Set up a AI Agents (Cognigy) Voice Bot

Use this topic to connect an AI Agents (Cognigy) voice bot to NiCE CXone for voice channels. When you complete this procedure, calls are routed through a Studio SIP backchannel script to AI Agents (Cognigy), where the voice bot handles the interaction using speech-to-text (STT) and text-to-speech (TTS) processing. At the end of the interaction, the bot sends a control signal to NiCE CXone using the Signal API to either escalate the call to a live agent or end the conversation.

Voice bot setup requires coordinated action across NiCE CXone Professional Services, your NiCE CXone Account Representative, and your AI Agents (Cognigy) administrator. Unlike text bot integration, voice bot integration cannot be completed entirely by a NiCE CXone Administrator working alone. This page describes every task and step so that all parties have a complete reference for their responsibilities.

How the Voice Bot Integration Works

When a contact initiates or receives a call through a phone number assigned to a AI Agents (Cognigy) voice bot, NiCE CXone routes the call to a AI Agents (Cognigy) bot using a Studio script SIP backchannel connection. AI Agents (Cognigy) handles speech recognition, intent processing, and text-to-speech response generation entirely within its platform.

At the end of the conversation, AI Agents (Cognigy) uses the Signal and TMS API extension to send a control signal to NiCE CXone instructing it to escalate the call or end the interaction. The extension also sends the conversation transcript to the CXone Transcript Management Service (TMS) for reporting, self-service summaries, and downstream analytics.

Voice Bot Call Flow

  1. A contact initiates or receives a call using a phone number (either a Direct Inward Dial (DID) number for inbound calls or an ANI for outbound calls) assigned to the AI Agents (Cognigy) voice bot in NiCE CXone.

  2. NiCE CXone routes the call to the Main Studio script associated with the call flow.

  3. The Main script spawns a child (backchannel) script and establishes the SIP backchannel connection to AI Agents (Cognigy). NiCE CXone passes SIP headers, including Business Unit Number, Main Contact ID, and Spawned Contact ID — to AI Agents (Cognigy) in the SIP request payload.

  4. AI Agents (Cognigy) receives the call and executes the configured Flow. The Flow processes each spoken utterance using STT, identifies the contact's intent, and generates a spoken response using TTS.

  5. At the conclusion of the interaction, the AI Agents (Cognigy) Flow captures the conversation transcript using the Get Transcript node. AI Agents (Cognigy) then executes the Exit Interaction extension node, which:

    1. Sends the transcript to NiCE CXone TMS via the TMS API.

    2. Sends an Escalate to Agent or End Conversation signal to NiCE CXone via the Signal API.

  6. NiCE CXone acts on the signal: it either transfers the call to a live agent queue or ends the interaction. Post-interaction tasks, such as self-service summary generation and reporting, can be performed by NiCE CXone after the transcript is received based on the configuration.

    The VoiceBot Exchange Studio action is not used for AI Agents (Cognigy) voice bot integrations. AI Agents (Cognigy) voice bot uses the SIP backchannel method, which relies on the Main SIP backchannel script and Spawned backchannel script provided by Professional Services.

Signal and TMS API Extension

The Signal and TMS API extension is a AI Agents (Cognigy) extension that enables the voice bot to communicate interaction outcomes back to NiCE CXone. It provides two capabilities that work in sequence at the end of every interaction:

  • TMS API: Sends the conversation transcript to the CXone Transcript Management Service. NiCE CXone stores the transcript for reporting and analytics. If the self-service summary feature is enabled for your tenant, CXone can generate a summary from the transcript. To enable self-service summaries, you must have Copilot for Agents set up and configured for your organization; see Copilot for Agents Setup and the AGENT ASSIST Studio action for details.

  • Signal API: Sends a request to NiCE CXone instructing it to escalate the interaction with a live agent or end the conversation. The Signal API uses SIP metadata passed to AI Agents (Cognigy) at the start of the call to identify the correct NiCE CXone interaction.

The Signal and TMS API extension is currently distributed as a .gz file obtained from the Professional Services. A native AI Agents (Cognigy) node will replace this extension in a future release. When the native node becomes available, migrate your Flows to ensure compatibility and supportability with future features.

Prerequisites

Verify that all prerequisites are met before you start this procedure. Missing prerequisites are the most common cause of integration failures.

NiCE CXone Requirements

  • AI Agents (Cognigy) must be enabled for your NiCE CXone tenant. This application is enabled by a TAM or Professional Services. If you do not see the AI Agents (Cognigy) option in the application menu, verify that the appropriate roles and permissions are assigned. If the required permissions are not available, your organization is not configured to use AI Agents (Cognigy); in this case, contact your TAM.

  • A configured voice channel in NiCE CXone with a phone number assigned to the voice bot (a Direct Inward Dial (DID) number for inbound calls or an ANI for outbound calls).

  • A SIP backchannel connection established between NiCE CXone and AI Agents (Cognigy) using the established numbering convention. This connection is configured by your NiCE CXone Account Representative or Professional Services.

  • Studio scripts configured for the SIP backchannel connection. Contact NiCE CXone Professional Services for the required script templates. See Configure Studio Scripts for SIP Backchannel Connection topic for details.

  • The following NiCE CXone permissions assigned to your role:

    • View Scripts

    • Create/Edit Scripts (required to review and publish Studio scripts)

AI Agents (Cognigy) Requirements

  • An active AI Agents (Cognigy) account with Edit permission in NiCE CXone (maps to Admin role in AI Agents (Cognigy)).

  • A AI Agents (Cognigy) project with a Flow that is configured and trained for voice interactions. The Flow must include Voice Gateway functionality and be capable of handling the voice interaction from greeting to completion.

  • A NiCE CXone connection object configured in AI Agents (Cognigy). This connection holds the credentials used by the Signal and TMS API extension to authenticate requests to NiCE CXone. This configuration is done by the NiCE CXone Professional Services.

  • The Signal and TMS API extension package (.gz file) obtained from NiCE CXone Professional Services. You must have permissions to upload extensions in your AI Agents (Cognigy) project.

  • SIP headers forwarded from NiCE CXone to AI Agents (Cognigy) in the request payload. This confirmed and configured by the NiCE CXone Professional Services.

Configure the AI Agents (Cognigy) Voice Bot Integration

Complete the following tasks in order. Each task depends on the results of the previous task.

  1. Enable AI Agents (Cognigy) for your tenant.

  2. Configure the AI Agents (Cognigy) Flow for voice. For details refer toAI Agents (Cognigy) Getting Started Guide and Voice Gateway Endpoint Reference topics.

    The Flow must include Voice Gateway functionality to handle speech recognition and TTS playback. If your Flow was originally designed for text interactions, it requires significant modification before it can support voice.

  3. Upload the Signal and TMS API extension in AI Agents (Cognigy).

  4. Configure the Signal and TMS API extension in the AI Agents (Cognigy) Flow.

  5. Configure Studio Scripts for SIP Backchannel Connection

  6. Obtain, review, and publish Studio scripts

  7. Assign the Studio script to the voice channel point of contact

  8. Test the voice bot integration