Voiceflow Runtime Client

The Voiceflow Runtime Client is an SDK for running Voiceflow apps in JavaScript.

First, you build a fully-functioning conversational app on Voiceflow. Then, you integrate that app into a JavaScript project using the SDK. This allows you to quickly add any kind of voice interface, such as a chatbot, to your project, without the hassle of implementing the conversational flow using code.

The Runtime Client can be used with jQuery, React, and any other JavaScript library or framework.

Table of Contents

1. Demos
2. Samples
3. Install
4. Getting Started
5. Advanced Usage
6. Development

Demos

• Runtime Client Projects - source
• Voiceflow Burgers (Web) - source

Samples

See the parent rcjs-examples repo for instructions on how to setup each Sample.

• Hello World (Node.js) - source
• Hamburger Order App (jQuery) - source
• Hamburger Order App (React) - source
• Hamburger Order Server (Express) - source
• Using TTS (React) - source
• Using Suggestion Chips (React) - source

Install

# with NPM
npm install --save @voiceflow/runtime-client-js

# with yarn
yarn add @voiceflow/runtime-client-js

Getting Started

Minimal Working Integration

The minimum code to start using the SDK is shown below:

const { default: RuntimeClientFactory } = require('@voiceflow/runtime-client-js');
// alternatively for ESM/ES6
// import RuntimeClientFactory from '@voiceflow/runtime-client-js'

// Construct a chatbot instance
const factory = new RuntimeClientFactory({
  versionID: 'your-version-id-here', 	// ADD YOUR VERSION ID HERE
  apiKey: 'your-api-key-here', // ADD YOUR API KEY HERE
});
const client = factory.createClient();

// When the chatbot responds with text, output it
client.onSpeak((trace) => console.log(trace.payload.message));

// (Optional) explicitly begin a conversation session
client.start();

// Call this function from any input source
const interact = (input) => client.sendText(input);

// e.g. interact('can I have fries with that');

Pass in user input with the client.sendText(input) function, and any of your client.on... handlers will trigger during the response.

Setting up a Voiceflow App

See here for instructions on how to quickly setup a Voiceflow app to try out your project.

Integration Step-by-Step

See here for step-by-step instructions on using the Runtime Client SDK. Make sure to read "Setting up a Voiceflow App" first.

Advanced Usage

See the documentation here for the available advanced features of the SDK.

Development

Important Scripts

yarn install

Run yarn install to install any necessary dependencies to get started with working on the SDK.

yarn build

Use this to build the runtime-client-js locally. The build will be stored in the /build folder

yarn lint

Use this command to find any issues that fails our linter. It is important to have proper linting, otherwise your PR will not pass our automation.

Use yarn lint:fix to check and automatically fix linting issues where possible.

yarn test

Use this command to run all of the integration and unit tests. Make sure that your PR achieves 100% coverage and tests for potential edge-cases.

Use yarn test:single to execute a single unit or integration test.

Use yarn test:unit to run all of the unit tests

Use yarn test:integration to run all of the integration tests.

Submitting a PR

We're always open to improving our Runtime Client SDK. Consider opening a PR if there is some improvement that you think should be added. Make sure to achieve 100% coverage for unit tests and provide documentation if applicable.