> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.flowbotic.de/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating Voice Assistants

> Build AI-powered voice assistants that handle phone calls with natural conversations

# Creating Voice Assistants

Voice assistants enable natural, spoken conversations with callers over the phone. This guide walks you through the process of creating, configuring, and deploying a voice assistant in Flowbotic.

## Before You Begin

Before creating a voice assistant, consider:

* The primary purpose of your voice assistant (customer support, appointment booking, etc.)
* The types of inquiries it will handle
* Whether you need to integrate with existing phone systems
* The voice and language preferences appropriate for your audience

## Creating a New Voice Assistant

### Step 1: Initiate Creation

1. Navigate to the **Assistants** section in the sidebar
2. Click the **+ Create Assistant** button
3. Select **Voice** as the assistant type
4. Click **Continue**

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/create-voice-assistant.png" alt="Create Voice Assistant" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Assistant creation screen with Voice type selected]*

### Step 2: Basic Configuration

In the first section of the setup wizard:

1. **Name**: Give your assistant a descriptive name (e.g., "Phone Support Assistant")
2. **Description**: Add a brief description of the assistant's purpose
3. **Language**: Choose the primary language for your assistant

<Note>
  Voice assistants currently support English, Spanish, German, French, and Japanese. Additional languages are being added regularly.
</Note>

### Step 3: Voice Model Configuration

Voice assistants have specific configuration options for speech:

1. **Voice Selection**:
   * Choose from multiple voice options (gender, accent, tone)
   * Listen to voice samples
   * Adjust speaking rate and pitch if needed

2. **Speech Recognition**:
   * Select speech recognition model
   * Configure dialect settings (if applicable)
   * Set noise tolerance level

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/voice-model-selection.png" alt="Voice Model Selection" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Voice selection interface with sample player]*

### Step 4: AI Model Configuration

Configure the AI behavior settings:

1. **Instructions**: Write detailed instructions for how your assistant should handle calls:
   * Define its role and purpose
   * Specify how to greet callers
   * Set conversation guidelines
   * Determine when to transfer to a human

2. **Model**: Select the AI model to power your assistant
   * GPT-4: Best for complex, nuanced conversations
   * GPT-3.5: Good for straightforward inquiries

3. **Temperature**: Adjust the creativity level (0.0-1.0)
   * Lower values: More consistent, predictable responses
   * Higher values: More varied, conversational responses

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/voice-ai-settings.png" alt="Voice AI Settings" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: AI model configuration for voice assistant]*

<Accordion title="Example Voice Assistant Instructions">
  ```
  You are a phone support assistant for Acme Inc., answering customer calls about our products and services.

  When answering calls:
  1. Greet the caller politely: "Thank you for calling Acme Inc. This is Alex, your virtual assistant. How can I help you today?"
  2. Listen carefully to their inquiry
  3. Provide clear, concise answers
  4. Speak in a natural, conversational tone
  5. Use simple language and avoid jargon

  You can help with:
  - Product information and pricing
  - Order status inquiries (if customer provides order number)
  - Store locations and hours
  - Basic troubleshooting for common product issues
  - Scheduling appointments with sales representatives

  If a caller asks about order status:
  - Ask for their order number
  - Only provide information if they can verify the order number
  - If they don't have the order number, offer to transfer them to a representative

  Transfer the call to a human representative when:
  - The caller explicitly requests to speak with a human
  - The inquiry is too complex for you to handle
  - The caller seems frustrated or upset
  - After three attempts to understand an unclear request
  - For billing disputes or account-specific issues

  When transferring a call:
  1. Inform the caller: "I'll connect you with a representative who can better assist you. Please hold for a moment."
  2. Summarize the conversation for the agent who will take the call

  Always maintain a professional, helpful demeanor and speak at a moderate pace with clear pronunciation.
  ```
</Accordion>

### Step 5: Knowledge Base Connection

Connect relevant knowledge to your voice assistant:

1. Click the **Knowledge** tab in the setup wizard
2. Select files from your Knowledge Base to associate with this assistant
3. Adjust the knowledge retrieval settings:
   * **Relevance Threshold**: Set how closely content must match (0.0-1.0)
   * **Number of References**: How many knowledge snippets to include

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/voice-knowledge-connection.png" alt="Voice Knowledge Connection" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Knowledge connection interface for voice assistant]*

### Step 6: Call Handling

Configure how your assistant manages calls:

1. **Greeting Message**: Set the initial message spoken when answering calls

2. **Call Flow**:
   * Linear: Follow a specific conversation path
   * Open-ended: Allow natural conversation flow
   * IVR-style: Offer menu options to callers

