openclaw/docs/providers/deepgram.md

summary, read_when, title

summary	read_when	title
Deepgram transcription for inbound voice notes	You want Deepgram speech-to-text for audio attachments You want Deepgram streaming transcription for Voice Call You need a quick Deepgram config example	Deepgram

Deepgram is a speech-to-text API. In OpenClaw it is used for inbound audio/voice-note transcription through tools.media.audio and for Voice Call streaming STT through plugins.entries.voice-call.config.streaming.

For batch transcription, OpenClaw uploads the complete audio file to Deepgram and injects the transcript into the reply pipeline ({{Transcript}} + [Audio] block). For Voice Call streaming, OpenClaw forwards live G.711 u-law frames over Deepgram's WebSocket listen endpoint and emits partial or final transcripts as Deepgram returns them.

Detail	Value
Website	deepgram.com
Docs	developers.deepgram.com
Auth	DEEPGRAM_API_KEY
Default model	nova-3

Getting started

Add your Deepgram API key to the environment:

```
DEEPGRAM_API_KEY=dg_...
```

```json5 { tools: { media: { audio: { enabled: true, models: [{ provider: "deepgram", model: "nova-3" }], }, }, }, } ``` Send an audio message through any connected channel. OpenClaw transcribes it via Deepgram and injects the transcript into the reply pipeline.

Configuration options

Option	Path	Description
model	tools.media.audio.models[].model	Deepgram model id (default: nova-3)
language	tools.media.audio.models[].language	Language hint (optional)
detect_language	tools.media.audio.providerOptions.deepgram.detect_language	Enable language detection (optional)
punctuate	tools.media.audio.providerOptions.deepgram.punctuate	Enable punctuation (optional)
smart_format	tools.media.audio.providerOptions.deepgram.smart_format	Enable smart formatting (optional)

```json5 { tools: { media: { audio: { enabled: true, models: [{ provider: "deepgram", model: "nova-3", language: "en" }], }, }, }, } ``` ```json5 { tools: { media: { audio: { enabled: true, providerOptions: { deepgram: { detect_language: true, punctuate: true, smart_format: true, }, }, models: [{ provider: "deepgram", model: "nova-3" }], }, }, }, } ```

Voice Call streaming STT

The bundled deepgram plugin also registers a realtime transcription provider for the Voice Call plugin.

Setting	Config path	Default
API key	plugins.entries.voice-call.config.streaming.providers.deepgram.apiKey	Falls back to DEEPGRAM_API_KEY
Model	...deepgram.model	nova-3
Language	...deepgram.language	(unset)
Encoding	...deepgram.encoding	mulaw
Sample rate	...deepgram.sampleRate	8000
Endpointing	...deepgram.endpointingMs	800
Interim results	...deepgram.interimResults	true

{
  plugins: {
    entries: {
      "voice-call": {
        config: {
          streaming: {
            enabled: true,
            provider: "deepgram",
            providers: {
              deepgram: {
                apiKey: "${DEEPGRAM_API_KEY}",
                model: "nova-3",
                endpointingMs: 800,
                language: "en-US",
              },
            },
          },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

Voice Call receives telephony audio as 8 kHz G.711 u-law. The Deepgram streaming provider defaults to `encoding: "mulaw"` and `sampleRate: 8000`, so Twilio media frames can be forwarded directly.

Notes

Authentication follows the standard provider auth order. `DEEPGRAM_API_KEY` is the simplest path. Override endpoints or headers with `tools.media.audio.baseUrl` and `tools.media.audio.headers` when using a proxy. Output follows the same audio rules as other providers (size caps, timeouts, transcript injection).

Related

Audio, image, and video processing pipeline overview. Full config reference including media tool settings. Common issues and debugging steps. Frequently asked questions about OpenClaw setup.