How to import VICIdial translations

Translating phrases one box at a time is fine for a handful of strings, but for a full interface you'll want to import them in bulk. VICIdial's Languages feature accepts a block of pasted translations and applies them all at once, so a translator can work in a spreadsheet or text editor and hand you back a finished file. Done right, an import gets your whole Agent interface translated in a single paste. The two things to get correct are the data format and the Import Action.

The Import Data format

Import Data expects one phrase per line. On each line you put the English text, then a pipe character, then the translated text. So a single line reads English phrase, then |, then the translation. Keep the English side identical to the hard-coded string, because the import matches on that exact English text. If the English doesn't match a known phrase, there is nothing for the translation to attach to. Get the format right and a few hundred lines load as fast as one.

If you have not yet seeded the phrase list, populate it first so the English keys exist to match against. The agent screen configuration guide shows where Languages fits in the broader agent setup if you are wiring this up from scratch.

Choosing an Import Action

flowchart TD
  A[Import Data with English pipe translation] --> B{Import Action}
  B -->|Only Add Missing Phrases| C[Add new only keep existing]
  B -->|Only Update Existing Phrases| D[Change matching only add none]
  B -->|Add and Update Phrases| E[Add new and overwrite matching]

Import Action decides what happens when your file meets the phrases already in the language. The default, Only Add Missing Phrases, never touches an existing translation; it only fills in phrases that have no translation yet, which makes it the safe choice for topping up. Only Update Existing Phrases is the opposite: it adds nothing new and only overwrites the translations of phrases that already match. Add and Update Phrases does both at once, adding what is missing and overwriting what already exists. Reach for that last one when you want the imported file to be the single source of truth.

When to use each mode

Use Only Add Missing Phrases for a first pass or to backfill gaps without disturbing reviewed work. Use Only Update Existing Phrases when a reviewer has corrected wording and you want those fixes applied without introducing any new rows. Use Add and Update Phrases for a clean reload of a finished translation set. Whichever you pick, the result shows up the next time an agent starts an Agent session in that language. If your reps also read from an on-screen Agent script, import its translated content the same careful way you would modify a VICIdial script, so the screen and the script stay consistent.

A common gotcha

The biggest trap is an English side that doesn't match exactly: a stray space or a changed word means the line silently has nothing to attach to. The second is reaching for Add and Update when you only meant to fill gaps, which can overwrite translations a colleague already approved. When in doubt, stick with the default and review before you escalate to a full overwrite. Treat each User group that depends on the language as a reason to test the import on a quiet shift first.

A clean import turns a long manual chore into a quick paste, as long as the format and action match your intent. If you want a hosted VICIdial where importing translations just works, see VICIfast pricing.