3. **Call Duration**: Set maximum call length (optional)

4. **Silence Handling**: Configure how to respond to silence or unclear speech

5. **Background Music**: Add hold music if desired

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/call-handling-settings.png" alt="Call Handling Settings" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Call flow configuration screen]*

### Step 7: Human Transfer

Configure when and how to transfer calls to human agents:

1. **Transfer Triggers**:
   * Explicit request from caller
   * Specific keywords or phrases
   * Call complexity threshold
   * Number of misunderstandings
   * Call duration

2. **Transfer Settings**:
   * Forward number configuration
   * Agent availability rules
   * Queue behavior
   * Voicemail options

3. **Transfer Message**: Customize what the assistant says when transferring

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/voice-transfer-settings.png" alt="Voice Transfer Settings" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Call transfer configuration screen]*

### Step 8: Advanced Settings

Configure additional voice-specific options:

1. **Call Recording**: Enable/disable recording of calls
2. **Transcription**: Configure automatic transcription of calls
3. **Sentiment Analysis**: Enable real-time analysis of caller sentiment
4. **Custom DTMF Handling**: Configure responses to keypad inputs
5. **Post-Call Survey**: Set up satisfaction surveys after calls

### Step 9: Finalize Creation

1. Review all settings across the different tabs
2. Click **Create Assistant** to save your configuration
3. You'll be redirected to the assistant details page

## Setting Up Phone Number

After creating your voice assistant, you'll need to associate it with a phone number:

1. Navigate to the **Channels** tab on your assistant's page

2. Click **+ Add Channel** and select **Phone Number**

3. Choose how to obtain a number:
   * **Get New Number**: Purchase a new number from available options
   * **Use Existing Number**: Forward an existing number to our system
   * **SIP Integration**: Connect via SIP to your existing phone system

4. If getting a new number:
   * Select your preferred country code
   * Choose from available numbers
   * Select number type (local, toll-free, etc.)

5. Complete the setup and associate the number with your assistant

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/phone-number-setup.png" alt="Phone Number Setup" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Phone number acquisition interface]*

## Testing Your Voice Assistant

Before fully deploying your voice assistant:

1. On the assistant details page, click the **Test** tab
2. Use the test call feature to simulate a phone call
3. Speak naturally and test different scenarios
4. Verify that knowledge retrieval works correctly
5. Test the transfer functionality if configured

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/test-voice-call.png" alt="Test Voice Call" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Voice testing interface with call simulation]*

## Best Practices for Voice Assistants

### Voice-Specific Instructions

* Emphasize natural conversational flow
* Include phonetic spellings for unusual words or brand names
* Keep sentences shorter than in written communication
* Avoid complex structures that may be difficult to follow when spoken

### Voice Selection

* Choose a voice that represents your brand personality
* Consider your audience's preferences and expectations
* Test the voice with actual content for natural flow
* Adjust speaking rate to match your typical caller expectations

### Call Flow Design

* Begin with a clear, welcoming greeting
* For first-time callers, briefly explain that they're speaking to an AI
* Design for conversation branches based on common inquiries
* Plan for interruptions and topic changes
* Create natural-sounding transitions between topics

### Error Handling

* Develop specific responses for misunderstandings
* Create recovery paths when the assistant can't help
* Configure clear transfer messaging
* Prepare for background noise and poor connections

## Troubleshooting

<Accordion title="Poor Speech Recognition">
  If your assistant has trouble understanding callers:

  * Adjust the speech recognition sensitivity
  * Check language and dialect settings
  * Consider using more directed questions
  * Add common variations of key terms to your knowledge base
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Unnatural Speech Patterns">
  If the voice sounds robotic or unnatural:

  * Try a different voice model
  * Adjust the speaking rate (often slightly slower is better)
  * Review the assistant's instructions for conversational language
  * Break long responses into shorter segments
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Call Connection Issues">
  If calls aren't connecting properly:

  * Verify phone number configuration
  * Check network requirements are met
  * Ensure firewall settings allow voice traffic
  * For SIP integration, verify proper protocol configuration
</Accordion>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Voice Call Integration" icon="phone-volume" href="/communication-channels/voice-calls">
    Learn more about advanced voice call configurations
  </Card>

  <Card title="Voice Analytics" icon="chart-line" href="/analytics/conversation-metrics">
    Understand call performance and quality metrics
  </Card>

  <Card title="Testing Assistants" icon="vial" href="/ai-assistants/testing-assistants">
    Comprehensive testing approaches for all assistant types
  </Card>

  <Card title="IVR Integration" icon="sitemap" href="/integrations/voice-integration">
    Connect with existing IVR systems
  </Card>
</CardGroup>