What Are Simulations?
Simulations allow you to test your agents and workflows in a controlled environment before connecting them to real phone numbers. This enables you to validate behavior, catch issues early, and iterate quickly without the cost and complexity of real phone calls.Why Use Simulations?
Cost Savings
No Phone Costs: Test without incurring telephony charges. Simulations don’t use phone minutes or incur provider fees. Iterate Freely: Make unlimited test calls without worrying about costs. This encourages experimentation and thorough testing. Budget Management: Test extensively before deploying to production, ensuring you only pay for real customer calls.Faster Development
Instant Feedback: Get immediate feedback on agent behavior without waiting for real calls. Rapid Iteration: Quickly test changes and improvements without the overhead of real phone calls. Parallel Testing: Test multiple scenarios simultaneously without coordination.Risk Reduction
Catch Issues Early: Identify problems before they affect real customers. Validate Behavior: Ensure agents and workflows behave as expected. Test Edge Cases: Test unusual scenarios that might be difficult to trigger with real calls.Creating Simulations
Basic Simulation
Select Agent/Workflow: Choose which agent or workflow to test. Configure Settings: Set up simulation parameters like language, voice, and initial context. Start Simulation: Begin the simulation and interact with your agent. Review Results: Analyze the conversation, agent responses, and any function calls.Advanced Simulation
Custom Scenarios: Create custom test scenarios with specific inputs and expected outputs. Multi-Turn Conversations: Test extended conversations to validate context management. Error Testing: Test error conditions and edge cases. Performance Testing: Measure response times and identify performance issues.Simulation Features
Conversation Interface
Text Input: Type messages as if you were speaking on a phone call. Audio Playback: Listen to how the agent sounds (if audio is enabled). Transcript View: See the full conversation transcript in real-time. Function Calls: View function calls made during the simulation.Analysis Tools
Response Quality: Analyze agent responses for clarity, accuracy, and appropriateness. Function Execution: Review function calls to ensure they’re working correctly. Context Management: Verify that context is maintained correctly throughout the conversation. Performance Metrics: Track response times and identify bottlenecks.Testing Scenarios
Happy Path: Test the ideal conversation flow where everything works as expected. Edge Cases: Test unusual inputs, error conditions, and boundary cases. Error Handling: Verify that errors are handled gracefully. Multi-Language: Test conversations in different languages if your agent supports them.Best Practices
Test Before Deploying
Always Simulate: Never deploy agents or workflows without testing in simulation first. Test All Paths: Ensure all conversation paths and workflow branches are tested. Test Edge Cases: Don’t just test the happy path - test unusual scenarios too.Comprehensive Testing
Multiple Scenarios: Test various conversation scenarios to ensure robust behavior. Different Users: Simulate different types of users (friendly, frustrated, confused, etc.). Various Topics: Test conversations about different topics your agent should handle. Error Conditions: Test what happens when things go wrong.Iterative Testing
Test After Changes: Always test after making changes to agents or workflows. Compare Versions: Compare behavior between different versions to ensure improvements. Continuous Testing: Make testing a regular part of your development process.Simulation Workflow
Planning
Define Test Cases: Plan what scenarios you want to test. Set Expectations: Define what successful behavior looks like for each scenario. Prepare Test Data: Gather any test data needed for your scenarios.Execution
Run Simulations: Execute your test scenarios. Observe Behavior: Watch how the agent or workflow behaves. Take Notes: Document any issues or unexpected behavior.Analysis
Review Transcripts: Analyze conversation transcripts for quality and accuracy. Check Function Calls: Verify that functions are called correctly and return expected results. Measure Performance: Track response times and identify performance issues. Identify Issues: Document any problems or areas for improvement.Iteration
Fix Issues: Address any problems identified during testing. Retest: Run simulations again to verify fixes. Refine: Continue iterating until behavior meets your standards.Advanced Simulation Techniques
Automated Testing
Test Scripts: Create scripts to automate simulation testing. Regression Testing: Run the same tests after changes to catch regressions. Continuous Integration: Integrate simulation testing into your CI/CD pipeline.Performance Testing
Load Testing: Test how agents perform under various load conditions. Response Time: Measure and optimize response times. Resource Usage: Monitor resource consumption during simulations.User Experience Testing
Conversation Flow: Test that conversations flow naturally. User Satisfaction: Evaluate whether conversations meet user needs. Clarity: Ensure agent responses are clear and helpful.Next Steps
Analytics
Learn how to track and analyze call performance and agent metrics.