Languages

Every person in Solidarity Tech has language settings that determine how they receive communications and which Team Members can reach out to them. These settings include a preferred language (primary) and optionally secondary languages.

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Preferred Language vs Secondary Languages

For Team Members, the preferred language determines which contacts they are served in phonebanks and textbanks. A Team Member whose preferred language is Spanish is served Spanish-preferred contacts. Secondary languages are used for scheduled call matching, but they do not affect phonebank or textbank assignment.

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How Languages Are Set

Preferred Language

Preferred language can be set in several ways:

• Browser Language Detection
  When someone submits a form for the first time, we detect their browser's configured language settings and use that to set their preferred language automatically.

• Form Field Override
  If your form includes a "Preferred Language" field, the user's selection will override the browser-detected language.

• Data Imports
  You can set preferred language during any data import.

• Manual Updates
  You can update a person's preferred language from their profile.

• API
  Set via the preferred_language field when creating or updating users.

If a person is added via the API and no language is specified, their preferred language will default to English.

Secondary Languages

Secondary languages can be managed from a person's profile:

1. Navigate to the person's profile
2. Find the Languages section in the details panel
3. Click the + button to add a new secondary language
4. Select from the available languages (languages already set as preferred or secondary will be disabled)

To remove or promote a secondary language:

1. Click the ⋯ (ellipsis) button next to any secondary language
2. Choose Make Primary to promote it to the preferred language (the current preferred language becomes secondary)
3. Choose Remove to delete it from the person's languages

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How Languages Affect Communication

Broadcast Messaging (Email & Text)

When sending emails or text blasts, Solidarity Tech checks each person's preferred language and delivers the message in that language if a version is available. If not, the message is sent in your organization's default language (typically English).

This allows you to send multilingual communications in a way that feels seamless and personalized to the recipient.

Pages

If a user is logged in, they will view all page content in their specified preferred language, as long as you have added support to the page for their preferred language. Otherwise, they will see the content in your organization's default language.

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Phonebanking & Textbanking

Phonebanking and textbanking use language matching to ensure contacts are reached by Team Members who speak their language:

• A contact's preferred language is matched against the Team Member's preferred language
• If someone's preferred language is French, they'll only be assigned to a Team Member whose preferred language is also French

Secondary languages do not affect phonebank or textbank matching, and each Team Member covers one language at a time. To work a phonebank or textbank in a different language, update the Team Member's preferred language from the Languages section of their profile using Make Primary. In textbanks, the initial message must also have a version written in the Team Member's preferred language before they can send.

This ensures that all outreach is accessible and clear for the recipient.

You can see a breakdown of preferred languages for the people targeted in any phonebank or textbank by clicking the "eye" icon in the Targeted tab. This generates a table of preferred languages and helps you identify what language skills are needed from callers or texters to reach your full list.

Scheduled Calls

When supporters book a call, they can select their preferred language from the available options. The available languages are determined by which Team Members are available and what languages they can speak (combining their preferred and secondary languages).

A Team Member will only be shown availability slots for languages they have configured in their profile.

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Importing Languages

When importing contacts via CSV:

• Preferred Language: Map a column to the "Preferred Language" field. Use two-letter language codes (e.g., en, es, fr) or full language names.
• Secondary Languages: Map a column to the "Secondary Languages" field. For multiple languages, separate them with commas (e.g., es, fr, de).

If no preferred language is specified during import, you can set a default language that applies to all imported contacts.

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API Reference

When working with the API, use these fields:

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Using language settings effectively is one of the most powerful ways to build deeper relationships with your community and ensure every person is reached in a language they're comfortable with.