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

# Ask Block

> Configure the LLM-powered Ask Block to capture specific user inputs effectively.

The **Ask Block** is an LLM-powered component designed to ask a single, specific question to the user. It simplifies your conversation workflow by dedicating one optimized block to one specific task.

Instead of writing complex logic chains, the Ask Block utilizes a pre-trained model to handle user inputs, understand context, and drive the conversation forward.

## Key Components

### 1. Prompt Section

This is the core instruction for the Voice AI Agent. Because the block is pre-trained, you do not need to provide a complex system prompt.

Simply input the specific question you want the agent to ask. The system will automatically convert this into a highly optimized Voice AI prompt.

**Example:**

* **Do:** "What is the size of the apartment you are looking to buy?"
* **Don't:** "You are a real estate agent. You need to ask the user about the apartment size. If they say small, ask..."

### 2. Add Condition

This optional setting acts as a "Gatekeeper" for the conversation flow. It defines the logic required for the agent to move to the next node.

* **How it works:** If the condition is not met, the agent will loop on this node until the user provides the required information.
* **Example:** "The condition is achieved if the user has stated their apartment size requirement in sqft."

### 3. Finetuning

Use this section to train the AI on specific edge cases to improve model accuracy. You can provide "Few-Shot" examples (conversation history + expected agent response).

<Tip>
  Finetuning is highly recommended if your question involves industry-specific jargon or if you expect ambiguous answers from users.
</Tip>

***

## Settings & Configuration

The Settings section provides granular control over the AI Agent's behavior, specifically regarding latency, interruptions, and fallback logic.

### Retry Logic

**"After how many tries should the bot exit the block?"**

This setting prevents the agent from getting stuck in an infinite loop.

* **Function:** If the user fails to provide the required information after the specified count, the agent will "hard exit" the block and follow the **Fallback Node** connection.
* **Use Case:** Ideal for optional information collection. If the user declines to answer multiple times, the agent can gracefully move on.

### Conversation History

**Enable Conversation History** allows the agent to remember context from earlier in the call.

* **Enabled:** The agent delivers a personalized experience referencing previous answers.
* **Disabled:** Useful for mandatory disclosures or legal statements where the script must be followed exactly without being influenced by prior context.

### Barge-in (Interruptions)

This control determines if the user can interrupt the agent while it is speaking.

* **Enabled (Recommended):** Creates a natural, humane conversation flow.
* **Disabled:** Use this for compliance statements or critical instructions where the agent *must* finish speaking. User audio during this time is ignored by the flow logic but is still captured in the transcript.

### Nudge

Controls how the agent handles extended periods of silence.

* **Default:** The agent repeats the question in a slightly altered way to re-engage the user.
* **Disabled:** The agent will wait indefinitely (or until global timeout) if the user does not speak.

### AnswerFlow

AnswerFlow allows the Ask Block to leverage your knowledge base (RAG) to answer user queries that might arise during the block's execution.

* **Document Selection:** Select specific tags (e.g., `refund`, `credit-card`) to limit the knowledge base scope. If left blank, the entire library is used.
* **Response Formatting:** Define the persona or format for the answer (e.g., "Short and concise," "Descriptive").

<Warning>
  **Latency Alert:** Enabling AnswerFlow requires the agent to search and retrieve documents, which will add latency to the response time. Use only when necessary.
</Warning>

### Speech Normalization

Converts structured data (numbers, dates, units) into natural speech text. You can choose from the list of normalization options supported.

* **Example:** Converts "1000sqft" to "one thousand square feet."

<Warning>
  **Latency Alert:** Only add normalizations required for the specific block. Adding unnecessary normalizations increases processing time and latency.
</Warning>

### Expressiveness

This setting adjusts the flexibility of the AI Agent's tone, allowing you to control the creativity and variance of responses.

* **Range**: 0 (Concise) to 1 (Chatty).
* **Default**: 0.5.

**Usage Guidelines:**

* **Low (Concise)**: Use for consistent, precise answers where factual accuracy is prioritized.
* **High (Chatty)**: Use for more creative, varied responses to make the conversation feel more natural and human-like.

<Tip>
  **Best Practices:**

  * For sections that require **exact compliance** with policies or strict scripts, it is best to use a **low value**.
  * When creating **introductions** or small talk, we recommend a setting of at least **mid-way (0.5 or higher)** to ensure naturalness.
</Tip>

### Exit Condition & Variable Extraction

These conditions determine when the agent successfully leaves the block. You can also extract variables (slots) from the conversation here.

<Warning>
  **Performance Best Practice:** Extracting variables at this stage leads to higher latency.

  We recommend **avoiding variable extraction** within the Ask Block unless that data is immediately required in the very next step of the flow. For data analysis, utilize **Post-Call Insights** to extract information after the call concludes.
</Warning>