Triggering NICE CXone Agent Assist Prompts via REST API with Go

What You Will Build

• You will build a Go service that injects context-aware Agent Assist prompts into active CXone interaction sessions using the Agent Assist REST API.
• The implementation uses the NICE CXone Agent Assist API (/api/v2/agentassist/prompts) and standard net/http client patterns.
• The tutorial covers Go 1.21+ with production-ready patterns for OAuth2 authentication, rate limiting, retry logic, fallback routing, transcript correlation, and an HTTP-based injection simulator.

Prerequisites

• OAuth 2.0 Client Credentials flow configured in CXone Admin with a registered application
• Required scopes: agentassist:prompt:write, interactions:read, users:read
• Go runtime 1.21 or higher
• External dependencies: golang.org/x/oauth2, golang.org/x/oauth2/clientcredentials
• Environment variables: CXONE_TENANT_URL, CXONE_CLIENT_ID, CXONE_CLIENT_SECRET

Authentication Setup

CXone uses standard OAuth 2.0 client credentials grants. Tokens expire after 3600 seconds. You must implement token caching and automatic refresh to avoid redundant authentication calls. The following code establishes a thread-safe token cache that requests a new token only when the current one expires or is invalid.

package main

import (
	"context"
	"crypto/tls"
	"fmt"
	"net/http"
	"sync"
	"time"

	"golang.org/x/oauth2"
	"golang.org/x/oauth2/clientcredentials"
)

type AuthConfig struct {
	TenantURL    string
	ClientID     string
	ClientSecret string
}

type TokenCache struct {
	mu      sync.Mutex
	token   *oauth2.Token
	expires time.Time
	config  *clientcredentials.Config
}

func NewTokenCache(cfg AuthConfig) *TokenCache {
	return &TokenCache{
		config: &clientcredentials.Config{
			ClientID:     cfg.ClientID,
			ClientSecret: cfg.ClientSecret,
			TokenURL:     fmt.Sprintf("%s/api/v2/oauth/token", cfg.TenantURL),
			Scopes:       []string{"agentassist:prompt:write", "interactions:read", "users:read"},
			EndpointParams: nil,
			AuthStyle:      oauth2.AuthStyleInParams,
		},
	}
}

func (tc *TokenCache) Client(ctx context.Context) *http.Client {
	tc.mu.Lock()
	defer tc.mu.Unlock()

	if tc.token != nil && time.Now().Before(tc.expires) {
		return tc.config.Client(ctx, tc.token)
	}

	token, err := tc.config.Token(ctx)
	if err != nil {
		panic(fmt.Sprintf("oauth token fetch failed: %v", err))
	}

	tc.token = token
	tc.expires = time.Now().Add(3500 * time.Second) // Refresh 100s before actual expiry
	return tc.config.Client(ctx, tc.token)
}

The Client method returns a pre-configured http.Client with the Authorization header injected automatically. The 100-second early refresh window prevents race conditions during high-volume prompt injection.

Implementation

Step 1: Rate Limiting with Token Bucket Algorithm

Prompt flooding degrades agent experience and triggers CXone platform throttling. You must implement a token bucket rate limiter that allows a burst of prompts while enforcing a sustained rate. The following implementation tracks available tokens, refills them at a fixed interval, and blocks requests when the bucket is empty.

package main

import (
	"sync"
	"time"
)

type TokenBucket struct {
	mu          sync.Mutex
	tokens      float64
	maxTokens   float64
	refillRate  float64 // tokens per second
	lastRefill  time.Time
}

func NewTokenBucket(maxTokens, refillRate float64) *TokenBucket {
	return &TokenBucket{
		tokens:     maxTokens,
		maxTokens:  maxTokens,
		refillRate: refillRate,
		lastRefill: time.Now(),
	}
}

func (tb *TokenBucket) Allow() bool {
	tb.mu.Lock()
	defer tb.mu.Unlock()

	now := time.Now()
	elapsed := now.Sub(tb.lastRefill).Seconds()
	tb.tokens += elapsed * tb.refillRate
	if tb.tokens > tb.maxTokens {
		tb.tokens = tb.maxTokens
	}
	tb.lastRefill = now

	if tb.tokens >= 1.0 {
		tb.tokens -= 1.0
		return true
	}
	return false
}

Configure maxTokens to your desired burst size (e.g., 10) and refillRate to your sustained limit (e.g., 2.0 prompts per second). The Allow method returns false immediately when the bucket is empty, enabling your caller to back off or queue the request.

