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how can I have my agent only start talking wheneve...
# ask-ai
w
how can I have my agent only start talking whenever the user has conneceted and can hear the phone call?
t
Thanks for reaching out, Arthur. I'm an AI assistant and I'm here to help. Give me a moment while I research this topic.
To make sure your agent only starts speaking once the user is connected and ready to hear the call, here’s a simple approach you can follow: 1. Know the Call Type: For inbound calls, the agent can jump in right away. For outbound calls, it’s best if the agent waits for the user to say something first. 2. Set Up a Guard Clause: Check if the 
phone_number
is 
None
. If it is, that means it’s an inbound call, so the agent can speak first. Otherwise, wait for the user’s input before the agent responds. 3. Keep an Eye on Connection States: Use the LiveKit SDK to track the user’s connection status. States like 
disconnected
, 
connecting
, and 
connected
help you know exactly when the user is ready. 4. Manage Agent State Events: Use events like 
listening
and 
speaking
to coordinate the conversation. The agent should only start 
speaking
once the user is fully connected. Here’s a quick example to illustrate:
Copy code
# Check if the call is inbound or outbound
if phone_number is None:
    # Inbound call: agent can start speaking
    await session.generate_reply(
        instructions="Greet the user and offer your assistance."
    )
else:
    # Outbound call: wait for user to speak first
    pass  # Agent will respond after user's turn
On the frontend side, you can use LiveKit’s client SDK to listen for connection events. Once the user’s state switches to 
connected
, the agent can move forward if it’s an inbound call. Don’t forget to update the UI to show the agent’s readiness and the user’s connection status—this way, everything feels smooth and clear for both sides.
w
elaborate on the connected state and how it works
t
The connected state in LiveKit means that a participant has successfully connected to the server and everything is up and running smoothly. This is part of the participant’s journey, which goes like this: 1. JOINING: The participant is just getting started and waiting for the join confirmation. 2. JOINED: The join is complete, and media transports are being set up. 3. ACTIVE: The participant is fully connected, and media is flowing. 4. DISCONNECTED: The participant has left or lost connection. The connected state happens when the participant moves from 
JOINING
to 
JOINED
and finally to 
ACTIVE
, with media transport established and data channels open. Here are some friendly ways to check if someone is connected: 1. Use Connection State Enums: LiveKit SDKs have handy enums like 
connected
, 
disconnected
, and 
reconnecting
. For example, in Swift:
Copy code
switch room.connectionState {
case .connected:
    print("Participant is fully connected.")
case .disconnected:
    print("Participant is disconnected.")
default:
    print("Participant is in another state.")
}
1. Listen to Connection Events: The SDKs will let you know when the connection state changes. For example, in JavaScript:
Copy code
room.on(RoomEvent.Connected, () => {
    console.log("Participant is fully connected.");
});
1. Keep an Eye on Participant State Transitions: You can check the participant’s state to see if they’re fully connected. For example, in Swift:
Copy code
participant.state // Returns ParticipantState.active when fully connected
By keeping track of these states and events, you’ll know when a participant is fully connected and ready to jump into the room. If you want me to walk you through more examples or details for a specific SDK, just let me know—I’m here to help! Sources: src/room/Room.ts | LiveKit Server Components | livekit/livekit_composite | DeepWiki | Sources/LiveKit/Core/Room+EngineDelegate.swift
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