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91 changes: 73 additions & 18 deletions fern/debugging.mdx
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -8,12 +8,20 @@ slug: debugging

Voice agents involve multiple AI systems working together—speech recognition, language models, and voice synthesis. When something goes wrong, systematic debugging helps you quickly identify and fix the root cause.

**Common debugging scenarios:**
- Agent doesn't understand user input correctly
- Responses are inappropriate or inconsistent
- Call quality issues or audio problems
- Tool integrations failing or returning errors
- Workflow logic not executing as expected
**Most common issues fall into these categories:**

<CardGroup cols={2}>
<Card title="Speech & Understanding" icon="microphone">
* Agent doesn't understand user input correctly
* Responses are inappropriate or inconsistent
* Agent sounds robotic or unnatural
</Card>
<Card title="Technical & Integration" icon="gear">
* Call quality issues or audio problems
* Tool integrations failing or returning errors
* Workflow logic not executing as expected
</Card>
</CardGroup>

## Quick diagnostics

Expand All @@ -23,31 +31,59 @@ Start with these immediate checks before diving deeper:
<Step title="Test in dashboard">
Test your voice agent directly in the [dashboard](https://dashboard.vapi.ai/):

- **Assistants**: `Dashboard > Assistants > [Select Assistant] > Talk to Assistant`
- **Workflows**: `Dashboard > Workflows > [Select Workflow] > Call`
<CardGroup cols={2}>
<Card title="Assistants" icon="robot">
Click "Talk to Assistant" to test
</Card>
<Card title="Workflows" icon="diagram-project">
Click "Call" to test workflow
</Card>
</CardGroup>

**Benefits:**
- Eliminates phone network variables
- Provides real-time transcript view
- Provides real-time transcript view
- Shows tool execution results immediately
</Step>
<Step title="Check logs">
Navigate to the `Observe` section in your [dashboard](https://dashboard.vapi.ai/) sidebar:

- **Call Logs**: Review call transcripts, durations, and error messages
- **API Logs**: Check API requests and responses for integration issues
- **Webhook Logs**: Verify webhook deliveries and server responses
<CardGroup cols={3}>
<Card title="Call Logs" icon="phone">
Review call transcripts, durations, and error messages
</Card>
<Card title="API Logs" icon="code">
Check API requests and responses for integration issues
</Card>
<Card title="Webhook Logs" icon="webhook">
Verify webhook deliveries and server responses
</Card>
</CardGroup>
</Step>
<Step title="Test individual components">
Use [dashboard](https://dashboard.vapi.ai/) testing features:

- **Voice Test Suites**: `Test > Voice Test Suites` (assistants only)
- **Tool Testing**: `Tools > [Select Tool] > Test` with sample payloads
<CardGroup cols={2}>
<Card title="Voice Test Suites" icon="vial">
Automated testing for assistants
</Card>
<Card title="Tool Testing" icon="wrench">
Test tools with sample data
</Card>
</CardGroup>
</Step>
<Step title="Verify provider status">
Check if AI service providers are experiencing issues:

- Visit [Vapi Status Page](https://status.vapi.ai/) for real-time provider status
- Review speech-to-text, language model, and voice synthesis availability
- Check for ongoing maintenance or outages
**Core Services:**
- Visit [Vapi Status Page](https://status.vapi.ai/) for Vapi service status

**Provider Status Pages:**
- [OpenAI Status](https://status.openai.com/) for OpenAI language models
- [Anthropic Status](https://status.anthropic.com/) for Anthropic language models
- [ElevenLabs Status](https://status.elevenlabs.io/) for ElevenLabs voice synthesis
- [Deepgram Status](https://status.deepgram.com/) for Deepgram speech-to-text
- And other providers' status pages as needed
</Step>
</Steps>

Expand All @@ -64,6 +100,8 @@ Navigate to `Observe > Call Logs` to:
- See tool execution results and errors
- Analyze conversation flow in workflows

<video autoPlay loop muted src="./static/videos/debugging/call-logs.mp4" type="video/mp4" style={{ aspectRatio: '16 / 9', width: '100%' }} />

### API Logs

Navigate to `Observe > API Logs` to:
Expand All @@ -72,6 +110,8 @@ Navigate to `Observe > API Logs` to:
- Verify request payloads and response codes
- Debug integration issues with external services

<video autoPlay loop muted src="./static/videos/debugging/api-logs.mp4" type="video/mp4" style={{ aspectRatio: '16 / 9', width: '100%' }} />

### Webhook Logs

Navigate to `Observe > Webhook Logs` to:
Expand All @@ -80,6 +120,8 @@ Navigate to `Observe > Webhook Logs` to:
- Debug webhook authentication issues
- Monitor event delivery failures

<video autoPlay loop muted src="./static/videos/debugging/webhook-logs.mp4" type="video/mp4" style={{ aspectRatio: '16 / 9', width: '100%' }} />

### Voice Test Suites

Navigate to `Test > Voice Test Suites` to:
Expand All @@ -88,6 +130,8 @@ Navigate to `Test > Voice Test Suites` to:
- Verify assistant behavior across different inputs
- Monitor performance over time

<video autoPlay loop muted src="./static/videos/debugging/voice-test-suites.mp4" type="video/mp4" style={{ aspectRatio: '16 / 9', width: '100%' }} />

### Tool Testing

For any tool in your `Tools` section:
Expand All @@ -96,6 +140,8 @@ For any tool in your `Tools` section:
- Verify tool responses and error handling
- Debug parameter extraction and API calls

<video autoPlay loop muted src="./static/videos/debugging/tool-testing.mp4" type="video/mp4" style={{ aspectRatio: '16 / 9', width: '100%' }} />

