Admin Setup Guide for AI Translation on Zendesk

Install the Tolto App on Zendesk and Sign Up with Tolto and Create an AI Translation Project for Zendesk

When you set up Tolto for Zendesk, the first step is to install the app from the Zendesk Marketplace. Then you’ll complete a quick onboarding flow to create your translation project.

1. Install the App from Zendesk Marketplace

• Log in to Zendesk as an Admin.

• Go to the Zendesk Marketplace, search for Tolto AI Translation, and install the app.
  
  

2. Create Your Tolto Account

• Go to Tolto Sign Up and register using your work email.

• After signing up, you’ll be redirected to the onboarding flow.
  
  

3. Select Your Tool & Add Zendesk Subdomain

• In the onboarding flow, choose AI Translation as your product.

• Select Zendesk as your connected platform.

• Enter your Zendesk subdomain (e.g., yourcompany.zendesk.com) to link Tolto with the correct instance.
  
  

💡 Tip: Your Zendesk subdomain is the first part of your Zendesk URL.
For example, if your URL is https://acme.zendesk.com, your subdomain is acme.

4. Authorize the Connection

• You’ll be redirected to Zendesk’s authorization page.

• Confirm the requested permissions so Tolto can securely connect and access the resources needed for translation (e.g., messages, tickets, and agent details).
  
  

🔒 Note: Tolto only stores basic agent details for access control. Ticket content and translations are processed in real time and never stored after completion.

Once authorization is complete, your AI Translation project for Zendesk will be created automatically. From there, you can configure agent access, set default languages, add AI Translation Context, and create glossaries for brand consistency.

Agent Access & Language Settings

After creating your AI Translation project, configure which agents have access and set their language preferences.

1. Open Agent Management

• In the Tolto dashboard, navigate to your Zendesk AI Translation project.

• Go to Agent Management and click Give Access.

• You’ll see a list of all your Zendesk agents.

• If an agent is missing, click Sync Member to refresh the list.
  
  

2. Set Default (Native) Language

• Assign each agent a default/native language.

• All customer conversations will be translated into this language for that agent.
  
  

3. Add Known Languages (Optional)

• If an agent speaks multiple languages, add them under Known Languages.

• Tolto will automatically skip translation when the agent and customer share a known language.
  
  

4. Save & Confirm

• Review your agent list and language settings.

• Click Save to apply changes.
  
  

🔒 Note: Tolto only stores basic agent details for access control. Ticket content and translations are processed in real time and never stored after completion.

Properly configuring agent access and languages ensures accurate translations, fewer errors, and smooth conversations for both agents and customers.

Add Context for AI Translation

Accurate translations depend on context. In Tolto, admins can add context directly inside the AI Tab (look for the AI icon) of your Zendesk AI Translation project. You’ll see a single text box (limit: 1000 characters) where you can provide key details to help translations reflect your brand identity and industry nuances.

What to Include in Your Context

• Business Overview → Who you are and what you sell.
  Example: “We are a SaaS platform providing HR automation tools for mid-sized companies.”
  
  

• Target Audience → Who your customers are.
  Example: “Our users are HR managers and team leads in North America and Europe.”
  
  

• Industry & Market Information → Key sector-specific knowledge.
  Example: “In HR tech, ‘onboarding’ refers to employee setup, not product usage.”
  
  

• Brand Voice → Define your tone of communication.
  Example: “We use a professional but approachable tone in customer interactions.”
  
  

Sample Context Entries

1. Fashion / Ecommerce Retail
We are a DTC fashion brand selling affordable, trendy clothing and accessories. Our customers are Gen Z and millennial online shoppers, primarily interested in seasonal collections and fast shipping. Product names (e.g., “Luna Jacket,” “Skyline Sneakers”) should never be translated. Use a friendly, upbeat, and conversational tone in translations to match our brand voice. In our industry, “returns” typically refers to exchanges or store credits.

2. SaaS / B2B Software
We are a B2B SaaS platform offering workflow automation for finance teams. Our customers are SMBs and mid-market companies across North America and Europe. Product names and technical terms (e.g., “API,” “Data Sync”) must remain unchanged. Translations should be clear, professional, and business-oriented. Our brand voice is concise, reliable, and supportive, with an emphasis on trust and compliance.

Best Practices for Adding Context

✔ Keep it concise: Short, direct sentences work best (max 1000 characters).
✔ Start with a business overview: Explain what your company does.
✔ Define your audience: State who your customers are.
✔ Include industry nuances: Clarify terms that could be misunderstood.
✔ Protect your brand voice: Specify tone (friendly, professional, casual, etc.).
✔ List glossary hints: Identify product names or technical terms that should not be translated.
✔ Think global: Write context as if explaining your brand to someone unfamiliar.

