> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.corti.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Commands

> Learn how to build custom speech to text commands

A key functionality that brings an application from speech to text to a complete dictation solution is Commands. Put your users in the driver seat to control their workflow by defining commands to insert templates, navigate the application, automate repetitive tasks, and more!

<Card title="Feature availability:">
  <Columns cols={3}>
    <Card icon="circle-check" horizontal href="/stt/transcribe">
      /transcribe
    </Card>

    <Card icon="circle-x" horizontal href="/stt/streams">
      /streams
    </Card>

    <Card icon="circle-x" horizontal href="/stt/transcripts">
      /transcripts
    </Card>
  </Columns>

  <br />

  <Tip>
    See the full API specification [here](/api-reference/transcribe#commands) for more information on how to define commands in your configuration.
  </Tip>
</Card>

***

## API Definitions

Commands are set in dictation configuration when directly calling the `/transcribe` API or when using the Dictation Web Component.

Explanation of parameters used in `/transcribe` command configuration:

| Parameter | Type   | Definition                                                                                                                                                 |
| :-------- | :----- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| id        | string | Identifier for the command when it is detected by the speech recognizer.                                                                                   |
| phrases   | array  | Word sequence that is spoken to trigger the command.                                                                                                       |
| variables | array  | Placeholder in command phrases to define one or more words that can trigger the command. Variables can be defined as an enum list or open-ended wildcards. |

***

## Commands with `enum` Variables

When configured commands are recognized by the server, the `command` object will be returned over the web socket (as opposed to the `transcript` object for speech recognized text), which includes the  command `ID` and `variables` that the integrating application uses to execute the defined action.

Below are some examples, including both the request configuration and server response.

<Info>Note that the `id`, `phrases`, and `variables` shown below are mere examples. Define these values as needed for your own commands. Additionally, your application must manage the actions to be triggered by recognized commands.</Info>

### Navigation

Command to navigate around your application (e.g., to a section within the current document template). The command includes a defined list of words that can be recognized for the `section_key` variable.

<CodeGroup>
  ```json Command config: Navigation icon="square-code" expandable  theme={null}
  commands: [
      {
        id: "go_to_section",
        phrases: ["go to {section_key} section"],
        variables: [
          {
            key: "section_key",
            type: "enum",
            enum: ["subjective", "objective", "assessment", "plan", "next", "previous"]
          }
        ]
      }
  ]
  ```

  ```json Server response theme={null}
  {
      "type": "command",
      "data": {
          "id": "go_to_section",
          "variables": {
              "section_key": "assessment"
          },
          "rawTranscriptText": "Go to assessment section.",
          "start": 47.58,
          "end": 48.57
      }
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### Select Text

Command to select text in the editor. The command includes a defined list of words that can be recognized for the `select_range` variable. Your application can define different delete actions for each of the options, or add more complex handling for selecting specific words mentioned in the command utterance.

<CodeGroup>
  ```json Command config: Select text icon="square-code" expandable  theme={null}
  commands: [
      {
        id: "select_range",
        phrases: ["select {select_range}"],
        variables: [
          {
            key: "select_range",
            type: "enum",
            enum: ["all", "the last word", "the last sentence"]
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  ```

  ```js Server response theme={null}
  {
      "type": "command",
      "data": {
          "id": "select_range",
          "variables": {
              "select_range": "all"
          },
          "rawTranscriptText": "Select all.",
          "start": 8.06,
          "end": 8.88
      }
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### Delete Text

Command to delete text. The command includes a defined list of words that can be recognized for the `delete_range` variable. Your application can define different delete actions for each of the options!

<CodeGroup>
  ```json Command config: Delete text icon="square-code" expandable  theme={null}
  commands: [
      {
        id: "delete_range",
        phrases: ["delete {delete_range}"],
        variables: [
          {
            key: "delete_range",
            type: "enum",
            enum: ["everything", "the last word", "the last sentence", "that"]
          }
        ]
      }
  ]
  ```

  ```json Server response theme={null}
  {
      "type": "command",
      "data": {
          "id": "delete_range",
          "variables": {
              "delete_range": "that"
          },
          "rawTranscriptText": "Delete that.",
          "start": 7.19,
          "end": 8.01
      }
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Putting it All Together

The three commands defined above can be combined into one dictation configuration with accompanying Javascript to execute the actions. The below example includes `navigation commands` to move between sections within the SOAP note template, `delete text` command to remove last word, sentence, or paragraph, and `select text` commands to select text within the active text field:

