Feedback: guides-v2_to_v3_migration

Documentation Feedback

Original URL: https://www.assemblyai.com/docs/guides/v2_to_v3_migration
Category: guides
Generated: 05/08/2025, 4:34:24 pm

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Claude Sonnet 4 Feedback

Generated: 05/08/2025, 4:34:23 pm

Technical Documentation Analysis & Improvement Recommendations

Overall Assessment

This migration guide is comprehensive but suffers from structural issues, missing critical information, and potential user friction points. Here’s my detailed analysis:

🚨 Critical Issues

1. Poor Document Structure

Problem: The complete v3 code is presented first, overwhelming users before they understand what needs to change.

Solution: Restructure as follows:

# Migrating from Streaming v2 to Streaming v3 (Python)

## Quick Start
- [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)
- [Migration Checklist](#migration-checklist)
- [Step-by-Step Guide](#step-by-step-guide)
- [Complete Example](#complete-example)
- [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)

## What's New in v3
[Brief overview of key changes and benefits]

## Prerequisites
[Requirements and setup]

## Migration Checklist
[High-level action items]

## Step-by-Step Guide
[Detailed migration steps]

## Complete Working Example
[Full v3 implementation]

2. Missing Prerequisites Section

Problem: Users don’t know what they need before starting.

Add:

## Prerequisites

### Required Dependencies
```bash
pip install pyaudio websocket-client

System Requirements

• Python 3.7+
• Valid AssemblyAI API key with streaming access
• Audio input device (microphone)

Before You Start

• Backup your existing v2 implementation
• Test your API key has v3 streaming access
• Verify microphone permissions

### 3. **Inadequate Error Scenarios Coverage**
**Problem**: Limited troubleshooting information for common migration issues.

**Add comprehensive troubleshooting section**:
```markdown
## Troubleshooting

### Connection Issues
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|-------|-------|----------|
| `401 Unauthorized` | Invalid API key | Verify key format: no "Bearer" prefix needed |
| `Connection refused` | Wrong endpoint | Ensure using `streaming.assemblyai.com` |
| `Unsupported sample rate` | Invalid audio config | Use supported rates: 8000, 16000, 22050, 44100 |

### Audio Issues
- **No audio detected**: Check microphone permissions and device availability
- **Poor transcription quality**: Verify sample rate matches your audio source
- **High latency**: Reduce FRAMES_PER_BUFFER (minimum 160 frames)

### Code Migration Issues
- **Import errors**: Run `pip install -r requirements.txt`
- **Thread issues**: Ensure Python 3.7+ for proper threading support

📝 Missing Information

1. Migration Timeline & Deprecation

Add critical timing information:

## Migration Timeline
- **v2 Deprecation**: [DATE]
- **v2 End-of-life**: [DATE]
- **Recommended migration completion**: [DATE]

> ⚠️ **Important**: v2 will stop working on [DATE]. Plan your migration accordingly.

2. Cost Implications

## Pricing Changes
- v3 billing is based on session duration, not audio duration
- Sessions auto-expire after [TIME] if not properly terminated
- **Action Required**: Implement proper session termination to avoid unexpected charges

3. Feature Comparison Table

## v2 vs v3 Feature Comparison

| Feature | v2 | v3 | Migration Impact |
|---------|----|----|------------------|
| Latency | ~200ms | ~50ms | Update buffer size |
| Message Types | 3 types | 3 types (renamed) | Update parsing logic |
| Error Handling | Basic | Enhanced | Add new error handlers |
| Session Management | Auto | Manual | Add termination logic |
| Supported Languages | [LIST] | [LIST] | Check compatibility |

🔧 Code Examples Improvements

1. Add Side-by-Side Comparisons

For each migration step, show before/after more clearly:

### Step 1: Update Connection Parameters

#### v2 Implementation
```python
# Simple connection string
endpoint = f'wss://api.assemblyai.com/v2/realtime/ws?sample_rate={SAMPLE_RATE}'

v3 Implementation

# Structured parameters with additional options
CONNECTION_PARAMS = {
    "sample_rate": 16000,
    "format_turns": True,  # New: Enhanced formatting
    # "enable_extra_session_information": True,  # Optional
}
endpoint = f"wss://streaming.assemblyai.com/v3/ws?{urlencode(CONNECTION_PARAMS)}"

Why This Change?

• More flexible configuration options
• Better parameter validation
• Support for future feature flags

### 2. **Add Minimal Migration Example**
```markdown
## Quick Migration (Minimal Changes)

If you need a quick migration with minimal code changes:

```python
# 1. Change endpoint
OLD_ENDPOINT = 'wss://api.assemblyai.com/v2/realtime/ws?sample_rate=16000'
NEW_ENDPOINT = 'wss://streaming.assemblyai.com/v3/ws?sample_rate=16000'

# 2. Update message handling
def on_message(ws, message):
    data = json.loads(message)
    msg_type = data.get('type')  # Changed from 'message_type'

    if msg_type == "Begin":  # Changed from "SessionBegins"
        print(f"Session: {data.get('id')}")  # Changed from 'session_id'
    elif msg_type == "Turn":  # Replaces both Partial and Final
        print(data.get('transcript', ''))  # Changed from 'text'

# 3. Add termination handling (REQUIRED for proper billing)
def send_termination():
    terminate_msg = {"type": "Terminate"}
    ws.send(json.dumps(terminate_msg))

⚠️ Note: This minimal example lacks proper error handling. Use the complete example for production.

## 🎯 User Experience Improvements

### 1. **Add Progress Indicators**
```markdown
## Migration Progress Tracker

**Estimated time**: 30-45 minutes

- [ ] **Step 1** (5 min): Update endpoints and dependencies
- [ ] **Step 2** (10 min): Modify message handling
- [ ] **Step 3** (15 min): Implement proper resource management
- [ ] **Step 4** (10 min): Add termination handling
- [ ] **Step 5** (5 min): Test and validate

**Checkpoint**: After each step, test basic connectivity before proceeding.

2. Add Validation Steps

## Validate Your Migration

### Test Script
```python
# Quick validation script
def validate_v3_connection():
    """Test v3 connectivity without full implementation"""
    # ... validation code ...

if __name__ == "__main__":
    validate_v3_connection()

Expected Outputs

• ✅ Connection success: “Session began: ID=…”
• ✅ Audio processing: Real-time transcript updates
• ✅ Clean shutdown: “Session Terminated: …”

## ⚡ Performance & Security Notes

### Add Missing Sections:
```markdown
## Performance Considerations
- **Buffer Size**: Start with 800 frames (50ms), adjust based on your latency requirements
- **Threading**: v3 requires proper thread management for optimal performance
- **Memory Usage**: Implement proper cleanup to prevent memory leaks

## Security Best Practices
- **API Key Storage**: Use environment variables, never hardcode keys
- **Error Logging**: Avoid logging sensitive audio data or API keys
- **Network Security**: Consider implementing retry logic with exponential backoff

📋 Final Recommendations

1. Restructure the entire document with user-friendly navigation
2. Add prerequisite and setup sections before diving into code
3. Include cost/billing implications prominently
4. Provide both minimal and complete migration paths 5

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