Outbound Calls

Make AI-powered outbound calls from the dashboard, via API, or through automated workflows.

For agent setup, see Create Phone Agent. For caller number, trunk, and transfer settings, see Agent Configuration.

Prerequisites

Before making outbound calls, the agent must have an outbound caller number configured:

• Hosted number — select a verified number from Settings → Phone Numbers.
• Custom SIP trunk — configure an outbound trunk under Settings → SIP and assign it to the agent.

Set this under Telephony & Routing in Channels → Phone → Agents.

How To Make Outbound Calls

From the dashboard

1. Open The Agent

   Go to Channels → Phone → Agents and open the agent that should place the call.

2. Start The Call Flow

   Click Test, then select Make phone call.

3. Enter The Destination Number

   Enter the destination number in E.164 format, then click Call.

4. Let The Call Connect

   OpenCX starts the outbound call immediately using the outbound caller number or SIP trunk assigned to that agent.

Quick Validation

Check	What to confirm
Answer the call	Call your own phone or a teammate first.
Caller ID	The displayed number matches the number or trunk assigned to the agent.
Review path	The session appears in the inbox.

Via API

Use this endpoint for one-time call attempts. It does not queue requests for later execution. For scheduled or bulk calling, use the Sequences API.

1. Prepare Access

   Use the Make Outbound Call endpoint with an API key that has phone:write.

2. Choose The Agent And Contact

   Send the agent ID as phoneAgentId and pass the destination as contact.phoneNumber or contact.id.

3. Send The Request

   Post the payload to request a call immediately.

   {
     "phoneAgentId": "6ef668ec-06cc-4df1-8df0-a56689bd0473",
     "contact": {
       "phoneNumber": "[phone]"
     }
   }
   
4. Track The Result

   Check the HTTP status and response body for errors, then confirm the new call session appears in the inbox. An accepted request does not mean the recipient answered. See Make Outbound Call for rejected-request handling.

Quick Validation

Check	What to confirm
Safe destination	Start with a number you can answer yourself.
API response	The request succeeds and the phone rings.
Review path	The transcript starts populating in the inbox.

Via workflows

1. Open Or Create A Workflow

   Go to your workflow builder and choose the trigger that should launch the phone call, such as a form submission, scheduled run, or external event.

2. Add The Call Action

   Add the Make phone call action to the workflow.

3. Fill The Required Fields

   Set AI Agent, Contact Number, and Extra Instructions. Use the extra instructions field for call-specific context the agent should follow for this run.

4. Handle The Result

   Add cleanup steps after the call action, such as clearing a contact’s “call in progress” attribute. Branch on Status to choose the follow-up. See Workflow call results for the returned values and timeout behavior.

5. Activate The Workflow

   Save and activate the workflow so future runs can place calls automatically.

Quick Validation

Check	What to confirm
Safe trigger	Trigger the workflow once with a safe test input.
Reachability	Use a number you can answer.
Review path	The run completes and the session appears in the inbox.

Follow Up On Call Outcomes

After pickup, the agent starts its opening without waiting for the recipient to speak. The agent continues listening and transcribing during the opening so voicemail detection can run in the background. Incoming speech does not cut off the protected opening. If voicemail is detected, the agent stops speaking and ends the call; part of the opening may already have played. An inconclusive check does not interrupt the call.

Use Call Finished and Call → Disposition (trigger.call.disposition) to distinguish no answer, busy, voicemail, and other results. The trigger covers AI outbound attempts, including failures before the agent speaks. See Call lifecycle and outcomes for the full field reference, uncertain results, and summary timing.

Follow Phone follow-up workflows to send a WhatsApp template, configure a one-time callback, or log results in your CRM. These actions require explicit workflow configuration.

Workflow Call Results

Make phone call waits up to 30 minutes for a call result. Use its Status output to decide what happens next:

Status	Meaning
completed	The call ended normally. This alone does not prove a person answered.
transferred	The call was transferred.
unanswered	The attempt ended without an answer, or was classified as busy, declined, canceled, or voicemail.
failed	The attempt failed, including failures before the agent joined.
timeout	No final call result was available within 30 minutes.

These results let the workflow continue to later steps, including contact cleanup. A timeout does not hang up the call. Missing agents or sessions and other runtime errors can still fail the step.

Summary and Recording URL contain the available session summary and recording link. Either may be empty when the step finishes; an empty output does not fail the step. Recording links expire after one hour.

Agents using the organization knowledge base return success immediately without waiting for the call to finish. Use Call Finished for their completion handling. Use Call → Disposition whenever you need detailed answer evidence.

Update existing outcome branches. If a workflow checks this action’s Status for success after waiting for the call, replace that condition with the appropriate outcome above and handle timeout. The immediate success response for agents using the organization knowledge base is unchanged.

Common Outbound Call Mistakes

Most failed first tests come from three issues: the destination number is not in E.164 format, the agent does not have an outbound caller number or SIP trunk assigned, or the team tests with a number nobody can answer.

Questions Teams Usually Ask Before Going Live

How do I confirm the right number is being shown?

The recipient sees the hosted outbound number or SIP trunk caller ID assigned to the agent in Channels → Phone → Agents. Test with a phone you can answer before calling customers.

Where do I review the call afterwards?

Open the inbox to review the transcript and call record after the call starts.

What should I check if the call does not start?

First confirm the number is in E.164 format. Then open Channels → Phone → Agents and verify Telephony & Routing includes either a hosted outbound caller number or an outbound SIP trunk.

Can the agent transfer the call if needed?

Yes. If transfer destinations are assigned to the agent, it can transfer the live call during the call. Configure those destinations in Channels → Phone → Agents.

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Related Documentation

Agent Configuration

Set outbound caller number and trunk under Telephony & Routing.

Create Phone Agent

Set up the agent before placing live outbound calls.

SIP Integration

Configure outbound SIP trunks for BYOC.

Phone API

Make outbound calls programmatically.