> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.convai.com/api-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.convai.com/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/convai-unity-sdk/features/conversation-availability.md).

# Conversation availability

Find guides for checking whether a Convai character can hear the player right now, and reacting in your UI when it cannot.

Conversation availability is how the Convai Unity SDK answers whether the player can talk to a character right now, and what is in the way when they cannot. A connected room does not mean the addressed character can hear anything — the service has to announce the character first, and `ConvaiManager.ConversationAvailability` is the single place that answer lives. Everything in the SDK that takes player input already asks it.

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>How conversation availability works</strong><br>Understand the states, why a connected room is not enough, and how availability differs from a character's readiness flag.</td><td><a href="/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/convai-unity-sdk/features/conversation-availability/how-availability-works.md">How conversation availability works</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Gate your UI on availability</strong><br>Bind a custom chat field, send button, or microphone control to the current verdict.</td><td><a href="/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/convai-unity-sdk/features/conversation-availability/gate-your-ui.md">Gate your UI on availability</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Customise the chat field prompts</strong><br>Reword every state prompt the shipped chat field shows, and tune its slow-connect hint.</td><td><a href="/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/convai-unity-sdk/features/conversation-availability/customise-chat-prompts.md">Customise the chat field prompts</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>React to the player starting to speak</strong><br>Subscribe to local microphone and push-to-talk activity ahead of Convai's own confirmed verdict.</td><td><a href="/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/convai-unity-sdk/features/conversation-availability/local-player-activity.md">React to the player starting to speak</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Conversation availability reference</strong><br>Look up every state, event, and method involved in gating player input.</td><td><a href="/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/convai-unity-sdk/features/conversation-availability/availability-reference.md">Conversation availability reference</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Troubleshoot player input</strong><br>Fix a refused message, a chat field that stays disabled, or a microphone that will not open.</td><td><a href="/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/convai-unity-sdk/features/conversation-availability/troubleshooting.md">Troubleshoot player input</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

### Where availability comes from

Availability is not a room-wide flag. It answers for `ConvaiManager.AddressedCharacter` — whoever the player is currently talking to — so the same room can report one character `Ready` while another is still `Preparing`. The same answer is also available per character on `ConvaiCharacter.ConversationAvailability`, for UI tied to one specific character rather than to whoever is currently addressed. See [How conversation availability works](/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/convai-unity-sdk/features/conversation-availability/how-availability-works.md) for the model behind the states.

### Next steps

Start with [How conversation availability works](/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/convai-unity-sdk/features/conversation-availability/how-availability-works.md) to understand the states, then [Gate your UI on availability](/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/convai-unity-sdk/features/conversation-availability/gate-your-ui.md) to wire your own input surface to it.

{% content-ref url="/pages/jcZc2BTDwRiUEN5KsfZz" %}
[Multi-character sessions](/api-docs/plugins-and-integrations/convai-unity-sdk/features/multi-character-sessions.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}


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