Configuring Dynamic Translation for Agent Chat

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Configuring Dynamic Translation for Agent Chat

    Dynamic Translation for Agent Chat (DTAC) enables real-time translation of chat conversations between agents and requesters in different languages. This feature enhances global support by automatically translating messages based on the preferred languages set in user profiles, including support for guest users without login credentials. DTAC is not active by default and requires specific setup and configuration before use.

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    Prerequisites and Activation

    • Integrate ServiceNow with a supported translation service provider.
    • Migrate to version v3 of the translator configuration.
    • Translate a knowledge article to verify translation functionality.
    • Activate Agent Chat and configure preferred languages.
    • Enable the Dynamic Translation for Agent Chat plugin (com.glide.cs.dynamic.translation.agent.chat), which also activates related translation plugins and system properties.

    Once activated, DTAC translates chat messages asynchronously by default, but can be configured for synchronous translation based on system properties.

    Functionality in Chat Conversations

    DTAC translates various elements within chat conversations including:

    • User messages and system messages.
    • Virtual Agent chat history, visible to live agents after transfer, providing context in the agent’s preferred language.
    • Record card field values and rich controls such as text, choice lists, boolean inputs, date/time, file picker, and carousel.

    Note that DTAC does not translate record card labels; these require separate localization configuration via System Properties > System Localization.

    Additional Considerations

    • Virtual Agent topics must be pre-configured in desired languages to support translation during chat sessions.
    • Analytical reports are available to track DTAC usage by counting translated chats via the Interaction table’s Translated column.

    This setup helps ServiceNow customers provide seamless multilingual support in Agent Workspace chats, improving communication efficiency and user experience in global environments.

    Activate Dynamic Translation for Agent Chat (DTAC) so chat conversations can be translated from one language to another.

    Video link to Dynamic Translation. Dynamic Translation for Agent Chat Watch this video for more information on global support with Dynamic Translation for Agent Chat.

    Prerequisite steps

    These tasks must be completed prior to activating DTAC:

    Activating DTAC

    DTAC translates chat conversations from one language to another. The preferred languages for the agent and requester are based on their user profiles and a translation service translates the messages into the defined language of the other participant. Translation service providers support language detection for requesters who are not logged in to ServiceNow®, also referred to as guest users.

    DTAC is inactive by default. Before activating DTAC, the following requirements must be completed:

    Activate the Dynamic Translation for Agent Chat plugin (com.glide.cs.dynamic.translation.agent.chat).

    This also activates these plugins:
    • Dynamic Translation (com.glide.dynamic_translation)
    • Conversational Dynamic Translation (com.glide.dynamic_translation.va_async)
    and these system properties:
    • true - sync
    • false - async
    • absence of this property - async

    Transferring from Virtual Agent to a live agent

    Once an agent accepts a chat, they can see the chat history between the Virtual Agent and requester in their preferred language for more context.

    Virtual Agent topics must be set up in the desired languages prior to using DTAC. To learn more about how to set up topics, see Virtual Agent Designer.

    Transferring from virtual agent to live agent

    Translation support in chat conversations

    When DTAC is enabled, these items are translated in chat conversations:

    • Users' messages
    • System messages
    • Virtual Agent chat history
    • Record card field values
    • Rich controls
      Type Rich Control
      User input String
      User input Static choice list
      User input Reference choice
      User input Boolean
      User input Date time
      User input File picker
      User input Carousel
      Bot response Text
      Bot response Single link
      Bot response Multiple links
      Bot response Multi-flow output
      Bot response Script output
      Bot response Record card

    DTAC does not support record card labels. For this functionality to operate, system localization properties must be configured. Navigate to System Properties > System Localization. For more information, see ServiceNow® product documentation on Localization settings.

    Messages and record card translation support

    Analytical reports for DTAC

    You can generate a report that counts the number of DTAC chats, to assess how many conversations use the DTAC option.

    Monitor the number of true values in the Translated column in the Interaction table. For more information, see the ServiceNow® product documentation on Interaction records in Workspace Interaction records in Agent Workspace.