<Gather>

The <Gather> verb transcribes speech or collects digits during a call.

Verb Attributes

Attribute
`action` optional	The `action` attribute takes in an absolute URL. SignalWire will make a `GET` or `POST` request to this URL when entering of digits is completed. If there is no URL provided, SignalWire will re-request the URL that was previously used, which can cause an unwanted looping behavior. Be sure to provide the proper URL in order to avoid this outcome. See below for specified request parameters.
`actionOnEmptyResult` optional	Send a webhook to the `action` URL even if there is no input. By default, if no input is detected, the next XML instruction is executed but by setting `actionOnEmptyResult` to `true`, a callback to the `action` URL will be sent to continue call flow. Valid values are `true` or `false`. Default is `false`.
`enhanced` optional	This attribute enables enhanced speech recognition, which will incur an added cost. Valid values are `true` or `false`. When it is `false`, `speechModel` has no effect. Default is false.
`finishOnKey` optional	The set of digits, (0-9, *, #), that can end a recording. Default is `#`.
`hints` optional	A list of words and phrases, each a max of 100 characters, a caller is likely to say during a call.
`input` optional	The type of input received from a caller (i.e. speech or DTMF). Values can be `dtmf`, `speech`, or `dtmf speech`. Default is `dtmf`.
`language` optional	The language in which you expect your callers to speak. Default is `en-US`.
`method` optional	The `method` attribute specifies whether the request to action is a `GET` or a `POST`. Valid values are `GET` or `POST`. Default value is `POST`.
`numDigits` optional	The number of digits you expect to be pressed by a caller.
`partialResultCallback` optional	The URL to request to during speech recognition. No URL is specified by default.
`partialResultCallbackMethod` optional	The type of HTTP request to use when requesting a `partialResultCallback`. Default is `POST`.
`profanityFilter` optional	Tells SignalWire whether or not to filter profane language when transcribing a call. Default is `true`.
`speechModel` optional	The model of enchanced speech recognition you would like to use. This attribute only has an effect if `enhanced` is `true`. Valid values are `phone_call`, `video`, or `default`. `phone_call` optimizes speech recognition for phone calls at a 8khz sample rate. `video` optimizes speech recognition for video calls at a 16khz sample rate. `default` will automatically choose the current best option between `phone_call` and `video`.
`speechTimeout` optional	The set time, in seconds, that SignalWire will wait before ending speech recognition. If set to `auto`, SignalWire will automatically end speech recognition when there is a pause in speech.
`timeout` optional	The number of seconds of silence or inaction that denote the end of caller input. Default is `5 seconds`.

Supported Languages

You can find a list of our supported languages here.

Request parameters for `action` URL

The action request contains the Standard Request Parameters as well as:

Parameter
`Confidence` string	The score, between 0.0 and 1.0, that determines the accuracy of a transcription.
`SpeechResult` string	The transcribed result of the caller's speech.
`Digits` string	The buttons pressed by a caller.

Nesting

The following verbs can be nested within a <Gather>:

<Play>: plays an audio file, that SignalWire fetches from the URL you configured, back to the caller.
<Pause>: waits silently for a distinctive number of seconds.
<Say>: reads supplied text back to the caller.

Examples

A Simple Gather

XML
JavaScript
C#
Python
Ruby

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Response>
    <Gather/>
</Response>

const { RestClient } = require("@signalwire/compatibility-api");
const response = new RestClient.LaML.VoiceResponse();

response.gather();
console.log(response.toString());

using Twilio.TwiML;
using System;


class Example
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var response = new VoiceResponse();
        response.Gather();

        Console.WriteLine(response.ToString());;
    }
}

from signalwire.voice_response import VoiceResponse, Gather

response = VoiceResponse()
response.gather()

print(response)

require 'signalwire/sdk'

response = Signalwire::Sdk::VoiceResponse.new do |response|
  response.gather
end

puts response.to_s

SignalWire will collect any speech or digits pressed during a call.

Nesting `<Say>` Within a Gather

XML
JavaScript
C#
Python
Ruby

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Response>
    <Gather action="https://example.com/process_gather.php" method="GET">
        <Say>
            Please enter your account number,
            followed by the pound sign.
        </Say>
    </Gather>
    <Say>We did not receive any input. Goodbye!</Say>
</Response>

const { RestClient } = require("@signalwire/compatibility-api");
const response = new RestClient.LaML.VoiceResponse();

const gather = response.gather({
  action: "https://example.com/process_gather.php",
  method: "GET",
});
gather.say("Please enter your account number, followed by the pound sign.");
response.say("We did not receive any input. Goodbye!");
console.log(response.toString());

using Twilio.TwiML;
using Twilio.Http;
using Twilio.TwiML.Voice;
using System;


class Example
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var response = new VoiceResponse();
        var gather = new Gather(action: new Uri("https://example.com/process_gather.php"), method: HttpMethod.Get);
        gather.Say("Please enter your account number, followed by the pound sign.");

        response.Append(gather);
        response.Say("We did not receive any input. Goodbye!");

        Console.WriteLine(response.ToString());;
    }
}

from signalwire.voice_response import VoiceResponse, Gather, Say

response = VoiceResponse()
gather = Gather(action='https://example.com/process_gather.php', method='GET')
gather.say('Please enter your account number, followed by the pound sign.')
response.append(gather)
response.say('We did not receive any input. Goodbye!')

