> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.uptiq.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.uptiq.ai/platform-resources/skill-library/ai-skills/speech-recognition.md).

# Speech Recognition

**Speech Recognition** performs automatic speech-to-text transcription on an audio file, so downstream skills can analyze, classify, or store what was said.

It is a converter, not an analyzer. Its job is to hand you text; what happens to that text is the next skill's problem.

## How it works

* **Input resolution** — takes a `downloadUrl` for the audio file. `$input` (the previous skill's output) and `$secret` can construct that URL or inject authentication headers — `https://example.com/audio/$input.filePath`.
* **Processing** — fetches the audio from `downloadUrl`, sends the stream to the underlying recognition service, and receives the transcribed text.
* **Execution** — blocking. Waits for transcription to complete.
* **Response** — success returns the transcription; failure returns `null` in `transcription` plus a status code and error message.

## Worked example: summarizing customer service calls

A call center records its customer service calls. The goal is an automated workflow that turns those recordings into text, then summarizes each call and extracts the key details.

**The problem.** Listening to audio to find out what happened doesn't scale. Nobody reviews a thousand calls.

**The approach.** Speech Recognition is the first step, not the whole one. Transcribe the audio, then hand the text to the skills that actually do the work:

* [Prompt](/platform-resources/skill-library/ai-skills/prompt.md) — to summarize the call.
* [Entity Recognition](/platform-resources/skill-library/ai-skills/entity-recognition.md) — to pull out the account number, the dates, the commitments made.
* [PII Guard](/platform-resources/skill-library/ai-skills/pii-guard.md) — before the transcript reaches a log or a less-trusted system, because a customer service call is full of personal data spoken out loud.

**Configuration:**

```json
{
  "downloadUrl": "https://example.com/audio-file.wav",
  "name": "Meeting Transcription",
  "description": "Transcribes the weekly team meeting audio."
}
```

## Configuration reference

| Field         | Type   | Required | Description                           |
| ------------- | ------ | -------- | ------------------------------------- |
| `downloadUrl` | string | ✅        | Direct URL to the audio file.         |
| `name`        | string | —        | Display name for this skill instance. |
| `description` | string | —        | Description of this skill's purpose.  |

The skill itself needs no authentication — but `downloadUrl` might. Handle that with `$secret` in headers.

## Output

The output port (`speechRecognitionResult`) always conforms to:

| Field           | Type           | Always | Description                              |
| --------------- | -------------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------- |
| `transcription` | string \| null | ✅      | The transcribed text; `null` on failure. |
| `statusCode`    | number         | ✅      | HTTP-style status for the outcome.       |
| `error`         | string \| null | —      | Error message on failure.                |

## Errors

| Status | Meaning                                                                       |
| ------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `200`  | Success — transcription generated.                                            |
| `400`  | Invalid or inaccessible URL — `downloadUrl` could not be resolved or reached. |
| `422`  | Unsupported file format — the file isn't a recognized audio format.           |
| `500`  | Internal transcription error — a service-side failure.                        |

{% hint style="info" %}
`400` and `422` are worth distinguishing when debugging: `400` means the file couldn't be fetched (wrong URL, missing auth, network); `422` means it was fetched fine but isn't audio the service can read.
{% endhint %}

## Testing in isolation

* **Path** — `/skill-runtime/workflows/nodes/SpeechRecognition/execute`
* **Method** — `POST`

***

To add this skill to an agent, see [Adding a Skill to the Agent](/agent-builder/build/adding-a-skill-to-the-agent.md).


---

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