Cognitive Services authentication issue with CallAutomation_MCS_Sample

[dfoelker123]

Hello.

I am playing around with the CallAutomation_MCS_Sample and I am able to get most things working. The call to the ACS number is answered and I can see in the debug logging that integration with my Copilot Studio Agent is happening. However, there is no audio played back, and I receive this error:

Event received: {"ReasonCode":{},"FailedPlaySourceIndex":0,"CallConnectionId":"XXXXX","ServerCallId":"XXXXX","CorrelationId":"XXXXX","OperationContext":"Testing","ResultInformation":{"Code":401,"SubCode":8565,"Message":"Action failed due to a Cognitive Services authentication error. Please check your authorization input and ensure it is correct."}}

I did add this code to pull the Cognitive Services API key from appsettings.json and set it in the header:

//Get the Cognitive Services endpoint from appsettings.json
var cognitiveServicesEndpoint = builder.Configuration.GetValue("CognitiveServiceEndpoint");
ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNullOrEmpty(cognitiveServicesEndpoint);

// Retrieve Cognitive Services API key from appsettings.json
var cognitiveServicesKey = builder.Configuration.GetValue("CognitiveServiceKey");
ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNullOrEmpty(cognitiveServicesKey);

// Create an HTTP client for Cognitive Services
HttpClient cognitiveServicesClient = new HttpClient
{
BaseAddress = new Uri(cognitiveServicesEndpoint) // Set the base address
};
// Add the the Key for the Authentination Header
cognitiveServicesClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key", cognitiveServicesKey);

But that did not make a difference. Is there something else that I am missing?

Pinging @ypradhan-msft for input.

Files:

appsettings.json

Program1.txt

[ksaye]

@dfoelker123 , if you have not, please change your keys as you seem to have posted them with your appsettings.json

[dfoelker123]

@ksaye, Yes, I regenerated after posting. Thank you for looking out for me. Any thoughts on why this is not working?

[ksaye]

Nothing yet, but I am getting the same or similar error #220 . Feel free to follow that, as I will update if/when I get it working.

[ksaye]

@dfoelker123 , I was just able to get mine working. Issue, from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2278843/action-failed-due-to-a-bad-request-to-cognitive-se, was the type of Cognitive Services Account. shown below, once I linked an 'Azure AI services multi-service account', it worked.

[dfoelker123]

Hello @ksaye. Thank you for the info. I will try this out and let you know how it goes.

[ksaye]

My steps to install:
Integrating Azure Communication Services with Microsoft Copilot Studio.pdf

[dfoelker123]

Making great progress @ksaye. The call is answered, and I can see my transcribed speech in the debug, but I am receiving no audio. Something simple I am sure. I will continue to dig in this afternoon. Thank you again for your help on this.

[dfoelker123]

@ksaye. I was able to get it to work. I had to add a new subscription because the free telephone number trial expired in the old subscription. Apparently it does not like having the Cognitive Service being under a different subscription than the ACS. I placed them both in the same subscription and it started working. Thank you again for your help.

[dfoelker123]

My steps to install: Integrating Azure Communication Services with Microsoft Copilot Studio.pdf

@ksaye. This write-up is supper helpful. I would like to add a few comments based on my experience:

Step 1: As indicated, you deploy "Azure AI Services" from the Marketplace:

But in typical Microsoft fashion, this is also referred to as "Azure AI services multi-service account" and Cognitive Services (as you point out). The 3 different names for the same thing caused me some grief.

Step 3: As pointed out, it appears that the Communication Services and the Azure AI Services resources need to be in the same subscription. Using the same subscription for both would probably be the most likely scenario but just an FYI for others.

Step 5: When connecting the Cognitive Service (Azure AI Service / multi-service account) to the Communication Service, it requires that Managed Identity be enabled on the Communication Service. It will walk you through this during the connection process:

I made the assumption that Managed Identity also needs to be enabled on the Azure AI Service, which is not the case.

Because I kept getting a Cognitive Services authentication failures, I thought that I needed to do some extra authentication process, but this is not necessary as long as the Cognitive Service and the Communication Service are connected properly and Managed Identity is only enabled on the Communication Service.

Step 13a: I set the VS_TUNNEL_URL variable (the Dev Tunnel URL) in the environmentVariables section of the launchsettings.json (in the Properties folder), but you could also set it via the BaseUri variable in the appsettings.json.

Step 13d: Other than setting the variable, it does not appear that the AgentPhoneNumber is used either. From what I can tell.

Step 14. This appears to be already updated in the most recent Program.cs file.

Step 15. Good catch. How did you figure this one out?

Steps 16 and 17: It is good that you place these steps in this order. I was trying to add the Event Subscription prior to running the code and it consistently failed.

Step 17: As you point out, it is very important that you append "/api/incomminCall" at the end of the Dev Tunnel URL when setting up the Web Hook endpoint for the Event Subscription. I spent many hours on this issue, until I found it buried in the documentation somewhere.