print(response)

require 'signalwire/sdk'

response = Signalwire::Sdk::VoiceResponse.new do |response|
  response.gather(action: 'https://example.com/process_gather.php', method: 'GET') do |gather|
    gather.say(message: 'Please enter your account number, followed by the pound sign.')
  end
  response.say(message: 'We did not receive any input. Goodbye!')
end

puts response.to_s

You can use the <Say> verb to prompt callers to enter the desired input. In this example, when a caller enters their account number, SignalWire will submit the result to the URL provided in the action attribute. If the caller does not enter any digits, SignalWire will prompt the 'Goodbye' statement.

Nesting `<Play>` Within a Gather

XML
JavaScript
C#
Python
Ruby

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Response>
    <Gather action="https://example.com/process_gather.php" method="GET">
        <Play>https://your-application.com/audio.mp3</Play>
    </Gather>
    <Say>We did not receive any input. Goodbye!</Say>
</Response>

const { RestClient } = require("@signalwire/compatibility-api");
const response = new RestClient.LaML.VoiceResponse();

const gather = response.gather({
  action: "https://example.com/process_gather.php",
  method: "GET",
});
gather.play("https://your-application.com/audio.mp3");
response.say("We did not receive any input. Goodbye!");
console.log(response.toString());

using Twilio.TwiML;
using Twilio.Http;
using Twilio.TwiML.Voice;
using System;


class Example
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var response = new VoiceResponse();
        var gather = new Gather(action: new Uri("https://example.com/process_gather.php"), method: HttpMethod.Get);
        gather.Play("https://your-application.com/audio.mp3");

        response.Append(gather);
        response.Say("We did not receive any input. Goodbye!");

        Console.WriteLine(response.ToString());;
    }
}

from signalwire.voice_response import VoiceResponse, Gather, Say

response = VoiceResponse()
gather = Gather(action='https://example.com/process_gather.php', method='GET')
gather.play('https://your-application.com/audio.mp3')
response.append(gather)
response.say('We did not receive any input. Goodbye!')

print(response)

require 'signalwire/sdk'

response = Signalwire::Sdk::VoiceResponse.new do |response|
  response.gather(action: 'https://example.com/process_gather.php', method: 'GET') do |gather|
    gather.play(message: 'https://your-application.com/audio.mp3')
  end
  response.say(message: 'We did not receive any input. Goodbye!')
end

puts response.to_s

You can use the <Play> verb to prompt callers to enter the desired input. In this example, when a caller enters their account number, SignalWire will submit the result to the URL provided in the action attribute. If the caller does not enter any digits, SignalWire will prompt the 'Goodbye' statement.

Gather DTMF or Speech

XML
JavaScript
C#
Python
Ruby

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Response>
    <Gather input="speech dtmf" timeout="5" numDigits="1">
        <Say>Please press 3 or say account for account information.</Say>
    </Gather>
</Response>

const { RestClient } = require("@signalwire/compatibility-api");
const response = new RestClient.LaML.VoiceResponse();

const gather = response.gather({ input: "speech dtmf", timeout: 5, numDigits: 1 });
gather.say("Please press 3 or say account for account information.");
console.log(response.toString());

using Twilio.TwiML;
using Twilio.TwiML.Voice;
using System;


class Example
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var response = new VoiceResponse();
        var gather = new Gather(input: "speech dtmf", timeout: 5, numDigits: 1);
        gather.Say("Please press 3 or say account for account information.");

        response.Append(gather);
        Console.WriteLine(response.ToString());;
    }
}

from signalwire.voice_response import VoiceResponse, Gather, Say

response = VoiceResponse()
gather = Gather(input='speech dtmf', timeout=5, num_digits=1)
gather.say('Please press 3 or say account for account information.')
response.append(gather)

print(response)

require 'signalwire/sdk'

response = Signalwire::Sdk::VoiceResponse.new do |response|
  response.gather(input: 'speech dtmf', timeout: 5, num_digits: 1) do |gather|
    gather.say(message: 'Please press 3 or say account for account information.')
  end
end

puts response.to_s

A caller can access their account information either through speech recognition or DTMF tones. SignalWire will wait 5 seconds before processing the information and sending the data.

Potential Issues

`<Gather>` doesn't receive caller input when the caller is using a VoIP phone.

Solution: Some VoIP phones have trouble sending DTMF tones. Phones typically use compressed bandwidth-conserving audio protocols that can interfere with the transmission of the digit's signal.

The `Digits` parameter is not sent to the `<Gather>` URL.

Solution: Verify that your application is not responding to the action URL with an HTTP 3xx redirect. SignalWire will follow this redirect but will not resend the Digits parameter.

Verb Attributes​

Supported Languages​

Request parameters for action URL​

Nesting​

Examples​

A Simple Gather​

Nesting <Say> Within a Gather​

Nesting <Play> Within a Gather​

Gather DTMF or Speech​

Potential Issues​

<Gather> doesn't receive caller input when the caller is using a VoIP phone.​

The Digits parameter is not sent to the <Gather> URL.​