***

id: 35610872-2be6-4e59-9819-ff57a18b5181
title: Introduction to SWML
subtitle: Build powerful communication applications with the SignalWire Markup Language
description: Get started with SWML (SignalWire Markup Language), a markup and scripting language for quickly writing powerful communication applications in YAML or JSON documents.
slug: /
max-toc-depth: 3
---------------------

For a complete index of all SignalWire documentation pages, fetch https://signalwire.com/docs/llms.txt

SWML is a markup and scripting language for quickly writing powerful communication applications in YAML or JSON documents.
SWML is easy to use, and enables you to create powerful voice and messaging applications using a descriptive format.

SWML scripts can be deployed serverlessly via the SignalWire Dashboard, via your own server, or using the
[Agents SDK](/docs/server-sdks).
For a comprehensive breakdown, see our [SWML deployment guide](/docs/swml/guides/deployment).

* **Server or serverless**: Serve SWML from your own server or via the SignalWire platform
* **Powerful**: Handle voice calls, messaging, AI agents, and more
* **Simple**: Declarative, composable format that's easy to learn, maintain, and scale
* **Extensible**: Integrate native AI, functions, and external APIs

Whether you're building simple call forwarding systems or complex AI-powered customer service agents, SWML provides the tools you need to deploy sophisticated communication workflows.

## Core concepts

### Document structure

Every SWML script follows this basic structure in either YAML or JSON format:

<CodeBlocks>
  <CodeBlock title="YAML">
    ```yaml
    version: 1.0.0
    sections:
      main:
        - method1: {}
        - method2:
            parameter: value
    ```
  </CodeBlock>

  <CodeBlock title="JSON">
    ```json
    {
      "version": "1.0.0",
      "sections": {
        "main": [
          {
            "method1": {}
          },
          {
            "method2": {
              "parameter": "value"
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
    ```
  </CodeBlock>
</CodeBlocks>

<ParamField path="version" type="string" optional toc={true}>
  Always use `1.0.0` (the only supported version).
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="sections" type="object" required toc={true}>
  Contains all script sections.
</ParamField>

<Indent>
  <ParamField path="main" type="object[]" required toc={true}>
    Required starting section where execution always begins.
    Accepts an array of [SWML methods](/docs/swml/reference).
  </ParamField>

  <ParamField path="*" type="object[]" optional toc={true}>
    Additional user-defined sections, invoked from `main` using [program flow control methods](/docs/swml/guides/goto-execute-transfer-disambiguation).

    User-defined sections can use any text string as the property. Like `main`, user-defined sections accept an array of [SWML methods](/docs/swml/reference).
  </ParamField>
</Indent>

### Sections

**Sections** are named blocks of code that organize your script.
Each section is an array of
[methods](/docs/swml/reference)
to execute.

All SWML scripts start with the `main` section, but you can create additional sections for different tasks (like `sales`, `support`, `menu`). Use the following methods to move between sections:

* **[`execute`](/docs/swml/reference/execute)**: Calls a section like a function and returns to the current section
* **[`transfer`](/docs/swml/reference/transfer)**: Transfers control permanently to another section

### Methods

[Methods](/docs/swml/reference) are the commands that tell SWML what to do during a call -
like answering, playing audio, collecting input, or instantiating an AI Agent.
Think of them as the instructions in your script.

## Document-fetching webhook \[#document-fetching-webhook]

When a SWML script is hosted on an external URL (set in phone number settings, or invoked via [`execute`](/docs/swml/reference/execute) or [`transfer`](/docs/swml/reference/transfer)),
SignalWire sends a POST request to that URL to fetch the SWML document. The request body contains the current call state and any variables or parameters set by the calling script.

Several SWML methods also use this same request format when fetching SWML from a URL (e.g., [`join_conference.wait_url`](/docs/swml/reference/join-conference#properties), [`enter_queue.wait_url`](/docs/swml/reference/enter-queue#properties), [`connect.confirm`](/docs/swml/reference/connect#properties)).

### Request body

<ParamField path="call" type="object" toc={true}>
  Information about the current call, including `call_id`, `from`, `to`, `type`, `headers`, and more. See the [Variables reference](/docs/swml/reference/variables) for all `call` properties.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="vars" type="object" toc={true}>
  Script variables set by prior SWML execution (via [`set`](/docs/swml/reference/set) or method outputs). Empty on a fresh incoming call.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="params" type="object" toc={true}>
  Parameters explicitly passed by [`execute`](/docs/swml/reference/execute) or [`transfer`](/docs/swml/reference/transfer). Empty on a fresh incoming call.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="envs" type="object" toc={true}>
  Environment variables configured at the account or project level.
</ParamField>

### Raw JSON example

```json
{
  "call": {
    "call_id": "xxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "node_id": "xxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "segment_id": "xxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "call_state": "created",
    "direction": "inbound",
    "type": "phone",
    "from": "+15551231234",
    "to": "+15553214321",
    "headers": [],
    "project_id": "xxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "space_id": "xxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx"
  },
  "vars": {},
  "params": {},
  "envs": {}
}
```

### Expected response

Your server must respond with a valid SWML document using one of these content types: `application/json`, `application/yaml`, or `text/x-yaml`.

