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Overview

Frame serializers are components that convert between Pipecat’s internal frame format and external protocols or formats. They’re essential when integrating with third-party services or APIs that have their own message formats.

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Core Responsibilities

Serializers handle:

  1. Serialization: Converting Pipecat frames to external formats or protocols
  2. Deserialization: Converting external messages to Pipecat frames
  3. Protocol-specific behaviors: Managing unique aspects of each integration

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Available Serializers

Pipecat includes serializers for popular voice and communications platforms:

Exotel Serializer

For integrating with Exotel WebSocket media streaming

Plivo Serializer

For integrating with Telnyx WebSocket media streaming

Telnyx Serializer

For integrating with Telnyx WebSocket media streaming

Twilio Serializer

For integrating with Twilio Media Streams WebSocket protocol

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Custom Serializers

You can create custom serializers by implementing the FrameSerializer base class:

from pipecat.serializers.base_serializer import FrameSerializer, FrameSerializerType
from pipecat.frames.frames import Frame, StartFrame

class MyCustomSerializer(FrameSerializer):
    @property
    def type(self) -> FrameSerializerType:
        return FrameSerializerType.TEXT  # or BINARY

    async def setup(self, frame: StartFrame):
        # Initialize with pipeline configuration
        pass

    async def serialize(self, frame: Frame) -> str | bytes | None:
        # Convert Pipecat frame to external format
        pass

    async def deserialize(self, data: str | bytes) -> Frame | None:
        # Convert external data to Pipecat frame
        pass