Can someone explain, what does the webhook do in api.ai?

Question

I am new to api.ai. I want to send data to the web server and receive it and then give it to the users? From the documentation that I read, I understood that I have to use a webhook. But I am not sure how will api.ai send and receive the data?

Can the webhook be developed in any language?

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 05 '17 at 01:01

1

The webhook is a web service that you implement in any language and on any platform, with an HTTP (must be https for ghome) and JSON interface, that fullfils (in their lingo) a user intent.

API.AI matches a user utterance to an intent (which then suggests entity values and a response) and they pass these in the call to your web service. You do whatever processing you need - your domain logic - and then return a speech response for the user and optionally some API.AI contexts.

You can read more about it (and about slot filling fulfillment which is a little different) here.

answered Jan 05 '17 at 01:01

Tom

17,103
8
67
75

So is webhook like a REST api? As I am reading more it looks like it handles only simple HTTP POST. – Mrunal Pradeep Patekar Jan 05 '17 at 14:40
Or does webhook allow post and get requests both? – Mrunal Pradeep Patekar Jan 05 '17 at 14:47
Yes, they implemented it as a POST. – Tom Jan 05 '17 at 14:57
@DavidB You're welcome. If you deem the answer correct then you should mark it as accepted. – Tom Jan 05 '17 at 17:18

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Jul 30 '17 at 06:47

You can visualize the working of a webhook like a block where data request comes in JSON format somewhat like this:

{
  "id": "7aef9329-4a32-4d59-b661-8bf380a0f35b",
  "timestamp": "2017-06-07T05:36:12.641Z",
  "lang": "en",
  "result": {
    "source": "agent",
    "resolvedQuery": "hi",
    "action": "order.pizza",
    "actionIncomplete": true,
    "parameters": {
      "address": "",
      "crust": "",
      "sauce": "",
      "size": "",
      "time": "",
      "topping": "",
      "type": ""
    }
  }
}

and another json file is returned to it according to the prescribed settings.

Can someone explain, what does the webhook do in api.ai?

2 Answers2