Use a playground bot

Using a Playground Bot allows you to demonstrate the basic functionality of the API of VIER Cognitive Voice Gateway to colleagues or stakeholders, or to test the functionality of VIER Cognitive Voice Gateway without programming.

In the following you will learn how to start a call with a Playground bot and what call options are available for your bot:

Start a call with a Playground Bot

How to start a call with a Playground Bot:

Requirements

  1. You have created a project [see Create project and see Create project - advanced options].
  2. You have selected Playground in the Settings tab for your project under Bot > Template.
  1. If you want to start your call, then click on Start outgoing call.
  2. The Start a call to an external phone number dialog box opens.
  3. Enter the phone number you want to call under Target phone number.
  4. If you want a specific phone number to be displayed when you call, enter it under Displayed phone number.
  5. If you want to transmit information to the call destination, then enter Custom SIP headers.
  6. or
    Load the custom SIP headers from a JSON file by clicking Load custom SIP headers from JSON file.
  7. Select the ring timeout by setting it via the slider. The ring timeout is the period of time after which the call is automatically terminated after the conversational partner not answered the call.
  8. If you want the voicebot to talk to answering machines, slide the switch to Talk to answering machine.
  9. Click on Start request.
  1. The call has been started.

Send a message to the called party

How to send a message to the called party:

Requirements

  1. The called party has accepted the call from the Playground Bot.
  2. You have clicked Close in the Start a call to an external phone number dialog box after the called party has accepted the call.
  1. If you want the voicebot to send a message to the called party, enter the message in the Message to the callee field.
  2. Click on Send message.
  1. The message has been output by the voicebot.

Forward a call

How to forward call:

Requirements

  1. The called party has accepted the call from the Playground Bot.
  2. You have clicked Close in the Start a call to an external phone number dialog box after the called party has accepted the call.
  1. If you want to forward the call to another phone number, then click on Forward call.
  2. The Forward the call to another target dialog box opens.
  3. Under Target phone number, enter the phone number to which you want to forward the call.
  4. If you want a specific phone number to be displayed when the call is forwarded, enter it under Displayed phone number.
  5. If you want to transmit information to the call destination, then enter Custom SIP headers.
  6. or
    Load the custom SIP headers from a JSON file by clicking Load custom SIP headers from JSON file.
  7. If you want the voicebot to talk to answering machines, slide the switch to Talk to answering machine.
  8. Select the ring timeout by setting it with the slider. The ring timeout is the period of time after which the call is automatically terminated after the conversational partner not answered the call.
  9. If you want a ringing tone to be played while the call is being forwarded, slide the switch to Play a ringing tone.
  10. If you want to use meta information about a call that is synthesized and read out by the bot to the called party, then enter it in the Whispering announcement field.
  11. Click on Start request.
  1. The call is forwarded to the specified phone number.

Forward a call to a contact center

How to forward a call to a contact center:

Requirements

  1. The called party has accepted the call from the Playground Bot.
  2. You have clicked Close in the Start a call to an external phone number dialog box after the called party has accepted the call.
  1. If you want to forward the call to a contact center, then click on Forward call to a user.
  2. The Forward the call to a user for assistance dialog box opens
  3. Enter the call number to be displayed to the call partner.
  4. Enter the Main number. The main number is the destination number without the last n digits. The last n digits are variable and are added randomly.
  5. If you want to transmit information to the call destination, then enter Custom SIP headers.
  6. or
    Load the custom SIP headers from a JSON file by clicking Load custom SIP headers from JSON file.
  7. If you want the voicebot to talk to answering machines, slide the switch to Talk to answering machine.
  8. Select the ring timetout by setting it with the slider. The ring timeout is the period of time after which the call is automatically terminated after the conversational partner not answered the call.
  9. If you want a ringing tone to be played while the call is being forwarded, slide the switch to Play a ringing tone.
  10. If you want to use meta information about a call that is synthesized and read out by the bot to:the called party, then enter it in the Whispering announcement field.
  11. Click on Start request.
  1. Your call has been forwarded to a contact center.

Start recording

How to start recording a dialog:

Requirements

  1. The called party has accepted the call from the Playground Bot.
  2. You have clicked Close in the Start a call to an external phone number dialog box after the called party has accepted the call.
  3. You have set the switch to Bots are allowed to intiate outgoing calls in the Settings tab in the advanced options.
  1. If you want to record the dialog in the started call, then click on Start recording.

    Tip: When a recording is started, a separate recording file is created. If a recording that has been paused in the meantime is continued, then the second part of the recording is appended to the first part of the recording.
  2. The Start or continue call recording dialog box opens.
  3. Use the slider to set the recording duration.
  4. If you want to assign a unique ID to the call recording, enter it in the Call recording ID field.

    Tip: Assigning a call recording ID is used to identify a call recording with regard to the content of the call recording, such as customer complaint or order confirmation.
  5. Under Speaker to record, select which conversational partner is to be recorded.
  6. Click Start request.
  7. The call recording has been started.

Stop recording

How to stop recording:

Requirements

  1. The called party has accepted the call from the Playground Bot.
  2. You have clicked Close in the Start a call to an external phone number dialog box after the called party has accepted the call.
  1. If you want to stop the call recording, then click Stop recording.
  2. The End the recording of the call dialog box opens.
  3. Enter the call recording ID of the call recording you want to stop. The call recording ID is the ID you entered in the Call Recording ID field in the Start or resume call recording dialog box.
  4. If you only want to pause the call recording, leave the Call recording switch disabled.
  5. If you want to end the call recording, move the Call recording switch to End the call recording.
  6. Click on Start request.
  1. The call recording has been paused or stopped.

Switch STT service

To change the STT service to another provider, profile, and/or language:

Requirements

  1. The called party has accepted the call from the Playground Bot.
  2. You have clicked Close in the Start a call to an external phone number dialog box after the called party has accepted the call.
  1. If you want to switch the STT service to another provider, profile and/or language, click Switch to STT service.
  2. The Switch the STT service to another provider, profile and/or language dialog box opens.
  3. Select the language to which the STT service should switch.
  4. If you want the STT service provider to be switched, then select the desired Speech-to-Text service.
  5. Click on Start request.
  1. The STT service has been changed.

Send a custom request

The Send a custom request button gives you the possibility to test in the playground bot any API and API endpoint of the different APIs of VIER Cognitive Voice Gateway for which there is no button in the playground bot. For detailed information, see https://cognitivevoice.io/specs/.

How to send a custom request:

Requirements

  1. The called party has accepted the call from the Playground Bot.
  2. You have clicked Close in the Start a call to an external phone number dialog box after the called party has accepted the call.
  1. If you want to send a custom request, then click on Custom request.
  2. The Send a custom request dialog box opens.
  3. Path to the Cognitive Voice Gateway API: Enter the API endpoint you want to test.
  4. Show the request body: Click on Show the request body and enter the parameters for calling the desired endpoint as JSON code.
  5. or
    Click on Import request body from JSON file and import the parameters as a JSON file.
  6. Click on Start request.
  1. Your custom request has been sent.

End a call with a Playground Bot

How to end a call with a Playground Bot:

Requirements

  1. The called party has accepted the call from the Playground Bot.
  2. You have clicked Close in the Start a call to an external phone number dialog box after the called party has accepted the call.
  1. If you want to end the call, then click End call.
  2. Your call via the Playground Bot has been ended.
  1. You have used the Playground Bot.