Events and Rich Output

SDK responses may contain more than plain text. A reply can include speech, display items, event metadata, or policy information.

Build clients so they can read the normalized response first, then inspect richer fields when the app needs them.

At a Glance

Output	Use it for
`text`	The collected answer text, which can contain SSML.
`display_text`	Answer text with markup removed for visual display.
`display_items()`	Text, choices, tables, images, and attachments.
`events`	The collected events, including their `name`, `data`, and `context`.
`handled`, `ok`, and `failure_event`	Whether the request completed and any recorded runtime failure.

These are Python names. Node uses displayText, displayItems(), and failureEvent; its events array exposes the same event concepts. There is no shared speech, raw_event, or policy_denied reply property. See the language’s SDK page for its exact API.

Event Names

Use SDK constants when a language exposes them. The underlying event names stay stable across SDKs.

Event	Meaning
`recognizer_loop:utterance`	A client sends a user utterance.
`speak`	The hub returns speech or reply text.
`ovos.intent.unmatched`	A request matched no skill (current OVOS name).
`complete_intent_failure`	A request matched no skill (legacy Mycroft name; still emitted by older runtimes).
`hive.policy.denied`	Access policy blocked the request.
`mycroft.skill.handler.start`	A skill handler started.
`mycroft.skill.handler.complete`	A skill handler finished.

Display Items

Display items let apps show structured results without reverse-engineering the text.

Text

A paragraph, title, subtitle, or status message.

Choice

A selectable option that can map back to send_action.

Table

Rows and columns for comparison, status, or inventory style output.

Image

A URL or attachment reference that the client can render.

Python Example

from thalovant import ThalovantClient

with ThalovantClient.from_identity_file("_identity.json") as client:
    reply = client.ask("Show the next maintenance steps.")

print(reply.display_text)

for item in reply.display_items():
    print(item.kind, item.text, item.data, item.url)

For a choices item, item.data contains the choices. Each choice can carry a title and a string payload that the app passes to send_action. Render only the item kinds your app supports.

Client Behavior

Case	Recommended handling
Answer text is present	Show `display_text` in a visual client; handle `text` or `utterances` according to your voice renderer’s SSML support.
`display_items()` returns items	Render the items the client understands and ignore unknown kinds.
A `hive.policy.denied` event arrives	Show a safe denied message and keep the request ID for troubleshooting.
A request raises a runtime error	Handle it as a failed request; some failures are raised before a reply object exists. Intent inventory also has a typed policy error.
A reply has no useful output	Check `handled`, `failure_event`, and event names before presenting it as an answer. Redact event data before logging diagnostics.

Last reviewed: September 9, 2026. Review this page when reply models, display item helpers, event names, or policy-error behavior changes.