Deepgram

Deepgram is a speech-to-text API. In OpenClaw it is used for inbound audio/voice-note transcription through tools.media.audio and for Voice Call streaming STT through plugins.entries.voice-call.config.streaming.

For batch transcription, OpenClaw uploads the complete audio file to Deepgram and injects the transcript into the reply pipeline ({{Transcript}} + [Audio] block). For Voice Call streaming, OpenClaw forwards live G.711 u-law frames over Deepgram’s WebSocket listen endpoint and emits partial or final transcripts as Deepgram returns them.

Detail	Value
Website	deepgram.com
Docs	developers.deepgram.com
Auth	`DEEPGRAM_API_KEY`
Default model	`nova-3`

Getting started

Set your API key
Add your Deepgram API key to the environment:
```
DEEPGRAM_API_KEY=dg_...
```

Enable the audio provider

{
  tools: {
    media: {
      audio: {
        enabled: true,
        models: [{ provider: "deepgram", model: "nova-3" }],
      },
    },
  },
}

Send a voice note
Send an audio message through any connected channel. OpenClaw transcribes it via Deepgram and injects the transcript into the reply pipeline.

Configuration options

Option	Path	Description
`model`	`tools.media.audio.models[].model`	Deepgram model id (default: `nova-3`)
`language`	`tools.media.audio.models[].language`	Language hint (optional)
`detect_language`	`tools.media.audio.providerOptions.deepgram.detect_language`	Enable language detection (optional)
`punctuate`	`tools.media.audio.providerOptions.deepgram.punctuate`	Enable punctuation (optional)
`smart_format`	`tools.media.audio.providerOptions.deepgram.smart_format`	Enable smart formatting (optional)

{
  tools: {
    media: {
      audio: {
        enabled: true,
        models: [{ provider: "deepgram", model: "nova-3", language: "en" }],
      },
    },
  },
}

{
  tools: {
    media: {
      audio: {
        enabled: true,
        providerOptions: {
          deepgram: {
            detect_language: true,
            punctuate: true,
            smart_format: true,
          },
        },
        models: [{ provider: "deepgram", model: "nova-3" }],
      },
    },
  },
}

Voice Call streaming STT

The bundled deepgram plugin also registers a realtime transcription provider for the Voice Call plugin.

Setting	Config path	Default
API key	`plugins.entries.voice-call.config.streaming.providers.deepgram.apiKey`	Falls back to `DEEPGRAM_API_KEY`
Model	`...deepgram.model`	`nova-3`
Language	`...deepgram.language`	(unset)
Encoding	`...deepgram.encoding`	`mulaw`
Sample rate	`...deepgram.sampleRate`	`8000`
Endpointing	`...deepgram.endpointingMs`	`800`
Interim results	`...deepgram.interimResults`	`true`

{
  plugins: {
    entries: {
      "voice-call": {
        config: {
          streaming: {
            enabled: true,
            provider: "deepgram",
            providers: {
              deepgram: {
                apiKey: "${DEEPGRAM_API_KEY}",
                model: "nova-3",
                endpointingMs: 800,
                language: "en-US",
              },
            },
          },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

Notes

Authentication

Authentication follows the standard provider auth order. DEEPGRAM_API_KEY is the simplest path.

Proxy and custom endpoints

Override endpoints or headers with tools.media.audio.baseUrl and tools.media.audio.headers when using a proxy.

Output behavior

Output follows the same audio rules as other providers (size caps, timeouts, transcript injection).

Media tools

Audio, image, and video processing pipeline overview.

Configuration

Full config reference including media tool settings.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and debugging steps.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about OpenClaw setup.