diff --git a/api-examples/api-example-chat-stream.py b/api-examples/api-example-chat-stream.py
index 493661c2..2914d451 100644
--- a/api-examples/api-example-chat-stream.py
+++ b/api-examples/api-example-chat-stream.py
@@ -25,9 +25,15 @@ async def run(user_input, history):
         'mode': 'instruct',  # Valid options: 'chat', 'chat-instruct', 'instruct'
         'character': 'Example',
         'instruction_template': 'Vicuna-v1.1',  # Will get autodetected if unset
-        # 'context_instruct': '',  # Optional
         'your_name': 'You',
-
+        # 'name1': 'name of user', # Optional
+        # 'name2': 'name of character', # Optional
+        # 'context': 'character context', # Optional
+        # 'greeting': 'greeting', # Optional
+        # 'name1_instruct': 'You', # Optional
+        # 'name2_instruct': 'Assistant', # Optional
+        # 'context_instruct': 'context_instruct', # Optional
+        # 'turn_template': 'turn_template', # Optional
         'regenerate': False,
         '_continue': False,
         'stop_at_newline': False,
diff --git a/api-examples/api-example-chat.py b/api-examples/api-example-chat.py
index 31641815..e2797f1e 100644
--- a/api-examples/api-example-chat.py
+++ b/api-examples/api-example-chat.py
@@ -19,9 +19,15 @@ def run(user_input, history):
         'mode': 'instruct',  # Valid options: 'chat', 'chat-instruct', 'instruct'
         'character': 'Example',
         'instruction_template': 'Vicuna-v1.1',  # Will get autodetected if unset
-        # 'context_instruct': '',  # Optional
         'your_name': 'You',
-
+        # 'name1': 'name of user', # Optional
+        # 'name2': 'name of character', # Optional
+        # 'context': 'character context', # Optional
+        # 'greeting': 'greeting', # Optional
+        # 'name1_instruct': 'You', # Optional
+        # 'name2_instruct': 'Assistant', # Optional
+        # 'context_instruct': 'context_instruct', # Optional
+        # 'turn_template': 'turn_template', # Optional
         'regenerate': False,
         '_continue': False,
         'stop_at_newline': False,
diff --git a/extensions/api/util.py b/extensions/api/util.py
index 5cc259db..ef58a70f 100644
--- a/extensions/api/util.py
+++ b/extensions/api/util.py
@@ -69,14 +69,14 @@ def build_parameters(body, chat=False):
             'stop_at_newline': bool(body.get('stop_at_newline', shared.settings['stop_at_newline'])),
             'chat_generation_attempts': int(body.get('chat_generation_attempts', shared.settings['chat_generation_attempts'])),
             'mode': str(body.get('mode', 'chat')),
-            'name1': name1,
-            'name2': name2,
-            'context': context,
-            'greeting': greeting,
-            'name1_instruct': name1_instruct,
-            'name2_instruct': name2_instruct,
-            'context_instruct': body.get('context_instruct', context_instruct),
-            'turn_template': turn_template,
+            'name1': str(body.get('name1', name1)),
+            'name2': str(body.get('name2', name2)),
+            'context': str(body.get('context', context)),
+            'greeting': str(body.get('greeting', greeting)),
+            'name1_instruct': str(body.get('name1_instruct', name1_instruct)),
+            'name2_instruct': str(body.get('name2_instruct', name2_instruct)),
+            'context_instruct': str(body.get('context_instruct', context_instruct)),
+            'turn_template': str(body.get('turn_template', turn_template)),
             'chat-instruct_command': str(body.get('chat-instruct_command', shared.settings['chat-instruct_command'])),
             'history': body.get('history', {'internal': [], 'visible': []})
         })