Mirror a Slack channel in another language
Keep #support in English and #support-ja in Japanese, and let every message cross over, translated, under the name of the person who wrote it. Each team reads and writes in its own language, in a channel that feels native.
Updated October 11, 2026
Short answer. Slack can't link two channels across languages on its own, so a translation app has to do it. In Kiki this is called a mirror. Run /translate mirror english support in one channel and /translate mirror japanese support in the other. The shared group name links them, and every new message and thread reply is posted into the other channel, translated and attributed to its author. Mirror channels are part of Kiki's Business plan, $49 per workspace per month.
What a mirrored pair of channels looks like
Ana writes in #support: "The refund went through. Can you confirm with the customer today?" Seconds later the same message appears in #support-ja in Japanese, under Ana's name and profile picture, so it reads as if she wrote it there.
Kenji answers in Japanese, in the thread under Ana's message. His reply lands in the matching thread in #support, in English. Neither of them switched languages or channels, and both channels hold the whole conversation.
A few details that matter day to day:
- Threads stay threads. A reply in one channel shows up as a reply to the matching message in the other, not as a stray new message.
- Deletes follow the original. If someone deletes their message, Kiki removes the translated copies too.
- Edits don't follow. Kiki translates a message when it is posted. If someone edits it afterwards, the copies keep the first version, so post corrections as a new message.
- More than two languages. A group can hold several channels, one per language, such as
#support,#support-jaand#support-es.
Mirror, or one multilingual channel?
Kiki can translate Slack in two ways, and they suit different teams.
| One multilingual channel | Mirrored channels | |
|---|---|---|
| What people see | Every message, with its translations in the thread underneath | Only their own language; the other channel holds the other |
| Best for | Mixed teams who share one room | Separate teams, regions or customer groups who each want a native channel |
| Languages | 2 on Free, up to 4 per channel on Pro and Business | One per channel; link as many channels as you need |
| Plan | Every Kiki plan, including Free | Business and Enterprise |
If your team already shares one channel, start by auto translating that channel. Mirror when each group should have a space of its own.
Set up a mirror in two minutes
- Add Kiki and choose Business. Install it from the install link, then upgrade the workspace on your account page.
- Invite Kiki to both channels. Run
/invite @Kikiin#supportand in#support-ja. - Give both channels the same group name. In
#supportrun/translate mirror english support. In#support-jarun/translate mirror japanese support. The shared wordsupportis what links them. - Post a test message. It should appear in the other channel within seconds, under your name.
Prefer plain language? On Business you can also ask: "Hey Kiki, set this channel and #support-ja to mirror each other."
Two settings help with one-way setups. /translate direction outgoing makes a channel send its messages to the group without receiving the others, which suits an announcements channel. /translate direction incoming does the opposite. /translate mirror-off takes a channel out of its group.
Where mirrored channels work well
Support teams across regions. Agents in Manila and Madrid each work in their own channel and still see every customer update as it happens.
Company announcements. Post once in English and let each country channel receive it in its own language, with the source channel set to outgoing.
Communities and partner groups. Members join the channel in their language and still talk with everyone else in the group.
What to know before you mirror
- It's a Business feature. Business is $49 per workspace per month, or $490 a year, with no per seat pricing.
- Each copy counts as a translation. A message mirrored into two channels uses two of the roughly 50,000 translations Business includes each month.
- Kiki only reads channels it's invited to. Invite it to every channel in the group.
- Translations come from AI. They're fast and usually very good, but check anything important with a fluent speaker.
Can you do this without a translation app?
Not really. Slack's built-in translation translates one message at a time, and only the person who asked sees it. On the Business+ and Enterprise+ plans, Slack's Workflow Builder has AI steps that Slack suggests for translating messages, but you build and maintain each workflow yourself, and Slack's help center says its AI answer step can't be used in channels with external people.
Translation apps usually work inside a single channel. We checked the websites and Slack Marketplace listings of the main Slack translation apps in October 2026 (Translate, Kiara, Lingvanex, Vorbee, RikaiAI, Translate Channels, Straker Translate and Smart Translate), and none of them describes linking channels in different languages. Our comparison of Slack translation apps covers what each one does offer.
Common questions
Can Slack link two channels in different languages?
Not on its own. Slack's built-in translation translates one message at a time for the person who asks. To keep two channels in sync across languages you need a translation app that mirrors channels, such as Kiki on the Business plan.
Do people see who wrote a mirrored message?
Yes. Kiki posts each copy under the original author's name and profile picture, so the mirrored channel reads like a normal conversation.
Do thread replies stay in the right thread?
Yes. A reply in one channel is posted as a reply to the matching message in the other channels of the group.
What happens if someone deletes or edits a message?
Deleting the original removes its translated copies. Edits are not re-translated, so the copies keep the first version of the message.
How much does mirroring cost?
Mirroring is part of Kiki Business at $49 per workspace per month, or $490 a year. Each copy counts as one translation toward the roughly 50,000 a month that Business includes.
Can I mirror more than two channels?
Yes. Give every channel the same group name with /translate mirror <language> <group>, and each one joins the same conversation in its own language.
Related guides: Auto translate a Slack channel · Translate a Slack Connect channel · Best Slack translation apps compared
Give every team a channel in its own language
Mirror channels come with Kiki Business. Start free and upgrade when you need them.