## Speech and language issues

| Problem | Symptoms | Solution |
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -138,7 +184,7 @@ For any tool in your `Tools` section:

| Error Pattern | Likely Cause | Quick Fix |
|---------------|--------------|-----------|
| **"I didn't understand"** | Speech recognition issue | Check transcriber model, add custom keyterms |
| **Agent misinterpreting speech** | Speech recognition issue | Check transcriber model, add custom keyterms |
| **Irrelevant responses** | Poor prompt engineering | Be more specific in system prompt |
| **Call drops immediately** | Configuration error | Check all required fields in assistant/workflow settings |
| **Tool errors** | API integration issue | Test tools individually, verify endpoint URLs |
Expand All @@ -153,6 +199,9 @@ When you're stuck:
icon="user-group"
href="https://discord.com/invite/pUFNcf2WmH"
>
<div className='absolute top-4 right-4'>
<Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" />
</div>
Join the Vapi Discord for real-time help from the community and team
</Card>

Expand All @@ -161,6 +210,9 @@ When you're stuck:
icon="book"
href="/api-reference"
>
<div className='absolute top-4 right-4'>
<Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" />
</div>
Check the API reference for detailed configuration options
</Card>

Expand All @@ -169,6 +221,9 @@ When you're stuck:
icon="fa-light fa-heartbeat"
href="https://status.vapi.ai/"
>
<div className='absolute top-4 right-4'>
<Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" />
</div>
Check real-time status of Vapi services and AI providers
</Card>

Expand Down
62 changes: 32 additions & 30 deletions fern/quickstart/introduction.mdx
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -43,29 +43,31 @@ Vapi offers two main primitives for building voice agents, each designed for dif
iconType="solid"
href="/assistants/dynamic-variables"
>
**Best for:** Quick kickstart and straightforward conversations

<div className='absolute top-4 right-4'>
<Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" />
</div>
**Best for:** Quick kickstart for simple conversations
<br />
Assistants use a single system prompt to control behavior. Perfect for:
- Customer support chatbots
- Simple question-answering agents
- Getting started quickly with minimal setup

*Control everything from one place with natural language instructions.*
</Card>
<Card
title="Workflows"
icon="diagram-project"
iconType="solid"
href="/workflows/quickstart"
>
<div className='absolute top-4 right-4'>
<Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" />
</div>
**Best for:** Complex logic and multi-step processes

<br />
Workflows use visual decision trees and conditional logic. Perfect for:
- Appointment scheduling with availability checks
- Lead qualification with branching questions
- Complex customer service flows with escalation paths

*Build sophisticated branching logic without code.*
- Complex customer service flows with escalation
</Card>
</CardGroup>

Expand All @@ -86,8 +88,10 @@ Vapi offers two main primitives for building voice agents, each designed for dif
iconType="solid"
href="/quickstart/phone"
>
**Start here if you want to:**
- Create a voice agent that can make and receive phone calls
<div className='absolute top-4 right-4'>
<Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" />
</div>
- Create a voice agent for inbound/outbound calls
- Build customer support or sales automation
- Get started with no coding required

Expand All @@ -99,7 +103,9 @@ Vapi offers two main primitives for building voice agents, each designed for dif
iconType="solid"
href="/quickstart/web"
>
**Start here if you want to:**
<div className='absolute top-4 right-4'>
<Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" />
</div>
- Add voice capabilities to your web application
- Integrate voice chat into your existing product
- Build with code and SDKs
Expand All @@ -117,35 +123,38 @@ Vapi offers two main primitives for building voice agents, each designed for dif
iconType="solid"
href="/examples/inbound-support"
>
<div className='absolute top-4 right-4'>
<Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" />
</div>
<div class="vapi-badge vapi-badge-assistant">Built with Assistants</div>

Automate inbound support calls with agents that can access your knowledge base and escalate to humans when needed.

*View example →*
</Card>
<Card
title="Sales & Lead Qualification"
icon="phone-office"
iconType="solid"
href="/workflows/examples/lead-qualification"
>
<div className='absolute top-4 right-4'>
<Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" />
</div>
<div class="vapi-badge vapi-badge-workflow">Built with Workflows</div>

Make outbound sales calls, qualify leads, and schedule appointments with sophisticated branching logic.

*View example →*
</Card>
<Card
title="Appointment Scheduling"
icon="calendar-check"
iconType="solid"
href="/workflows/examples/appointment-scheduling"
>
<div className='absolute top-4 right-4'>
<Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" />
</div>
<div class="vapi-badge vapi-badge-workflow">Built with Workflows</div>

Handle booking requests, check availability, and confirm appointments with conditional routing.

*View example →*
</Card>
</CardGroup>

Expand All @@ -156,6 +165,9 @@ Vapi offers two main primitives for building voice agents, each designed for dif
iconType="solid"
href="/workflows/examples/clinic-triage-scheduling"
>
<div className='absolute top-4 right-4'>
<Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" />
</div>
<div class="vapi-badge vapi-badge-workflow">Built with Workflows</div>

Emergency routing and appointment scheduling for healthcare.
Expand All @@ -166,21 +178,11 @@ Vapi offers two main primitives for building voice agents, each designed for dif
iconType="solid"
href="/workflows/examples/ecommerce-order-management"
>
<div className='absolute top-4 right-4'>
<Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" />
</div>
<div class="vapi-badge vapi-badge-workflow">Built with Workflows</div>

Order tracking, returns, and customer support workflows.
</Card>
</CardGroup>

## Ready to get started?

Most users start with **phone calls** since it's the easiest way to see Vapi in action. You can create and test a working voice agent in under 5 minutes without writing any code.

<Card
title="Start with Phone Calls →"
icon="phone"
iconType="solid"
href="/quickstart/phone"
>
Create your first voice agent and make your first call
</Card>
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