Prompting the User for Responses in OVOS Skills

OVOS provides several built-in methods for engaging users in interactive conversations. These include asking open-ended questions, confirming yes/no responses, and offering multiple-choice selections — all handled in a natural, voice-first way.

Here we look at how to implement the most common types of prompts. For more information on conversation design see the Voice User Interface Design Guidelines.

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Usage Guide

Here’s how to use different types of prompts in your OVOS skills:

1. Open-Ended Questions

Let the user respond freely, either to trigger another skill or to handle the response with a custom intent.

from ovos_workshop.skills import OVOSSkill
from ovos_workshop.decorators import intent_handler
import random

class AskMeSkill(OVOSSkill):
    @intent_handler('ask_me_something.intent')
    def handle_set_favorite(self):
        question = random.choice(self.question_list)
        self.speak(question, expect_response=True)

expect_response=True keeps the mic open after speaking, so the response can be handled by OVOS's intent pipeline.

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2. Request Extra Information with get_response()

Use this to ask a specific question and directly capture the user's reply.

from ovos_workshop.skills import OVOSSkill
from ovos_workshop.decorators import intent_handler

class IceCreamSkill(OVOSSkill):
    @intent_handler('set.favorite.intent')
    def handle_set_favorite(self):
        favorite_flavor = self.get_response('what.is.your.favorite.flavor')
        self.speak_dialog('confirm.favorite.flavor', {'flavor': favorite_flavor})

Optional get_response() arguments:

• data: Dictionary to format the dialog file
• validator: A function to check if the user response is valid
• on_fail: A fallback string to say if validation fails
• num_retries: How many times to retry if the response isn’t valid

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3. Yes/No Questions with ask_yesno()

Detects affirmations or negations from user responses.

from ovos_workshop.skills import OVOSSkill
from ovos_workshop.decorators import intent_handler

class IceCreamSkill(OVOSSkill):
    @intent_handler('do.you.like.intent')
    def handle_do_you_like(self):
        likes_ice_cream = self.ask_yesno('do.you.like.ice.cream')
        if likes_ice_cream == 'yes':
            self.speak_dialog('does.like')
        elif likes_ice_cream == 'no':
            self.speak_dialog('does.not.like')
        else:
            self.speak_dialog('could.not.understand')

Behavior:

• Returns "yes" or "no" for matching phrases.
• Returns the full utterance if unclear.
• Returns None if no valid response is detected.

uses ovos-solver-YesNo-plugin to understand complex affirmations and denials — even double negations.

Example mappings:

User Says	Detected As
"yes"	yes
"no"	no
"don't think so"	no
"that's affirmative"	yes
"no, but actually, yes"	yes
"yes, but actually, no"	no
"yes, yes, yes, but actually, no"	"no"
"please"	"yes"
"please don't"	"no"
"no! please! I beg you"	"no"
"yes, i don't want it for sure"	"no"
"please! I beg you"	"yes"
"i want it for sure"	"yes"
"obviously"	"yes"
"indeed"	"yes"
"no, I obviously hate it"	"no"
"that's certainly undesirable"	"no"
"yes, it's a lie"	"yes"
"no, it's a lie"	"no"
"he is lying"	"no"
"correct, he is lying"	"yes"
"it's a lie"	"no"
"you are mistaken"	"no"
"that's a mistake"	"no"
"wrong answer"	"no"
"it's not a lie"	"yes"
"he is not lying"	"yes"
"you are not mistaken"	"yes"
"tou are not wrong"	"yes"
"beans"	None

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4. Multiple-Choice Prompts with ask_selection()

Let users choose from a list of options, by name or number.

from ovos_workshop.skills import OVOSSkill
from ovos_workshop.decorators import intent_handler

class IceCreamSkill(OVOSSkill):
    def initialize(self):
        self.flavors = ['vanilla', 'chocolate', 'mint']

    @intent_handler('request.icecream.intent')
    def handle_request_icecream(self):
        self.speak_dialog('welcome')
        selection = self.ask_selection(self.flavors, 'what.flavor')
        self.speak_dialog('coming.right_up', {'flavor': selection})

Optional arguments:

• min_conf (float): Minimum confidence threshold for fuzzy matching
• numeric (bool): If True, speak the list with numbered options

User responses like "chocolate", "the second one", or "option three" are all supported.

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Technical Notes

• All methods handle microphone activation and parsing behind the scenes.
• OVOS automatically integrates with the intent engine to resolve follow-up responses.
• These prompts are designed to support natural dialogue flows, validating and re-prompting as needed.

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Tips

• Always confirm user input when using get_response() or ask_selection() for clarity.
• Use validator with get_response() to catch unclear or unwanted input.
• Use ask_yesno() for quick binary decisions, but gracefully handle unexpected answers.