<CodeGroup>
  ```js title="index.js" expandable theme={null}
  import { deleteLastSentence, deleteLastWord, getActiveTextarea, hideInterim, insertAtSelection, selectLastSentence, selectLastWord, setActiveTextarea, setCommandOutput, showInterim } from "./helpers.js";

  // Assumes you already have:
  // - dictation (the Dictation Web Component instance)
  // - textareas (array of editable fields)
  // - activeIndex (index of the currently active field)

  const ui = {
    interimTranscript: document.getElementById("interimTranscript"),
    commandOutput: document.getElementById("commandOutput"),
  };

  dictation.dictationConfig = {
    primaryLanguage: "en",
    spokenPunctuation: true,
    automaticPunctuation: false,
    commands: [
      {
        id: "go_to_section",
        phrases: ["go to {section_key} section"],
        variables: [
          {
            key: "section_key",
            type: "enum",
            enum: ["subjective", "objective", "assessment", "plan", "next", "previous"],
          },
        ],
      },
      {
        id: "delete_range",
        phrases: ["delete {delete_range}"],
        variables: [
          {
            key: "delete_range",
            type: "enum",
            enum: ["everything", "the last word", "the last sentence", "that"],
          },
        ],
      },
      {
        id: "select_range",
        phrases: ["select {select_range}"],
        variables: [
          {
            key: "select_range",
            type: "enum",
            enum: ["all", "the last word", "the last sentence"],
          },
        ],
      },
    ],
  };

  dictation.addEventListener("transcript", (e) => {
    const { data } = e.detail;
    const textarea = getActiveTextarea({ textareas, activeIndex });

    if (data.isFinal) {
      insertAtSelection(textarea, `${data.text} `);
      hideInterim(ui);
      return;
    }

    showInterim(ui, data.rawTranscriptText);
  });

  dictation.addEventListener("command", (e) => {
    const { data } = e.detail;
    hideInterim(ui);

    if (data.id === "go_to_section") {
      const section = data.variables.section_key.toLowerCase();

      if (section === "next") {
        ({ activeIndex } = setActiveTextarea({ textareas, activeIndex }, activeIndex + 1));
        setCommandOutput(ui, `Command: ${data.id} (section: ${section})`);
        return;
      }

      if (section === "previous") {
        ({ activeIndex } = setActiveTextarea({ textareas, activeIndex }, activeIndex - 1));
        setCommandOutput(ui, `Command: ${data.id} (section: ${section})`);
        return;
      }

      const index = textareas.findIndex((el) => el.id.toLowerCase() === section);
      if (index !== -1) ({ activeIndex } = setActiveTextarea({ textareas, activeIndex }, index));

      setCommandOutput(ui, `Command: ${data.id} (section: ${section})`);
      return;
    }

    if (data.id === "delete_range") {
      const range = data.variables.delete_range.toLowerCase();
      const textarea = getActiveTextarea({ textareas, activeIndex });

      if (range === "everything") {
        textarea.value = "";
        setCommandOutput(ui, `Command: ${data.id} (range: ${range})`);
        return;
      }

      if (range === "the last word") {
        textarea.value = deleteLastWord(textarea.value);
        setCommandOutput(ui, `Command: ${data.id} (range: ${range})`);
        return;
      }

      if (range === "the last sentence") {
        textarea.value = deleteLastSentence(textarea.value);
        setCommandOutput(ui, `Command: ${data.id} (range: ${range})`);
        return;
      }

      if (range === "that") {
        const start = textarea.selectionStart ?? 0;
        const end = textarea.selectionEnd ?? 0;

        textarea.value =
          start !== end ? textarea.value.slice(0, start) + textarea.value.slice(end) : deleteLastWord(textarea.value);

        setCommandOutput(ui, `Command: ${data.id} (range: ${range})`);
        return;
      }
    }

    if (data.id === "select_range") {
      const range = data.variables.select_range.toLowerCase();
      const textarea = getActiveTextarea({ textareas, activeIndex });

      if (range === "all") {
        textarea.focus();
        textarea.setSelectionRange(0, textarea.value.length);
        setCommandOutput(ui, `Command: ${data.id} (range: ${range})`);
        return;
      }

      if (range === "the last word") {
        selectLastWord(textarea);
        setCommandOutput(ui, `Command: ${data.id} (range: ${range})`);
        return;
      }

      if (range === "the last sentence") {
        selectLastSentence(textarea);
        setCommandOutput(ui, `Command: ${data.id} (range: ${range})`);
        return;
      }
    }
  });
  ```

  ```js title="helpers.js" theme={null}
  export function getActiveTextarea(state) {
    return state.textareas[state.activeIndex];
  }

  export function setActiveTextarea(state, nextIndex) {
    const index = Math.max(0, Math.min(nextIndex, state.textareas.length - 1));
    state.textareas[index]?.focus();