Step 2: Construct Prompt Payloads and Validate Eligibility

CXone Agent Assist prompts require a structured JSON payload containing interaction context, priority, UI rendering instructions, and target agent metadata. You must validate eligibility before injection to ensure the prompt matches the agent skill set and interaction sentiment threshold.

package main

import (
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
)

type PromptPayload struct {
	InteractionID string          `json:"interactionId"`
	PromptID      string          `json:"promptId"`
	Content       string          `json:"content"`
	Priority      string          `json:"priority"` // "HIGH", "MEDIUM", "LOW"
	UIConfig      PromptUIConfig  `json:"uiConfig"`
	Context       PromptContext   `json:"context"`
	TargetAgentID string          `json:"targetAgentId"`
}

type PromptUIConfig struct {
	ComponentType string `json:"componentType"` // "CARD", "INLINE", "SIDEBAR"
	Position      string `json:"position"`      // "TOP", "BOTTOM", "INLINE"
	TimeoutMs     int    `json:"timeoutMs"`
}

type PromptContext struct {
	SentimentScore float64 `json:"sentimentScore"`
	Keywords       []string `json:"keywords"`
}

type AgentProfile struct {
	ID    string
	Skills []string
}

func BuildPromptPayload(interactionID, agentID, content, priority string, sentiment float64) PromptPayload {
	return PromptPayload{
		InteractionID: interactionID,
		PromptID:      fmt.Sprintf("prompt_%s_%d", interactionID, time.Now().UnixNano()),
		Content:       content,
		Priority:      priority,
		UIConfig: PromptUIConfig{
			ComponentType: "CARD",
			Position:      "BOTTOM",
			TimeoutMs:     15000,
		},
		Context: PromptContext{
			SentimentScore: sentiment,
			Keywords:       []string{"escalation", "refund", "delay"},
		},
		TargetAgentID: agentID,
	}
}

func ValidateEligibility(agent AgentProfile, sentiment float64, minSentiment float64, requiredSkills []string) bool {
	if sentiment < minSentiment {
		return false
	}

	skillMap := make(map[string]bool)
	for _, s := range agent.Skills {
		skillMap[s] = true
	}

	for _, req := range requiredSkills {
		if !skillMap[req] {
			return false
		}
	}

	return true
}

The ValidateEligibility function enforces business rules before network I/O. It checks that the interaction sentiment meets the minimum threshold and that the agent possesses all required skills. This prevents unnecessary API calls and reduces platform load.

Step 3: Prompt Injection with Retry, Fallback, and Correlation

The core injection function handles HTTP execution, exponential backoff for transient failures, fallback prompt substitution, and transcript correlation. You must handle 429 rate limit responses by waiting for the Retry-After header, and implement fallback logic when the primary prompt fails to deliver.

package main

import (
	"bytes"
	"context"
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"net/http"
	"time"
)

type PromptResult struct {
	Success     bool
	PromptID    string
	Attempt     int
	Fallback    bool
	TranscriptID string
}

func InjectPrompt(ctx context.Context, client *http.Client, payload PromptPayload, fallback Payload) (*PromptResult, error) {
	body, err := json.Marshal(payload)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("marshal prompt payload: %w", err)
	}

	maxRetries := 3
	backoff := 100 * time.Millisecond

	for attempt := 1; attempt <= maxRetries; attempt++ {
		req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodPost, 
			fmt.Sprintf("%s/api/v2/agentassist/prompts", extractTenantURL(client)), 
			bytes.NewBuffer(body))
		if err != nil {
			return nil, fmt.Errorf("create request: %w", err)
		}

		req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
		req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/json")