Adding the right context ensures Tolto delivers translations that are accurate, on-brand, and tailored to your customers inside Zendesk.

Here’s an optimized Glossary section for Zendesk, polished for clarity and Help Center style, and including a simple sample glossary layout:

Adding a Glossary for Consistent Translations

A glossary ensures brand identity and terminology consistency across all Zendesk conversations. Product names, brand terms, and industry-specific words will always appear the way you define them - regardless of the customer’s language.

1. Create a Glossary

• In your Tolto dashboard, open your Zendesk AI Translation project and go to the Glossary tab.

• Click Create New Glossary.

• Enter a glossary name, select a source language, and choose one or more target languages.
  
  

2. Add Terms

• Manually enter glossary terms into the table.

• Each glossary requires one source language and at least one target language column.
  
  

Example layout:

3. Bulk Upload (Optional)

• For large term lists, upload an Excel file with glossary entries.

• File format must follow the same structure: one column for the source language, and one column per target language.
  
  

4. Save & Apply

• Review your glossary entries and confirm.

• If a term should remain unchanged (e.g., Tolto, API, Bluetooth), enter it unchanged in all target language columns.
  
  

By maintaining a well-structured glossary, you ensure translations are consistent, accurate, and aligned with your brand voice across every customer interaction in Zendesk.

Managing Project Settings

Tolto gives you flexible options to customize how AI Translation works in your Zendesk project. Use the settings below to fine-tune translation behavior for your team.

1. Set a Project Title

• In the Project Title field, enter a descriptive name (e.g., “Zendesk – Multilingual Support”).

• Click Save to confirm.
  
  

2. Enable Auto-Translate Conversations

• Toggle Auto-Translate Conversations to Enabled.

• All multilingual conversations will then be automatically displayed in the agent’s default/native language.
  
  

3. Enable Email Subject Translation

• Toggle Email Subject Translation to Enabled.

• Incoming email subject lines will automatically be translated into your team’s default language.
  
  

💡 Best Practice: Do not enable this setting if your subject lines include IDs or system-generated codes (mix of numbers and characters). Translating these may cause confusion.

4. Enable Bot Conversation Translation

• Toggle Bot Conversation Translation to Enabled.

• Messages exchanged with Zendesk bots will be translated into the agent’s default language, ensuring consistency across automated interactions.
  
  

5. Ignore Conversations from Specific Email IDs

• In the Ignore conversations from these Email IDs field, enter any email addresses you want excluded from translation.

• Separate multiple addresses with commas and press Enter after each one.

• Changes are saved automatically.
  
  

By managing these settings, you ensure Tolto works the way your Zendesk team needs—delivering accurate translations where they matter, while avoiding unnecessary or irrelevant translations.

6. Send Translation with Original Messages

This setting controls whether an agent’s original (untranslated) reply is saved as an internal note.

• If Enabled
  
  

  • The agent’s original message (in their default/native language) is added as an internal note.

  • The translated version is sent to the customer.

  • Recommended if quality or compliance teams need to review original agent replies later.
    
    

• If Disabled
  
  

  • Only the translated message is sent to the customer.

  • The original (untranslated) reply is not added as an internal note.

  • Recommended if you want to reduce internal note clutter inside Zendesk tickets.
    
    

ℹ️ Important: Agents may be confused if they don’t see their original reply in Zendesk. Make sure to inform them how this setting is configured for your project.

Post-Project Setup Checklist

After setup, we recommend:

✅ Test a Sample Ticket: Send a test message in a different language to confirm automatic detection and translation are working.

✅ Verify Agent Language Settings: Double-check that each agent’s default language is correctly configured in project settings.

✅ Try Both Translation Methods: Test replying with the Translate button and the ! command to see which works best for your workflow.

✅ Preview Translation (Optional): Use the preview feature to confirm translations look correct before sending.

✅ Review Reporting Dashboard: Access Advanced Reporting to view language usage trends and confirm data is being captured.

Troubleshooting

If you run into issues while installing:

❌ Authorization Fails

• Ensure you’re logged into the correct Zendesk account with admin rights.

• Verify that pop-ups are allowed in your browser during authorization.

• Try reinstalling the app from the Marketplace.
  
  

❌ Agents Can’t Access Tolto

• Confirm that agent access has been granted in Tolto project settings.

• Check that each agent has a default (native) language assigned.
  
  

If the issue persists, contact Tolto Support at hi@tolto.ai for assistance.