### Answer To improve name recognition, use Boosted Keywords. This feature lets you add a customized list of keywords to bias the transcriber model, making specific words more likely to be transcribed correctly. [(1) ]() [(2) ]() How to use it: Add common names you expect callers to say to the

boosted_keywords

field when creating or updating your agent. You can include up to 100 custom keywords. [(1) ]()

json
"boosted_keywords": ["retell", "kroger"]

[(2) ]() Replace the example values with the names relevant to your use case. Additional options to try: - **Transcription mode**: If sentences are being cut off (which might cause the name to be missed) , enable transcription mode optimized for accuracy. [(1) ]() - **Denoising mode**: If background noise is interfering, adjust the

denoising_mode

setting. Options include

no-denoise

,

noise-cancellation

, and

noise-and-background-speech-cancellation

. [(2) ]() For more details, see: [Increase transcription accuracy]()

​ To learn more, see the sources I considered: [[1] Increase transcription accuracy](https://docs.retellai.com/reliability/wrong-transcript) [[2] Update Voice Agent](https://docs.retellai.com/api-references/update-agent) ​

Feel free to tag @AI Evy with additional questions. I also appreciate feedback, it helps me improve.

### Answer Dynamic variables like

{{user_name}}

are placeholders for values you inject into the LLM when the call starts—they are not designed to collect information during the call. [(1) ]() How dynamic variables work: - You pass values into

{{user_name}}

via the

retell_llm_dynamic_variables

field when initiating a call (outbound) or through the Inbound Call Webhook (inbound) . - If no value is provided, the variable remains in its raw form:

"Hello {{user_name}}"

. To collect a user's name during the call: Use Post-Call Analysis or the Extract Dynamic Variable feature instead. [(2) ]() [(3) ]() The Extract Variables feature allows your agent to extract and store dynamic variables live and mid-conversation, including text values like names. [(3) ]() For more details, see: [Dynamic Variables]()

​ To learn more, see the sources I considered: [[1] Dynamic Variables](https://docs.retellai.com/build/dynamic-variables) [[2] Discord message from @nitss21 on 2025-08-25](https://discord.com/channels/1186424376300679209/1186462578310910112/1409465956849422346) [[3] Platform Changelogs | Retell AI](https://www.retellai.com/changelog) ​

Feel free to tag @AI Evy with additional questions. I also appreciate feedback, it helps me improve.