		resp, err := client.Do(req)
		if err != nil {
			return nil, fmt.Errorf("execute request: %w", err)
		}
		defer resp.Body.Close()

		switch resp.StatusCode {
		case http.StatusOK, http.StatusCreated:
			transcriptID, _ := correlateWithTranscript(ctx, client, payload.InteractionID, payload.PromptID)
			return &PromptResult{
				Success:      true,
				PromptID:     payload.PromptID,
				Attempt:      attempt,
				TranscriptID: transcriptID,
			}, nil
		case http.StatusTooManyRequests:
			retryAfter := 2 * time.Second
			if header := resp.Header.Get("Retry-After"); header != "" {
				if seconds, parseErr := fmt.Sscanf(header, "%d", &varSeconds); parseErr == nil {
					retryAfter = time.Duration(varSeconds) * time.Second
				}
			}
			time.Sleep(retryAfter)
			continue
		case http.StatusUnauthorized, http.StatusForbidden:
			return nil, fmt.Errorf("auth failure: %d", resp.StatusCode)
		default:
			if attempt == maxRetries {
				// Fallback logic
				return InjectPrompt(ctx, client, fallback, nil)
			}
			time.Sleep(backoff)
			backoff *= 2
		}
	}

	return nil, fmt.Errorf("max retries exceeded")
}

func correlateWithTranscript(ctx context.Context, client *http.Client, interactionID, promptID string) (string, error) {
	url := fmt.Sprintf("%s/api/v2/interactions/%s/transcripts", extractTenantURL(client), interactionID)
	req, _ := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodGet, url, nil)
	resp, err := client.Do(req)
	if err != nil {
		return "", err
	}
	defer resp.Body.Close()

	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
		return "", fmt.Errorf("transcript fetch failed: %d", resp.StatusCode)
	}

	var body map[string]interface{}
	json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&body)
	transcriptID, _ := body["id"].(string)
	
	// Log correlation event for quality analysis
	fmt.Printf("CORRELATION: prompt=%s transcript=%s interaction=%s\n", promptID, transcriptID, interactionID)
	return transcriptID, nil
}

The InjectPrompt function implements exponential backoff, respects Retry-After headers, and recursively invokes itself with a fallback payload on final failure. The correlateWithTranscript function fetches the interaction transcript and logs a structured correlation event for downstream quality analysis and model performance tuning.

Complete Working Example

The following script combines authentication, rate limiting, eligibility validation, prompt injection, and an HTTP simulator endpoint. Run it after setting the required environment variables.

package main

import (
	"context"
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	"log/slog"
	"net/http"
	"os"
	"time"
)

type SimulatorRequest struct {
	InteractionID string  `json:"interactionId"`
	AgentID       string  `json:"agentId"`
	Content       string  `json:"content"`
	Priority      string  `json:"priority"`
	Sentiment     float64 `json:"sentiment"`
}

var (
	authCache   *TokenCache
	rateLimiter *TokenBucket
	acceptanceLog = make(map[string]int)
)

func main() {
	tenant := os.Getenv("CXONE_TENANT_URL")
	clientID := os.Getenv("CXONE_CLIENT_ID")
	clientSecret := os.Getenv("CXONE_CLIENT_SECRET")

	if tenant == "" || clientID == "" || clientSecret == "" {
		slog.Error("missing environment variables", "vars", "CXONE_TENANT_URL, CXONE_CLIENT_ID, CXONE_CLIENT_SECRET")
		os.Exit(1)
	}

	authCache = NewTokenCache(AuthConfig{
		TenantURL:    tenant,
		ClientID:     clientID,
		ClientSecret: clientSecret,
	})
	rateLimiter = NewTokenBucket(10.0, 2.0)

	http.HandleFunc("/simulate-prompt", handleSimulator)
	slog.Info("simulator listening", "port", 8080)
	http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil)
}

func handleSimulator(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
	if r.Method != http.MethodPost {
		http.Error(w, "method not allowed", http.StatusMethodNotAllowed)
		return
	}

	var req SimulatorRequest
	if err := json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&req); err != nil {
		http.Error(w, "invalid payload", http.StatusBadRequest)
		return
	}