For the full variable reference and a detailed JSON example, see [Variables](/docs/swml/reference/variables#example-variables-in-json-format).
For server setup instructions, see the [Deployment guide](/docs/swml/guides/deployment).

## Basic SWML examples

Here are some basic SWML examples utilizing these core concepts for Text to Speech and Call Forwarding:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Text to Speech">
    Create a simple text-to-speech greeting:

    <CodeBlocks>
      <CodeBlock title="YAML">
        ```yaml
        version: 1.0.0
        sections:
          main:
            - play:
                url: "say:Hello from Signal Wire! Have a great day!"
            - hangup
        ```
      </CodeBlock>

      <CodeBlock title="JSON">
        ```json
        {
          "version": "1.0.0",
          "sections": {
            "main": [
              {
                "play": {
                  "url": "say:Hello from Signal Wire! Have a great day!"
                }
              },
              "hangup"
            ]
          }
        }
        ```
      </CodeBlock>
    </CodeBlocks>

    This script will answer the incoming call, play a greeting message using text-to-speech, and then hang up.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Call Forwarding">
    Forward incoming calls to another number:

    <CodeBlocks>
      <CodeBlock title="YAML">
        ```yaml
        version: 1.0.0
        sections:
          main:
            - connect:
                to: "+18888888888"
        ```
      </CodeBlock>

      <CodeBlock title="JSON">
        ```json
        {
          "version": "1.0.0",
          "sections": {
            "main": [
              {
                "connect": {
                  "to": "+18888888888"
                }
              }
            ]
          }
        }
        ```
      </CodeBlock>
    </CodeBlocks>

    This script will forward the incoming call to the specified phone number.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Basic IVR

An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system routes callers to different departments based on their input.
This example demonstrates a complete IVR that answers the call, plays a welcome message, records the conversation, collects user input (via keypress or speech), and routes callers to sales or support.

This pattern is one of the most common use cases for SWML and demonstrates how multiple methods work together to create a professional phone system.
For an extensive breakdown of this example, see our [IVR Creation Guide](/docs/swml/guides/ivr).

<CodeBlocks>
  <CodeBlock title="YAML">
    ```yaml
    version: 1.0.0
    sections:
      main:
        - answer: {}
        - play:
            url: "say:Welcome to Acme Corporation. This call may be recorded."
        - record_call:
            stereo: true
            format: wav
        - prompt:
            play: "say:Press 1 for sales, Press 2 for support"
            max_digits: 1
            speech_hints:
              - one
              - two
        - switch:
            variable: prompt_value
            case:
              '1':
                - execute:
                    dest: sales
              '2':
                - execute:
                    dest: support
              one:
                - execute:
                    dest: sales
              two:
                - execute:
                    dest: support
            default:
              - execute:
                  dest: sales
      sales:
        - play:
            url: "say:You have reached sales"
        - connect:
            to: "+15551234567"
      support:
        - play:
            url: "say:You have reached support"
        - connect:
            to: "+15551234568"
    ```
  </CodeBlock>

  <CodeBlock title="JSON">
    ```json
    {
      "version": "1.0.0",
      "sections": {
        "main": [
          {
            "answer": {}
          },
          {
            "play": {
              "url": "say:Welcome to Acme Corporation. This call may be recorded."
            }
          },
          {
            "record_call": {
              "stereo": true,
              "format": "wav"
            }
          },
          {
            "prompt": {
              "play": "say:Press 1 for sales, Press 2 for support",
              "max_digits": 1,
              "speech_hints": [
                "one",
                "two"
              ]
            }
          },
          {
            "switch": {
              "variable": "prompt_value",
              "case": {
                "1": [
                  {
                    "execute": {
                      "dest": "sales"
                    }
                  }
                ],
                "2": [
                  {
                    "execute": {
                      "dest": "support"
                    }
                  }
                ],
                "one": [
                  {
                    "execute": {
                      "dest": "sales"
                    }
                  }
                ],
                "two": [
                  {
                    "execute": {
                      "dest": "support"
                    }
                  }
                ]
              },
              "default": [
                {
                  "execute": {
                    "dest": "sales"
                  }
                }
              ]
            }
          }
        ],
        "sales": [
          {
            "play": {
              "url": "say:You have reached sales"
            }
          },
          {
            "connect": {
              "to": "+15551234567"
            }
          }
        ],
        "support": [
          {
            "play": {
              "url": "say:You have reached support"
            }
          },
          {
            "connect": {
              "to": "+15551234568"
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
    ```
  </CodeBlock>
</CodeBlocks>

**Variable substitution**: Notice how `prompt_value` in the switch statement automatically contains the user's input from the prompt. SWML supports dynamic values using the `%{variable_name}` format. For example, you can reference call information with `%{call.from}` or parameters with `%{params.audio_file}`.

## Next steps

<Cards>
  <Card title="Quickstart" href="/docs/swml/guides">
    Quickly create and deploy SWML through the SignalWire Dashboard
  </Card>

  <Card title="Methods reference" href="/docs/swml/reference">
    Explore all available SWML methods
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI guides" href="/docs/swml/guides">
    Learn how AI methods are used in SWML
  </Card>
</Cards>