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[Suggestion] Pipecat WhatsApp real-time voice calling with Deepgram STT (Python) #253

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Description

@deepgram-robot

What to build

A working example showing how to build a real-time voice agent that makes and receives voice calls over WhatsApp using Pipecat's new WhatsApp transport with Deepgram as the STT provider.

Why this matters

WhatsApp has over 2 billion users globally and is the primary business communication channel in India, Brazil, and Southeast Asia. Developers building voice AI for these markets need a clear path from "Deepgram API key" to "working WhatsApp voice agent." Pipecat's new bidirectional WhatsApp voice transport already uses Deepgram STT as the default provider — this example captures that momentum and shows developers how to build on it.

Suggested scope

  • Language: Python
  • Framework: Pipecat (v1.1.0+) with small-webrtc-transport and WhatsApp Cloud API
  • Deepgram APIs: STT (Nova-3 streaming), TTS (Aura)
  • What it should include:
    • Inbound WhatsApp voice call handling via webhook
    • Outbound WhatsApp voice call initiation within the 7-day callback window
    • Deepgram STT for real-time transcription
    • Deepgram TTS for voice responses
    • A simple LLM-powered conversational agent
    • WhatsApp Cloud API authentication setup
  • Complexity: Medium — requires Meta Business Account and WhatsApp Cloud API credentials

Acceptance criteria

  • Runnable with minimal setup (clone, add API keys, run)
  • README explains the WhatsApp Cloud API setup clearly
  • Uses current Pipecat and Deepgram SDK versions
  • Handles both inbound and outbound call flows
  • Includes error handling for WhatsApp webhook edge cases

Raised by the DX intelligence system.

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