Appointy Premium lets you localize Service Categories so customers can see category names in the language they select on the booking portal.
For example, if your business serves both English- and Chinese-speaking customers, you can keep the default category name in English and add a Chinese translation for the same category.
When the customer switches to Chinese, the localized Chinese category name is displayed instead of the default English version.
This helps you support multilingual customers without creating duplicate categories.
Why localize Service Categories?
Category localization is useful when your business serves customers in different languages or regions.
Instead of creating separate categories such as:
- Massage – English
- Massage – Chinese
you can maintain one category and add translations for the supported languages.
For example:
Default / English: Massage
Chinese: 按摩
The category remains the same in Appointy, but customers see the translated version based on their selected language.
How to localize Service Categories
Quick navigation
Settings → Masters → Categories → Localize → Category → Add Translations → Save
Steps
- Log in to your Appointy admin account.
- Go to Settings.
- Under Masters, open Categories.
- Click the Localize icon in the top-right corner.
- In the Languages window, select the Category tab.
- You will see your existing category names under the Default column.
- Enter the translated category name under the relevant language column.
- Click Save.
Example: English and Chinese category names
Suppose your business has these categories:
Default / English
- NT Tseung Tau Village
- HK Tai Tam
- HK Repulse Bay
- HK Deep Water Bay
You can add the corresponding Chinese translations in the Chinese language column.
When customers use the Chinese booking experience, they will see the translated category names instead of the English defaults.
What happens on the booking portal?
Once the translations are saved, customers can see the localized category names when they use the corresponding language on the booking portal.
For example:
English booking experience
→ Hair Services
Chinese booking experience
→ 头发服务
The underlying category and the services inside it remain the same. Only the customer-facing language changes.
Why this is useful for multilingual businesses
Localized categories can make the booking journey easier to understand for customers who prefer a different language.
This is particularly useful for:
- Multi-location businesses
- International businesses
- Tourism and activity businesses
- Clinics and wellness businesses
- Education and tutoring businesses
- Businesses serving multilingual communities
It also helps keep your category structure consistent because you do not need to create separate category records for each language.
Localization works with category hierarchy
If you use parent and child categories, both can be localized.
For example:
English
- Hair Services
- Hair Color
- Haircut
Chinese
- 头发服务
- 染发
- 理发
The hierarchy remains the same while the category names are displayed in the customer's selected language.
Localize categories together with services and aliases
Category localization works best when the rest of the booking experience is localized as well.
For example, you may also localize:
- Service names
- Service descriptions
- Service Templates
- Aliases and booking terminology
This helps avoid a mixed-language booking experience where the category is translated but the service or booking terminology is not.
Import and export translations
The Languages window also includes Import and Export options.
These are useful when you need to manage a large number of category translations.
For example, a business with many categories and several supported languages can export the localization data, update the translations in bulk, and import them back into Appointy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I translate Service Categories into multiple languages?
Yes. You can add localized category names for the languages enabled in your account.
Do I need to create a separate category for each language?
No. Keep one category and add translations for that category.
Where do I localize category names?
Go to:
Settings → Masters → Categories → Localize → Category
What does the Default column mean?
The Default column shows the original category name. Add the translated version under the relevant language column.
Will localizing a category change the services inside it?
No. Localization changes only the customer-facing category name for that language. The category structure and assigned services remain unchanged.
Can parent and child categories both be translated?
Yes. You can localize category names while keeping the same parent-child hierarchy.
Can I manage category translations in bulk?
Yes. The Languages section includes Import and Export options for larger localization updates.
Should I localize services as well as categories?
If you want a consistent multilingual booking experience, it is useful to localize the service names, descriptions, categories, and relevant aliases together.