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Communication language is a single org-wide setting that controls the language(s) ServiceBooked uses to talk to your customers — across every channel (chat widget, SMS, email, voice) and in your automated message templates (confirmations, reminders, review requests, and the rest). Set it once; it applies everywhere.

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Where to set it

Settings → Workflows → Communication language, at the top of the Workflows tab. It saves on its own the moment you change it — you don’t need the recipe Save button below it.

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The three modes

1

English only (default)

The Virtual Receptionist always replies in English on every channel, and automated templates send in English.
2

French only (Canadian)

The Virtual Receptionist always replies in Québécois business French, and automated templates send in French.
3

Bilingual (English & French)

On chat, SMS, and email, the Virtual Receptionist mirrors each customer’s language — replies in French to a French message, English to an English one (defaulting to English when it’s ambiguous). Automated templates go out with both languages included. On voice calls, it opens in English and switches to French if the caller speaks French.

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What it affects

  • AI replies on the chat widget, SMS, social DMs, email auto-replies, and voice calls.
  • Automated templates — booking confirmations, reminders, reschedule/cancel notices, review requests, and other workflow recipes. In bilingual mode each template carries an English block and a French block, each with its own opt-out line.
  • Confirmation calls — appointment confirmation calls use the same setting.

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How it works with your custom templates

Switching the mode swaps the default templates to the matching language. If you’ve edited a recipe’s text yourself, your custom wording is kept as-is — it isn’t auto-translated. Untouched templates follow the language mode; templates you’ve personalized stay exactly how you wrote them. If you want a personalized template in the new language, edit it (or Reset this template to default to pull in the language’s stock version, then tweak).

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Notes & limits

  • This is English / French / bilingual today. Voice calls can additionally be set to other spoken languages on the voice settings — but the org-wide text + AI behavior is governed here.
  • Bilingual voice relies on real-time English↔French detection. If you’ve selected a custom voice that can’t speak French, French callers won’t be served well — use a default voice for bilingual orgs.
  • The setting is per organization. Multi-location businesses that need different languages per location should run separate organizations.

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Next

Workflow recipes

The automated templates this setting translates.

The Virtual Receptionist

Voice-specific language behavior.