    return { activeIndex: index };
  }

  export function hideInterim(ui) {
    ui.interimTranscript?.classList.add("hidden");
  }

  export function showInterim(ui, text) {
    if (!ui.interimTranscript) return;
    ui.interimTranscript.classList.remove("hidden");
    ui.interimTranscript.textContent = text;
  }

  export function setCommandOutput(ui, text) {
    if (!ui.commandOutput) return;
    ui.commandOutput.textContent = text;
  }

  export function insertAtSelection(textarea, text) {
    const start = textarea.selectionStart ?? 0;
    const end = textarea.selectionEnd ?? 0;

    textarea.value = textarea.value.slice(0, start) + text + textarea.value.slice(end);

    const cursor = start + text.length;
    textarea.setSelectionRange(cursor, cursor);
  }

  export function deleteLastWord(text) {
    const words = text.trim().split(/\s+/);
    words.pop();
    return words.length ? `${words.join(" ")} ` : "";
  }

  export function deleteLastSentence(text) {
    const sentences = text.match(/[^.!?]+[.!?]*\s*/g) ?? [];
    sentences.pop();
    return sentences.join("");
  }

  export function selectLastWord(textarea) {
    const value = textarea.value;
    const trimmed = value.trimEnd();
    const lastSpace = trimmed.lastIndexOf(" ");
    const start = lastSpace === -1 ? 0 : lastSpace + 1;
    textarea.focus();
    textarea.setSelectionRange(start, trimmed.length);
  }

  export function selectLastSentence(textarea) {
    const value = textarea.value;
    const sentences = value.match(/[^.!?]+[.!?]*\s*/g) ?? [];
    if (!sentences.length) return;

    const start = sentences.slice(0, -1).reduce((acc, s) => acc + s.length, 0);
    const end = start + sentences[sentences.length - 1].length;

    textarea.focus();
    textarea.setSelectionRange(start, end);
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

***

## Commands with Wildcard Variables

### `coming soon - Q2 2026`

Unlike `enum` variables that are defined as part of the command configuration, `wildcard` variables provide the ability to recognize a command based on undefined, open-ended text.

A literal trigger word is required before defining a wildcard variable, such as "select" or "insert before".

Commands with wildcard variables are recognized *after* commands with enumerated variables, so that defined matches are recognized first when there are overlapping phrase terms defined.

<Accordion title="Wildcard Command - Example Sequence">
  Using the "select\_text" command to replace text existing in the document:

  <Steps titleSize="h3">
    <Step title="Command configuration" icon="braces">
      ```json Command config: select_text icon="square-code" highlight={7-8} theme={null}
      {
        commands: [
          {
            id: "select_text",
            phrases: ["select {utterance}"],
            variables: [
              {
                key: "utterance",
                type: "wildcard"
              }
            ]
          }
        ]
      }
      ```
    </Step>

    <Step title="Speech" icon="audio-lines">
      `Dictation`: "The patient is a forty year old male comma here today for annual well visit period he is known to have diabetes and hypertension and his last fasting A1c was six point eight percent period"
    </Step>

    <Step title="STT response" icon="braces">
      `Transcript`: "The patient is a 40-year-old male, here today for annual well visit. He is known to have diabetes and hypertension and his last fasting A1c was 6.8%."
    </Step>

    <Step title="Speech" icon="audio-lines">
      `Dictation`: "select male"
    </Step>

    <Step title="STT response" icon="braces">
      ```json Server response: select_text command icon="square-code" highlight={5} theme={null}
      {
          "type": "command",
          "data": {
              "id": "select_text",
              "variables": {"utterance": "male"},
              "rawTranscriptText": "select male",
              "start": 7.19,
              "end": 8.01
          }
      }
      ```
    </Step>

    <Step title="Client app/ UI" icon="text-cursor">
      `Highlight`: "male"
    </Step>

    <Step title="Speech" icon="audio-lines">
      `Dictation`:"female"
    </Step>

    <Step title="STT response" icon="braces">
      `Transcript`: "female"
    </Step>

    <Step title="Client app/ UI" icon="text-cursor">
      `Insert (overwrite) text`: ~~male~~ female
    </Step>
  </Steps>

  <br />
</Accordion>

***

## Additional Information

### Best Practices

**[Click here](/stt/best-practices-commands)** for more info on how to build commands effectively.

### More Examples

**[Click here](https://github.com/corticph/corti-examples/tree/main/dictation/commands)** for a library of command configurations ready for use.

<br />

<Note>
  Use of commands is **optional** for dictation configuration. They should be configured based on how the integrating application will perform the actions.

  Please [contact us](https://help.corti.app) to report errors, or for more information on this feature.
</Note>