate content (yourself or with a translator)
4. Paste translations and reformat
5. Publish translated articles

Pros:

• Full control over translation quality
• Works for any content type
• No tool subscriptions needed
• Good for small help centers

Cons:

• Time-consuming (40+ hours for 50 articles)
• Expensive ($20 to $50+ per article)
• Hard to keep translations in sync
• Formatting issues when copy-pasting
• No automatic monitoring

Best for:

• Small help centers (< 20 articles)
• Content that rarely changes
• Budget for professional translators
• Need for certified translations

Category 2: Translation Management Platforms

Translation management platforms help teams manage translations at scale with features like translation memory, glossaries, and workflow management.

Tools:

• Crowdin
• Lokalise
• Phrase
• Smartling
• Transifex

How it works:

1. Export Zendesk articles (via CSV or API)
2. Upload to translation platform
3. Translate articles using platform tools
4. Export translations
5. Import back into Zendesk and reformat

Pros:

• Translation memory and glossaries
• Workflow management
• Multiple translator support
• Quality assurance tools
• Good for large help centers

Cons:

• Export/import overhead
• Formatting challenges
• No direct Zendesk integration
• Cost ($100+ per month plus translator fees)
• Still requires manual monitoring
• Learning curve

Best for:

• Large help centers (100+ articles)
• Teams with multiple translators
• Need for translation memory
• Content that changes frequently
• Budget for platform subscriptions

Category 3: Automated Translation Tools

Automated translation tools can translate articles directly, preserving formatting and keeping translations in sync.

Tools:

• Various automated translation tools (platform support varies)

Current state: Automated translation tools with direct Zendesk integration have limited availability. Most automated tools currently support specific platforms like Intercom, with limited or no direct Zendesk integration.

How it would work (if available):

1. Connect your Zendesk account
2. Import articles automatically
3. Select articles and target languages
4. Translate articles automatically
5. Review and edit translations
6. Publish directly to Zendesk
7. Monitor and re-translate when articles update

Pros:

• Speed (translate 50+ articles in minutes)
• Formatting preservation
• Automatic syncing
• Cost-effective (cents per article)
• Direct integration (no export/import)
• One-click publish

Cons:

• Limited platform support (automated tools typically support specific platforms)
• Translation quality may need review
• Platform-specific (each tool supports limited platforms)

Best for:

• Teams that want automation
• Help centers that change frequently
• Need for cost-effective translation
• Want to minimize manual steps

Detailed Tool Comparison

Crowdin

Type: Translation management platform

Zendesk support: Export/import via CSV or API

Features:

• Translation memory
• Glossaries
• Workflow management
• Quality assurance
• Multiple translator support

Cost: $50+ per month (varies by plan)

Best for: Large teams with multiple translators

Lokalise

Type: Translation management platform

Zendesk support: Export/import via API

Features:

• Translation memory
• Glossaries
• Workflow management
• Quality assurance
• Multiple translator support

Cost: $120+ per month (varies by plan)

Best for: Teams that need advanced workflow features

Phrase

Type: Translation management platform

Zendesk support: Export/import via API

Features:

• Translation memory
• Glossaries
• Workflow management
• Quality assurance
• Multiple translator support

Cost: $200+ per month (varies by plan)

Best for: Enterprise teams with complex workflows

Translate Desk

Type: Automated translation tool

Zendesk support: Exploring support (currently Intercom only)

About TranslateDesk: TranslateDesk is a translation tool that currently supports Intercom with direct integration. Import your articles, translate them while preserving formatting, and publish translations directly to Intercom with one click. TranslateDesk also flags when source articles change, so you know which translations need updating.

TranslateDesk is exploring Zendesk support based on customer interest, but there's no timeline yet. The workflow would be similar to the Intercom integration: one-click translation, formatting preservation, and direct publish to Zendesk.

Features:

• One-click translation
• Formatting preservation
• Stale content detection
• Direct integration
• Bulk translate

Cost: Credit-based (cents per article)

Best for: Teams that want automation and direct integration

If you're a Zendesk user who needs help center translation, you can contact Translate Desk to share your use case and help prioritize Zendesk support.

Choosing the Right Tool

For Small Help Centers (< 20 articles)

Recommendation: Manual translation

• Low volume doesn't justify tool costs
• Full control over quality
• Simple workflow

For Medium Help Centers (20-100 articles)

Recommendation: Translation management platform

• Volume justifies tool investment
• Need for translation memory
• Multiple translator support

For Large Help Centers (100+ articles)

Recommendation: Translation management platform or automated tools (when available)

• High volume requires automation
• Need for efficient workflows
• Cost-effective translation

What's Missing Today

Current translation tools for Zendesk have gaps:

• Limited automation: Current translation tools typically require manual steps
• No direct integration: Export/import overhead
• Formatting issues: Exporting and importing can break formatting
• Manual syncing: Tracking which translations need updates is difficult
• Cost: Professional translation is expensive

Looking Ahead

Automated translation tools that integrate directly with Zendesk would solve many of these problems. Some tools are exploring Zendesk support based on customer interest. The workflow would be similar to existing Intercom integrations: automatic translation, formatting preservation, and one-click publish directly to Zendesk.

About Translate Desk

TranslateDesk is a translation tool that currently supports Intercom with direct integration. Import your articles, translate them while preserving formatting, and publish translations directly to Intercom with one click. TranslateDesk also flags when source articles change, so you know which translations need updating.

TranslateDesk is exploring Zendesk support based on customer interest, but there's no timeline yet. If you're a Zendesk user who needs help center translation, you can contact TranslateDesk to share your use case and help prioritize Zendesk support.

Recommendations

1. Start with high-traffic articles: Translate the articles your customers use most
2. Maintain glossaries: Document product names and technical terms
3. Review translations: Have native speakers review automated translations
4. Keep content updated: Update translations when source articles change
5. Monitor regularly: Check for missing or outdated translations

Learn More

• See how Translate Desk works with Intercom: Intercom Integration
• Explore all integrations: Translation Integrations
• Read about Zendesk translation: Zendesk Help Center Translation
• Read the how-to guide: How to Translate Zendesk Help Center
• Does Intercom Support Translation? - How Intercom handles multilingual support natively.
• 5 Best Intercom Translation Apps - Compare the top tools for Intercom.