Multilingual Discord server setup playbooks

Each playbook is a quick recipe for one kind of server. Pick the one closest to yours, follow the checklist, and change it to fit your community. You make all changes in the dashboard.

🌱 Small communityCopy anchor link

For: casual international communities, friend groups, and small game clans with low or medium traffic.

Result: readable translations that do not flood the chat.

1. Add only the language most members read in Dashboard›Translation›Target languages↗. Fewer languages mean shorter translations.
2. Choose Reply in the channel in Dashboard›Translation›Reply mode↗. Pick Embed or Plain text under Reply style.
3. Turn translation off for admin, log, and bot-command channels in Dashboard›Translation›Channel rules↗.
4. Post a message in another language in your main chat. Check Overview for usage after a few days.

🔥 Busy serverCopy anchor link

For: large public servers, esports and game communities, and servers with many languages in the same channels.

Result: translations stay next to the conversation, and usage stays predictable.

1. Keep Reply in the channel in Dashboard›Translation›Reply mode↗. In announcement channels, a channel rule can use Thread per message.
2. Add only target languages with a clear audience in Dashboard›Translation›Target languages↗.
3. Limit automatic translation to public chat channels with Dashboard›Translation›Channel rules↗.
4. Check Billing each week, or run /upgrade in Discord for a quick look.
5. If your AI translations run low, translate fewer channels before you upgrade.

🌉 Two language channelsCopy anchor link

For: servers with a channel for each language, such as #english and #french, instead of one mixed channel.

Result: a message in one channel appears translated in the other.

#english

A

Ari

Anyone up for a match?

M

Mika

Yes, I’m opening the lobby!

#français

A

Ari

Quelqu’un pour une partie ?

M

Mika

Oui, je lance le salon !

1. Open Dashboard›Bridges↗ and select Add bridge.
2. Choose two channels and the language of each.
3. Post a test message in the first channel. Check that it appears in the second channel in the right language.
4. Reply from the second channel and check the first.

Each pair uses one bridge connection from your plan. Free has one. See Bridges for what crosses a bridge.

🧩 One main channel, many languagesCopy anchor link

For: servers with one main channel, often in English, plus a channel for each other language.

Result: messages from the main channel appear in every language channel. Messages from a language channel appear in the main channel and the other language channels.

1. Open Dashboard›Bridges↗ and select Add bridge.
2. Choose the main channel and its language first.
3. Select Add channel for each language channel. Give each channel a different language.
4. Post a test message from the main channel and from each language channel.
5. Give BabelBot View Channel, Send Messages, and Manage Webhooks in every linked channel.

Each language channel uses one bridge connection. A hub can have up to 25 language channels. Link only channels that your team moderates.

🛡️ Only where mods allowCopy anchor link

For: support servers, servers with strict moderation, and servers that want translation in a few channels only.

Result: automatic translation runs only in the channels you choose.

1. In Dashboard›Translation›Automatic translation↗, turn off the channel types you do not want to translate by default.
2. In Dashboard›Translation›Channel rules↗, add a rule for the channels you allow. Select Translation status and keep translation on. If a ticket bot makes a channel for each ticket, add the ticket category to the rule.
3. In the same rule, set Reply mode to Thread per message to keep those channels tidy.
4. Add bots and accounts that must never trigger translation in Dashboard›Settings›Filters›Ignored users↗.
5. Post a test message in an allowed channel and in a blocked channel.

You can also do the opposite: keep translation on everywhere and add rules that turn it off. Bridges keep working in all channels until you remove them. See Channel rules.

🆓 Make Free lastCopy anchor link

For: servers on the Free plan with mostly text chat.

Result: your 100 AI translations each month go to the channels that need them most.

1. Limit automatic translation to the channels that need it in Dashboard›Translation›Channel rules↗.
2. Turn off Dashboard›Settings›Features›Flag reactions↗ if your members do not need them. Each flag reaction translation counts.
3. Use a bridge only if you really need separate language channels. Each linked channel that gets a translation counts.
4. When the AI translations run out, ask a member to select Vote to reset on BabelBot's notice in Discord, or use the vote card on Overview. Each confirmed top.gg vote gives the server all 100 again for this month.

Media translation is not on Free. See Billing and limits.

🎙️ Voice callsCopy anchor link

For: regular voice meetings, raids, or events where people speak different languages.

Needs: Ultra or Founder Access.

MLS

M

MikaJA → EN

Push left. I’ll cover you.

L

LucasPT → EN

On my way. Two players on B.

S

SvenSV → EN

Nice. Meet at the bridge.

1. Add at least one language in Dashboard›Translation›Target languages↗.
2. Turn on voice chat translation in Dashboard›Voice chat↗ and choose a Voice message style.
3. Before the call, a member joins the voice channel and runs /voice start.
4. Ask people to pause a little between sentences, so BabelBot gets a full thought.
5. Run /voice stop when the call ends.

See Voice chat translation for the full guide.

🔁 One shared languageCopy anchor link

For: a mixed-language channel where everyone wants to read one language, such as French.

Result: messages in other languages turn into French. French messages stay as they are.

Y

YukiJA

明日のレイド、誰か来れる？

Y

YukiJAEN

明日のレイド、誰か来れる？

Can anyone make the raid tomorrow?

A

Ari

I'm in! What time?

1. Choose one target language.
2. In Dashboard›Translation›Channel rules↗, add a rule for a normal text channel and set Reply mode to Replace the original.
3. Give BabelBot View Channel, Read Message History, Manage Webhooks, and Manage Messages in that channel.
4. Send a short message in another language. BabelBot posts the translation with the member's name and avatar. Then it deletes the original.
5. To stop, change the rule to Inline reply or Thread per message.

🔗 Two serversCopy anchor link

For: two servers you manage that should share one conversation, such as allied game clans or partner communities.

Needs: BabelBot in both servers, permission to manage both, and Ultra or Founder Access on the server that sponsors the connection.

1. Turn on Translations on Overview in both servers.
2. In the sponsor server, open Dashboard›Bridges›Cross-server↗.
3. Choose one channel and its language in each server.
4. Select Create connection. Send a short test message in both directions.
5. Check that the copied message shows which server it came from.

Disconnect from either server's dashboard when you no longer need the connection.

✅ Weekly checkCopy anchor link

Once a week, open Overview and Billing and check:

• Translation is still on, and usage looks normal.
• Target languages still match your members.
• Reply mode and reply style still fit your traffic.
• Bridges still link the right channels.
• Your AI translations will last until the allowance resets. BabelBot also posts a notice in Discord at 75% and 90%.

➡️ Next stepsCopy anchor link

• Quick start: add BabelBot if you have not yet.
• How BabelBot works: learn why BabelBot skips some messages.
• Troubleshooting: fix a step that does not work.