api-input-attachments.md

copyright	lastupdated	subcollection
years 2015, 2023	2023-10-24	watson-assistant

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Processing input attachments

{: #api-input-attachments}

If you are building a custom channel application by using the REST API, you can add support for sending media files as input attachments. {: shortdesc}

The request body of the message method supports an attachments array, which can specify up to 5 media objects. Media objects that are sent in the attachments array can be intercepted and processed by a configured premessage webhook.

For detailed information about how to access attachments by using the API, see the API reference{: external}.

Examples

{: #api-input-attachments-examples}

The following example shows the request body that is sent to a premessage webhook with a message body that includes the text Hello and a JPEG image file as an attachment. The application that receives the webhook request can parse the attachments array and process the attachment, optionally modifying the message, before it is processed by the assistant.

{
  "event":{
    "name":"message_received"
  },
  "options":{
  },
  "payload":{
    "input":{
      "message_type":"text",
      "text":"Hello",
      "source":{
        "type":"user",
        "id":"00000000000000000000000000000000"
      },
      "options":{
        "suggestion_only":false,
        "return_context":true
      },
      "attachments": [
        {
          "media_type": "image/jpeg",
          "url": "https://example.com/yourphoto.jpeg"
        }
      ]
    },
    "context":{
      "global":{
        "system":{
          "user_id":"00000000000000000000000000000000"
        }
      },
      "integrations":{
        "text_messaging":{
          "assistant_phone_number":"+12223334444",
          "private":{
            "user_phone_number":"+14443332222",
            "request_id":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
            "ip_address":"172.10.10.10"
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

{: codeblock}

This example shows a stateful /message request that is sent by a custom channel application and including a single media attachment.

service
  .message({
    assistant_id: '{assistant_id}',
    session_id: '{session_id}',
    input: {
      message_type: 'text',
      text: 'Hello',
      attachments: [
        {
          'media_type': 'image/jpeg',
          'url': 'https://example.com/yourphoto.jpeg'
        }
      ]
    }
  })
  .then(res => {
    console.log(JSON.stringify(res, null, 2));
  })
  .catch(err => {
    console.log(err);
  });

{: codeblock} {: javascript}

response=service.message(
    assistant_id='{assistant_id}',
    session_id='{session_id}',
    input={
        'message_type': 'text',
        'text': 'Hello',
        'attachments': [
            {
                'media_type': 'image/jpeg',
                'url': 'https://example.com/yourphoto.jpeg'
            }
        ]
    }
).get_result()

print(json.dumps(response, indent=2))

{: codeblock} {: python}