How to send texts in your customer's language in CartBoss

For multilingual SMS in CartBoss, add a translation for each language under Message translations; each shopper gets the one for their country's language. Shoppers whose language has no translation get the default message.

Before you begin

  • Preset messages are already translated by CartBoss. You add translations only to your custom messages. See How to write your own abandoned cart text.
  • Write the default message first. It is the text every language falls back to.

How CartBoss picks the language

  • The language comes from the shopper's country, not from their browser or phone settings.
  • CartBoss takes the country from the checkout. If it has none, it uses the shopper's location or phone number.
  • If your message has a translation for that country's language, the shopper gets it. If not, they get the Default message.
  • Shoppers in English-speaking countries get the default message.

Add a translation

  1. Click Abandoned cart (or Win-Back) in the left menu, under Messaging.
  2. Click the pencil next to your custom message, or Add custom message.
  3. Write the Default message, if you haven't yet.
  4. Under Message translations, click a language. Its box shows the default message in grey as a guide.
  5. Type the translation. Keep every shortcode exactly as it is, for example {FirstName}.
  6. Add {CheckoutUrl} (in a Win-Back text: {SiteUrl}) to the translation. Each translation needs its own link.
  7. Repeat for each language you sell in.
  8. Click Save.

Message translations with French selected and a French text containing {FirstName} and {CheckoutUrl}

Each language button has a dot: dark while the language is empty, coloured once it has a translation.

Remove a translation

  1. Click the language under Message translations.
  2. Delete all the text in its box.
  3. Click Save. Shoppers in that language now get the default message.

Find messages without translations

  • In the message list, click the Untranslated filter.
  • The Langs column shows how many translations a message has. A red 0 means everyone gets the default message, whatever language they speak.

Abandoned cart message list; the Langs column shows 1 for a translated message and a red 0 for the others

Good to know

  • CartBoss does not check translations for misspelled shortcodes or a missing link. Check them yourself before you save.
  • A discount travels only on links in the text the shopper gets. A translation without a link carries no discount. See How to add a discount.
  • The length meter counts only the default message. Some languages use special characters that make a text longer in SMS parts. See How to keep a CartBoss text to one SMS part.
  • Links in the text, including the stop link, open in the shopper's language where your store supports it.

Questions

Do I need a translation for every language?

No. Add only the languages of the countries you sell to. Everyone else gets the default message.

A French-speaking shopper got the English text. Why?

CartBoss goes by the shopper's country. Either their country's language is not French, or the message has no French translation.

Can I write the default message in another language?

Yes. It is sent to everyone without a matching translation, so write it in the language most of those shoppers read.

Can I send a different text per store instead?

Yes, with Website targeting. See How to send different texts for each store.

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