> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cognigy.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Gather > The verb for collecting caller input via keypad or speech. The `gather` verb is used to collect DTMF or speech input. ```json expandable theme={null} { "verb": "gather", "actionHook": "http://example.com/collect", "input": ["digits", "speech"], "bargein": true, "dtmfBargein": true, "finishOnKey": "#", "numDigits": 5, "timeout": 8, "recognizer": { "vendor": "Google", "language": "en-US", "hints": ["sales", "support"], "hintsBoost": 10 }, "say": { "text": "To speak to Sales press 1 or say Sales. To speak to Customer Support press 2 or say Support", "synthesizer": { "vendor": "Google", "language": "en-US", "voice": "en-US-Wavenet-F" } } } ``` ## Configuration The following table lists the available parameters: | Parameter | Type | Description | Required | | - | - | - | - | | actionHook | string \| object | A webhook to receive an HTTP POST with the collected digits or speech. The payload includes a `speech` or `dtmf` property along with the standard attributes. | No | | actionHookDelayAction | object | Configures a delayed action hook behavior. See [config](/voice-gateway/references/verbs/config) for details. | No | | bargein | boolean | Enables a speech barge-in, which pauses audio playback if the caller starts speaking. | No | | dtmfBargein | boolean | Enables a DTMF barge-in, which pauses audio playback if the caller enters DTMF tones. | No | | fillerNoise | object | Configures a filler noise (background audio) while waiting for input. See [config](/voice-gateway/references/verbs/config) for details. | No | | finishOnKey | string | The DTMF key that signals the end of input. | No | | input | array | An array specifying the allowed types of input: `['digits']`, `['speech']`, or `['digits', 'speech']`. The default value is `['digits']`. | No | | interDigitTimeout | number | The time to wait between digits after `minDigits` have been entered. | No | | listenDuringPrompt | boolean | If `false`, the system won't listen for user speech until the [`say`](/voice-gateway/references/verbs/say) or [`play`](/voice-gateway/references/verbs/play) verb completes. The default value is `true`. | No | | minBargeinWordCount | number | If `bargein` is `true`, stops the playback only after this many words are spoken. The default value is `1`. | No | | minDigits | number | The minimum number of DTMF digits expected. The default value is `1`. | No | | maxDigits | number | The maximum number of DTMF digits expected. | No | | numDigits | number | The exact number of DTMF digits expected. | No | | partialResultHook | string \| object | A webhook that receives POST requests with interim transcription results. Partial transcriptions are only generated if this property is set. | No | | play | object | A nested [`play`](/voice-gateway/references/verbs/play) verb used to prompt the user. | No | | recognizer | object | Contains configuration options for the speech recognition engine. This includes language selection, hints, diarization, and other advanced settings. | No | | recognizer.vendor | string | The speech recognition provider to use, for example, Google, Amazon, or Azure. The vendor determines transcription quality, supported languages, and feature availability. | Yes | | recognizer.label | string | A custom label to identify this recognizer instance in logs or dashboards. Helpful when multiple recognizers are configured. | No | | recognizer.language | string | The primary language code for transcription, for example, `en-US` for English, `fr-FR` for French. Determines how speech is interpreted. | No | | recognizer.hints | array | An array of words or phrases that may appear in the audio and should be recognized more accurately. Useful for domain-specific terms, names, or technical vocabulary. | No | | recognizer.hintsBoost | number | A numeric value specifying how strongly the recognizer should prioritize the hint words. Higher numbers give stronger emphasis, improving accuracy for key terms. | No | | recognizer.altLanguages | array | An array of additional language codes that the recognizer can use for multilingual audio. Allows recognition of mixed-language content. | No | | recognizer.profanityFilter | boolean | If `true`, the recognizer will automatically remove or mask profanity from the transcription output. | No | | recognizer.interim | boolean | If `true`, returns partial transcription results as the audio is being processed. Useful for live captions or real-time feedback. | No | | recognizer.punctuation | boolean | If `true`, punctuation marks, for example, periods or commas, are included in the transcription to improve readability. | No | | recognizer.diarization | boolean | If `true`, enables speaker diarization, which assigns segments of the transcript to individual speakers. | No | | recognizer.diarizationMinSpeakers | number | The minimum number of speakers expected in the audio. Helps the diarization algorithm distinguish between speakers accurately. | No | | recognizer.diarizationMaxSpeakers | number | The maximum number of speakers expected in the audio. Prevents the algorithm from splitting speech unnecessarily. | No | | recognizer.vad | object | Voice Activity Detection settings. Determines how the system detects when someone is speaking vs. silence, improving transcription timing and accuracy. | No | | recognizer.fallbackVendor | string | Specifies an alternative transcription vendor to use if the primary vendor fails. Ensures reliability in critical workflows. | No | | recognizer.fallbackLanguage | string | Language code to use for the fallback vendor. Must match a language supported by the fallback provider. | No | | say | object | A nested [`say`](/voice-gateway/references/verbs/say) verb used to prompt the user. | No | | speechTimeout | number | The time in seconds to wait for speech input before timing out. | No | | timeout | number | The total time in seconds to wait for input before timing out. | No | ## Example When speech input is used, the `actionHook` payload contains a speech object with the response from the speech provider, such as Google Speech. ```json theme={null} "speech": { "stability": 0, "is_final": true, "alternatives": [{ "confidence": 0.858155, "transcript": "sales please" }] } ``` In the case of digits input, the payload includes a `digits` property indicating the DTMF keys pressed: ```json theme={null} "digits": "0276" ``` ## More Information * [RECOGNIZED\_DTMF](/voice-gateway/references/events/RECOGNIZED_DTMF) * [RECOGNIZED\_SPEECH](/voice-gateway/references/events/RECOGNIZED_SPEECH) * [USER\_INPUT\_TIMEOUT](/voice-gateway/references/events/USER_INPUT_TIMEOUT)