Help Needed: Connecting React Frontend with Vapi AI
I’ve built a system with these parts:
FastAPI backend for file uploads (gives a file_id)
Vapi AI assistant that uses files as a knowledge base
React frontend for user interaction
Everything works fine until the last step. I can upload files through React and get the file_id from FastAPI. But I’m scratching my head trying to figure out how to pass this file_id to the Vapi assistant from my React app.
I’ve looked through the docs but can’t find a clear answer. Has anyone done this before? Any tips or code snippets would be super helpful!
// Pseudocode of what I'm trying to do
const handleFileUpload = async (file) => {
const fileId = await uploadToBackend(file);
// How do I use this fileId with Vapi assistant?
// sendToVapiAssistant(fileId); // <-- This is what I need help with
};
Hey there! Have u thought about using websockets? They could be a neat way to send file_id from React to Vapi in real-time. What kinda files are u working with? I’m curious how complex ur knowledge base is. Have u considered alternatives to Vapi for this setup?
hey swiftcoder, i struggled with this too! have u tried using the vapi sdk in ur react app? u can initialize the assistant there and pass the file_id as a parameter when starting a conversation. something like:
const assistant = new VapiAssistant(apiKey);
assistant.startConversation({ fileId: uploadedFileId });
yo swiftcoder, have u thought bout using a state management library like Redux? u could store the file_id there after upload, then access it in the component that talks to Vapi. just an idea, might make things smoother. whats ur backend stack look like btw?
I’ve encountered a similar challenge in my projects. One effective approach is to use an API endpoint in your FastAPI backend that acts as a bridge between your React frontend and the Vapi assistant. After uploading the file and receiving the file_id, you can make a POST request to this endpoint, passing the file_id. The backend can then use the Vapi SDK to initialize the assistant with the file_id.