/telnyx-voice-gather-python

name: telnyx-voice-gather-python
description: >-
  Collect DTMF input and speech from callers using standard gather or AI-powered
  gather. Build interactive voice menus and AI voice assistants. This skill
  provides Python SDK examples.
metadata:
  author: telnyx
  product: voice-gather
  language: python
  generated_by: telnyx-openapi-pipeline

<!-- Auto-generated from Telnyx OpenAPI specs. Do not edit. -->

Telnyx Voice Gather - Python

Installation

pip install telnyx

Setup

import os
from telnyx import Telnyx

client = Telnyx(
    api_key=os.environ.get("TELNYX_API_KEY"),  # This is the default and can be omitted
    public_key=os.environ.get("TELNYX_PUBLIC_KEY"),  # Required for client.webhooks.unwrap() (webhook verification)
)

All examples below assume `client` is already initialized as shown above.

Error Handling

All API calls can fail with network errors, rate limits (429), validation errors (422), or authentication errors (401). Always handle errors in production code:

import telnyx

try:
    result = client.messages.send(to="+13125550001", from_="+13125550002", text="Hello")
except telnyx.APIConnectionError:
    print("Network error — check connectivity and retry")
    raise
except telnyx.RateLimitError:
    # 429: rate limited — wait, then retry the request (bounded exponential backoff)
    import time
    time.sleep(1)  # Check Retry-After header for actual delay
    # ...retry the call here (give up after a few attempts); otherwise re-raise:
    raise
except telnyx.APIStatusError as e:
    print(f"API error {e.status_code}: {e.message}")
    if e.status_code == 422:
        print("Validation error — check required fields and formats")
    raise  # A failed request must never look like success to the caller

Common error codes: `401` invalid API key, `403` insufficient permissions, `404` resource not found, `422` validation error (check field formats), `429` rate limited (retry with exponential backoff).

Add messages to AI Assistant

Add messages to the conversation started by an AI assistant on the call.

`POST /calls/{call_control_id}/actions/ai_assistant_add_messages`

Optional: `client_state` (string), `command_id` (string), `messages` (array[object]), `trigger_response` (boolean)

response = client.calls.actions.add_ai_assistant_messages(
    call_control_id="550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
)
print(response.data)

Returns: `result` (string)

Start AI Assistant

Start an AI assistant on the call. **Expected Webhooks:**

• [`call.conversation.created`](/api-reference/callbacks/call-conversation-created) includes `conversation_id` during startup
• `call.conversation.ended`
• `call.conversation_insights.generated`

`POST /calls/{call_control_id}/actions/ai_assistant_start`

Optional: `assistant` (object), `client_state` (string), `command_id` (string), `greeting` (string), `interruption_settings` (object), `message_history` (array[object]), `participants` (array[object]), `send_message_history_updates` (boolean), `transcription` (object)

response = client.calls.actions.start_ai_assistant(
    call_control_id="550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
)
print(response.data)

Returns: `conversation_id` (uuid), `result` (string)

Stop AI Assistant

Stops the AI assistant currently engaged on the call. The call remains active and can continue with other call control commands.

`POST /calls/{call_control_id}/actions/ai_assistant_stop`

Optional: `client_state` (string), `command_id` (string)

response = client.calls.actions.stop_ai_assistant(
    call_control_id="550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
)
print(response.data)

Returns: `result` (string)

Gather

Gather DTMF signals to build interactive menus. You can pass a list of valid digits. The `Answer` command must be issued before the `gather` command.

`POST /calls/{call_control_id}/actions/gather`

Optional: `client_state` (string), `command_id` (string), `gather_id` (string), `initial_timeout_millis` (int32), `inter_digit_timeout_millis` (int32), `maximum_digits` (int32), `minimum_digits` (int32), `terminating_digit` (string), `timeout_millis` (int32), `valid_digits` (string)

response = client.calls.actions.gather(
    call_control_id="550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    minimum_digits=1,
    maximum_digits=4,
)
print(response.data)

Returns: `result` (string)

Gather stop

Stop current gather. **Expected Webhooks:**

• `call.gather.ended`

`POST /calls/{call_control_id}/actions/gather_stop`

Optional: `client_state` (string), `command_id` (string)

response = client.calls.actions.stop_gather(
    call_control_id="550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
)
print(response.data)

Returns: `result` (string)

Gather using AI

Gather parameters defined in the request payload using a voice assistant. You can pass parameters described as a JSON Schema object and the voice assistant will attempt to gather these informations.

`POST /calls/{call_control_id}/actions/gather_using_ai` — Required: `parameters`

Optional: `assistant` (object), `client_state` (string), `command_id` (string), `gather_ended_speech` (string), `greeting` (string), `interruption_settings` (object), `language` (object), `message_history` (array[object]), `send_message_history_updates` (boolean), `send_partial_results` (boolean), `transcription` (object), `user_response_timeout_ms` (integer), `voice` (string), `voice_settings` (object)

response = client.calls.actions.gather_using_ai(
    call_control_id="550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    parameters={
        "properties": "bar",
        "required": "bar",
        "type": "bar",
    },
)
print(response.data)

Returns: `conversation_id` (uuid), `result` (string)

Gather using audio

Play an audio file on the call until the required DTMF signals are gathered to build interactive menus. You can pass a list of valid digits alo