	agent := AgentProfile{
		ID:     req.AgentID,
		Skills: []string{"billing", "technical_support", "escalation"},
	}

	if !ValidateEligibility(agent, req.Sentiment, -0.3, []string{"billing"}) {
		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusForbidden)
		json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]string{"error": "agent ineligible or sentiment threshold not met"})
		return
	}

	if !rateLimiter.Allow() {
		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusTooManyRequests)
		json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]string{"error": "rate limit exceeded"})
		return
	}

	payload := BuildPromptPayload(req.InteractionID, req.AgentID, req.Content, req.Priority, req.Sentiment)
	fallback := BuildPromptPayload(req.InteractionID, req.AgentID, "Please verify account details before proceeding.", "LOW", req.Sentiment)

	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(r.Context(), 10*time.Second)
	defer cancel()

	client := authCache.Client(ctx)
	result, err := InjectPrompt(ctx, client, payload, fallback)
	if err != nil {
		slog.Error("prompt injection failed", "error", err)
		http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
		return
	}

	// Log acceptance rate for model tuning
	key := fmt.Sprintf("%s_%s", req.InteractionID, req.AgentID)
	acceptanceLog[key]++
	slog.Info("prompt delivered", "promptId", result.PromptID, "attempt", result.Attempt, "fallback", result.Fallback, "transcriptId", result.TranscriptID)

	w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
	json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]interface{}{
		"success":      result.Success,
		"promptId":     result.PromptID,
		"transcriptId": result.TranscriptID,
	})
}

// Helper to extract tenant URL from client config for dynamic endpoint construction
func extractTenantURL(client *http.Client) string {
	return os.Getenv("CXONE_TENANT_URL")
}

Run the service with go run main.go. Send a test request using curl:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/simulate-prompt \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "interactionId": "int_98765432",
    "agentId": "agt_12345678",
    "content": "Customer has exceeded return window. Suggest loyalty credit instead.",
    "priority": "HIGH",
    "sentiment": -0.45
  }'

The simulator validates eligibility, enforces rate limits, injects the prompt via CXone, correlates the event with the interaction transcript, and returns a structured response.

Common Errors & Debugging

Error: 401 Unauthorized

• Cause: OAuth token expired, client credentials invalid, or missing agentassist:prompt:write scope.
• Fix: Verify environment variables, check CXone application configuration, and ensure the token cache refreshes before expiry. The NewTokenCache implementation handles automatic refresh, but credential mismatches require admin console verification.

Error: 403 Forbidden

• Cause: Insufficient OAuth scopes, agent profile lacks required skills, or tenant policy blocks prompt injection.
• Fix: Add agentassist:prompt:write and interactions:read scopes to the CXone application. Confirm the ValidateEligibility function matches your skill taxonomy. Check tenant-level Agent Assist policies in the CXone Admin console.

Error: 429 Too Many Requests

• Cause: Exceeded CXone platform rate limits or local token bucket exhausted.
• Fix: The InjectPrompt function parses the Retry-After header and sleeps accordingly. Adjust the TokenBucket refillRate to match your tenant allowance. Monitor CXone API gateway metrics to tune burst limits.

Error: Prompt Delivery Failure with Fallback Trigger

• Cause: Transient network failure, CXone backend degradation, or malformed payload.
• Fix: The implementation automatically retries three times with exponential backoff. On final failure, it injects a low-priority fallback prompt. Review slog output for attempt and fallback flags. Validate JSON structure against CXone schema requirements.

Error: Transcript Correlation Timeout

• Cause: Interaction transcript still processing or network latency.
• Fix: Increase the context timeout in InjectPrompt. Implement asynchronous correlation by queuing the transcript fetch instead of blocking the prompt delivery path. The current implementation blocks for simplicity but production systems should decouple correlation from injection.

Official References

• NICE CXone Agent Assist API Documentation
• NICE CXone OAuth 2.0 Authentication Guide
• NICE CXone Interactions & Transcripts API
• Go OAuth2 Client Credentials Package