Add Voice Transcription

Add Voice Transcription

This skill adds automatic voice message transcription using ElevenLabs Scribe API. When a voice note arrives, it is downloaded, transcribed, and delivered to the agent as [Voice: <transcript>].

Phase 1: Pre-flight

Check if already applied

Read .ghostclaw/state.yaml. If voice-transcription is in applied_skills, skip to Phase 3 (Configure). The code changes are already in place.

Ask the user

Use AskUserQuestion to collect information:

AskUserQuestion: Do you have an ElevenLabs API key?

If yes, collect it now. If no, direct them to create one at https://elevenlabs.io — sign up and get an API key from Settings > API Keys.

Phase 2: Apply Code Changes

Run the skills engine to apply this skill's code package.

Initialize skills system (if needed)

If .ghostclaw/ directory doesn't exist yet:

npx tsx scripts/apply-skill.ts --init

Apply the skill

npx tsx scripts/apply-skill.ts .claude/skills/add-voice-transcription

This deterministically:

• Adds src/transcription.ts (voice transcription module using ElevenLabs Scribe)
• Three-way merges voice handling into src/channels/whatsapp.ts (isVoiceMessage check, transcribeAudioMessage call)
• Three-way merges transcription tests into src/channels/whatsapp.test.ts (mock + 3 test cases)
• Updates .env.example with ELEVENLABS_API_KEY
• Records the application in .ghostclaw/state.yaml

If the apply reports merge conflicts, read the intent files:

• modify/src/channels/whatsapp.ts.intent.md — what changed and invariants for whatsapp.ts
• modify/src/channels/whatsapp.test.ts.intent.md — what changed for whatsapp.test.ts

Validate code changes

npm test
npm run build

All tests must pass (including the 3 new voice transcription tests) and build must be clean before proceeding.

Phase 3: Configure

Get ElevenLabs API key (if needed)

If the user doesn't have an API key:

I need you to create an ElevenLabs API key:

1. Go to https://elevenlabs.io and sign up (free tier available)
2. Go to Settings > API Keys
3. Click "Create API Key"
4. Copy the key

The Scribe transcription API is included in all ElevenLabs plans.

Wait for the user to provide the key.

Add to environment

Add to .env:

ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=<their-key>

Build and restart

npm run build
launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/com.ghostclaw  # macOS
# Linux: systemctl --user restart ghostclaw

Phase 4: Verify

Test with a voice note

Tell the user:

Send a voice note in any registered chat (Telegram or WhatsApp). The agent should receive it as [Voice: <transcript>] and respond to its content.

Check logs if needed

tail -f logs/ghostclaw.log | grep -i voice

Look for:

• ElevenLabs transcription complete — successful transcription with character count
• ELEVENLABS_API_KEY not set — key missing from .env
• ElevenLabs STT failed — API error (check key validity)
• Failed to download audio message — media download issue

Troubleshooting

Voice notes show "[Voice Message - transcription unavailable]"

1. Check ELEVENLABS_API_KEY is set in .env
2. Verify key works: curl -s https://api.elevenlabs.io/v1/user -H "xi-api-key: $ELEVENLABS_API_KEY" | head -c 200

Voice notes show "[Voice Message - transcription failed]"

Check logs for the specific error. Common causes:

• Network timeout — transient, will work on next message
• Invalid API key — regenerate at https://elevenlabs.io Settings > API Keys
• Rate limiting — wait and retry

Agent doesn't respond to voice notes

Verify the chat is registered and the agent is running. Voice transcription only runs for registered groups.