@ksaye. Thank you once again for your help. Without it, I would still be struggling with this.

[ksaye]

@dfoelker123, thanks for the positive feedback.

I agree with your comments. The confusion in the Azure Marketplace is challenging, but honestly most serious people will deploy with Terraform or Bicep and that will not be an issue.

As for Step 15, it was experience and just plain luck. :)

Feel free to close this issue.

[dfoelker123]

One last question: I am receiving the following error after a message is played and I do not respond for a while:

Exception has occurred: CLR/System.Text.Json.JsonReaderException
Exception thrown: 'System.Text.Json.JsonReaderException' in System.Text.Json.dll: 'The input does not contain any JSON tokens. Expected the input to start with a valid JSON token, when isFinalBlock is true. LineNumber: 0 | BytePositionInLine: 0.'
at System.Text.Json.ThrowHelper.ThrowJsonReaderException(Utf8JsonReader& json, ExceptionResource resource, Byte nextByte, ReadOnlySpan1 bytes) at System.Text.Json.Utf8JsonReader.Read() at System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(ReadOnlySpan1 utf8JsonSpan, JsonReaderOptions readerOptions, MetadataDb& database, StackRowStack& stack)
at System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(ReadOnlyMemory1 utf8Json, JsonReaderOptions readerOptions, Byte[] extraRentedArrayPoolBytes, PooledByteBufferWriter extraPooledByteBufferWriter) at System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(ReadOnlyMemory1 json, JsonDocumentOptions options)
at System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(String json, JsonDocumentOptions options)
at Program.<

$>g__ExtractLatestBotActivity|0_7(String rawMessage) in C:\Users\danie\OneDrive\Documents\Visual Studio\Communication-Services\communication-services-dotnet-quickstarts\CallAutomation_MCS_Sample\Program.cs:line 389

Line 389: using var doc = JsonDocument.Parse(rawMessage);

Any thoughts?

[ksaye]

No clear thoughts yet. As I am building on the solution, if I find an answer I will share back here. From: dfoelker123 ***@***.***> Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 11:25 AM To: Azure-Samples/communication-services-dotnet-quickstarts ***@***.***> Cc: Comment ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [Azure-Samples/communication-services-dotnet-quickstarts] Cognitive Services authentication issue with CallAutomation_MCS_Sample (Issue #201) One last question: I am receiving the following error after a message is played and I do not respond for a while: Exception has occurred: CLR/System.Text.Json.JsonReaderException Exception thrown: 'System.Text.Json.JsonReaderException' in System.Text.Json.dll: 'The input does not contain any JSON tokens. Expected the input to start with a valid JSON token, when isFinalBlock is true. LineNumber: 0 | BytePositionInLine: 0.' at System.Text.Json.ThrowHelper.ThrowJsonReaderException(Utf8JsonReader& json, ExceptionResource resource, Byte nextByte, ReadOnlySpan1 bytes) at System.Text.Json.Utf8JsonReader.Read() at System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(ReadOnlySpan1 utf8JsonSpan, JsonReaderOptions readerOptions, MetadataDb& database, StackRowStack& stack) at System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(ReadOnlyMemory1 utf8Json, JsonReaderOptions readerOptions, Byte[] extraRentedArrayPoolBytes, PooledByteBufferWriter extraPooledByteBufferWriter) at System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(ReadOnlyMemory1 json, JsonDocumentOptions options) at System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(String json, JsonDocumentOptions options) at Program.< $>g__ExtractLatestBotActivity|0_7(String rawMessage) in C:\Users\danie\OneDrive\Documents\Visual Studio\Communication-Services\communication-services-dotnet-quickstarts\CallAutomation_MCS_Sample\Program.cs:line 389 Line 389: using var doc = JsonDocument.Parse(rawMessage); Any thoughts? - Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#201 (comment)> or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ADY2O5AWS25OVGA6OPMTNVL3DBJ5RBFKMF2HI4TJMJ2XIZLTSOBKK5TBNR2WLJDUOJ2WLJDOMFWWLO3UNBZGKYLEL5YGC4TUNFRWS4DBNZ2F6YLDORUXM2LUPGBKK5TBNR2WLJDUOJ2WLJDOMFWWLLTXMF2GG2C7MFRXI2LWNF2HTAVFOZQWY5LFUVUXG43VMWSG4YLNMWVXI2DSMVQWIX3UPFYGLLDTOVRGUZLDORPXI6LQMWWES43TOVSUG33NNVSW45FGORXXA2LDOOJIFJDUPFYGLKTSMVYG643JORXXE6NFOZQWY5LFVEZTAMBXGM3TANRVQKSHI6LQMWSWS43TOVS2K5TBNR2WLKRTGA3DGMRSGM2DKNNHORZGSZ3HMVZKMY3SMVQXIZI>. You are receiving this email because you commented on the thread. Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS<https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675> or Android<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub>.