# Voice Notification Guide


Create personalized voice notifications for transactional, security related, and accessible communications with the Voice Notification Builder.

## Creating a Voice Notification
From your [Dyspatch dashboard](https://app.dyspatch.io/workspaces), or from a workspace folder, select **Voice** from the **Create** dropdown menu.

![Create new Voice Notification menu option](https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/voice/voice-create.png)

Select a workspace for your push notification, give it a name, and an optional description.

### Adding Voice Notification Content
Add the notification content for your customer to have read out to them.

![Text being built in the SMS builder](https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/voice/voice-adding-content.png)

#### Voice Notification Personalization
Use [DML Variables](/dml_101/part3_templating/#dml-templating) to include dynamic content to your voice notifications. Include sample data on the **Personalize** tab, or use your organization's [customer profiles](/emails/using_customer_profiles/). All DML variable key names are enclosed in `@{}`.

![Character count with a voice message with DML variables first_name and order_number](https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/voice/voice-character-count.png)

Preview your personalized variables by toggling on **Preview Dynamic Data** from the **Personalize** tab.


![Arrow pointing to the preview dynamic data tab in the voice notification builder](https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/voice/voice-data-preview.png)

View more on [testing with preview data](/emails/testing_your_email_with_preview_data/).

#### Voice Notification Character Counts
The voice notification character count of 4,096 characters helps you stay within the basic TTS (Text to Voice) byte character limits.

![Character count with a voice message with DML variables first_name and order_number](https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/voice/voice-character-count.png)

<div class="highlight tip"><a href="#voice-notification-personalization" >Dynamic Variable</a> lengths cannot be calculated. It is advised to test a variety of possible data sets</div>

## Previewing Voice Notifications
The voice notification builder offers 2 ways to preview voice notifications, **Hear Message** and **Send Test**.

![Arrows pointing at the hear message and send test preview options in the voice notification builder](https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/voice/voice-previews.png)

To listen to a readout of your notification in the app, select the **Hear Message** icon at the top right of the app.

To send a test notification to a phone number, click the **Send Test** button and enter a valid phone number in the modal to trigger a voice notification to be sent.

![Send a test modal with a mocked phone number in the phone number field](https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/voice/voice-send-test.png)

## Using Voice Notification Conditionals
Create voice notification variations and apply conditions to ensure the right customer receives the right notification.

### Creating Voice Notification Variants
Select **Create variant** below the last variant in the list and modify the content for the additional scenario.

![Arrow pointing to the create variant button in the voice notification builder](https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/voice/voice-create-variant.png)

### Conditionally Rendering Voice Variants
Select the **Edit Conditional** button next to a variant to bring up the **conditional display** builder.

Select **Add Logic** and include the condition to read out that variant when equated to true. In the following example, if the customer's data includes *order_ready* and it is *true*, they will be read *Variant 1*.

![Conditional example displaying variant 1 if order_ready is equal to true](https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/voice/voice-conditional.png)

<div class="highlight tip">A common practice is to include an <b>else</b> fallback to catch all remaining instances</div>

## Localizing Voice Notifications
Use the **Localizations** tab to add translations to voice notifications.

<div class="highlight note">If your organization uses the two-step localization approval process, localizations will be added after the content has been approved. See more on <a href="/emails/submitting_an_email#localization-approval-workflow">localization approval workflow here</a></div>

Navigate to the Localizations tab in the voice notification builder to create a new localization. Select a language and give the localization a name that your team will recognize. This name is for your reference only and can follow any naming convention that works for your team.

![Create a localization modal with French selected](https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/emails/localization-create.png)

Select a locale from the list, click on the section of text you'd like to add translations for, and edit the content in the locale dropdown, working within the conditional statements of the content.

<img class="img-border" src="https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/voice/voice-add-locale.gif" alt="Adding locale of Spanish with es-ES language code, then clicking in to edit the translation content" />

<div class="highlight tip">Find more localization tips and learn how to integrate your account with Phrase, Smartling, or XTM translation services at the <a href="https://docs.dyspatch.io/localization/" target="_blank">Localization menu</a></div>

## Collaborate with Comments

Working in teams is what it's all about! Get input from stakeholders to produce the most engaging and informative SMS content possible!

Anyone on your team can add comments at any time during the building process. Mention team members with the `@` symbol, resolve comments, see comment history, and check approval state changes all from the **Collaborate** tab.

![A comment left on a voice notification with the message, LGTM](https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/voice/voice-comment.png)

To further collaboration, include an external copy guide on the **Build > Project Links** tab. This ensures everyone involved is using the same reference material.

![Project Link modal](https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/sms/sms-project-link.png)

## Approval Process

Submit your voice notification for feedback and approval from team members and stakeholders before publishing. Workspace owners and any assigned approvers will be notified.

<img class="center-block img-border" src="https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/voice/voice-submit-approval.gif" alt="Submitting a voice notification for approval and including a message" />

Once submitted, your draft will be locked in the **Submitted** state. Someone will either **reject** the draft, making it editable again, or **approve** the draft. Approved drafts are in the locked **Approved** state.

<div class="highlight note">Org admins and workspace owners are able to <a href="/emails/submitting_an_email/#skip-approval-and-publish/">skip approval and publish</a></div>

For more on the approval process:
- [Submitting an email for approval](/emails/submitting_an_email/)
- [Draft statuses](/emails/email_statuses/)

## Export Voice Notifications

Congratulations! Your notification has been approved and is ready to be added to your notification sending platform!

Click **Export** in the top right of the voice notification builder.

Pick from a selection of templating languages to **Download** or **Copy** your notification in the format you need. Upload the code to your notification sending service to keep your customers in the know.

![Modal with voice download language options django, handlebars, jinja, liquid, and handlebars.java](https://docs.dyspatch.io/img/voice/voice-export.png)