Making Outgoing Calls

Outgoing calls (outbound calls) let your team proactively reach customers for sales follow-ups, appointment reminders, order confirmations, and support callbacks. Exotel offers multiple methods for making outgoing calls, from manual dashboard dialing to fully automated API-driven campaigns.

How Outgoing Calls Work in Exotel

In every outgoing call through Exotel, the platform acts as an intermediary:

Your application or agent triggers a call
        |
        v
Exotel calls the agent first (Leg A)
        |
        v
Agent answers
        |
        v
Exotel calls the customer (Leg B)
        |
        v
Customer answers → Both connected
Customer sees ExoPhone as caller ID (not agent's personal number)

This two-leg architecture ensures:

Agent privacy -- The customer never sees the agent's personal number.
Professional caller ID -- The customer sees your business number (ExoPhone).
Call recording and analytics -- Both legs are tracked and can be recorded.

Methods for Making Outgoing Calls

Method 1: Click-to-Call (Dashboard)

The simplest way to make an outgoing call.

Log in to the Exotel Dashboard.
Navigate to the Dialer or use the click-to-call widget.
Enter the customer's phone number.
Select the ExoPhone to use as caller ID.
Click Call.

Exotel calls your agent number first. When you answer, it calls the customer.

Method 2: Click-to-Call (API)

Integrate click-to-call into your CRM, helpdesk, or custom application using the Connect Two Numbers API:

curl -X POST 'https://<api_key>:<api_token>@api.exotel.com/v1/Accounts/<account_sid>/Calls/connect.json' \
  -d 'From=<agent_number>' \
  -d 'To=<customer_number>' \
  -d 'CallerId=<exophone>' \
  -d 'Record=true' \
  -d 'StatusCallback=https://your-app.com/call-status'

Parameters:

Parameter	Required	Description
`From`	Yes	Agent's phone number (called first)
`To`	Yes	Customer's phone number
`CallerId`	Yes	ExoPhone displayed as caller ID
`Record`	No	`true` to record the call
`StatusCallback`	No	URL to receive call status updates
`StatusCallbackEvents`	No	Events to notify: `initiated`, `ringing`, `answered`, `completed`
`TimeLimit`	No	Maximum call duration in seconds
`TimeOut`	No	Ring timeout in seconds

Response:

{
  "Call": {
    "Sid": "call_sid_here",
    "Status": "queued",
    "DateCreated": "2025-01-15 10:30:00"
  }
}

Method 3: Connect to Flow (API)

Call a customer and connect them to an IVR flow instead of a live agent. Useful for automated reminders, surveys, and verifications.

curl -X POST 'https://<api_key>:<api_token>@api.exotel.com/v1/Accounts/<account_sid>/Calls/connect.json' \
  -d 'From=<customer_number>' \
  -d 'CallerId=<exophone>' \
  -d 'Url=http://my.exotel.com/exoml/start/<app_id>'

Parameter	Description
`From`	Customer number to call
`CallerId`	ExoPhone displayed as caller ID
`Url`	The call flow (App) URL to execute when the customer answers

Common use cases:

Use Case	Flow Design
Appointment reminder	Greeting ("Your appointment is tomorrow at 3 PM. Press 1 to confirm, 2 to reschedule.")
Order confirmation	Greeting ("Your order #1234 has shipped. Press 1 for details.")
Survey	IVR ("How would you rate your experience? Press 1 for Great, 2 for Good, 3 for Poor.")
Payment reminder	Greeting ("Your payment of Rs. 500 is due on Jan 20. Press 1 to pay now.")

Method 4: Bulk Outbound Campaigns

For calling large lists of numbers, use the Campaigns API or the Outbound Dialer:

Upload a list of phone numbers (CSV or via API).
Assign an IVR flow or agent group to handle the calls.
Configure scheduling, retries, and concurrency.
Start the campaign.

# Create a campaign via API
curl -X POST 'https://<api_key>:<api_token>@api.exotel.com/v1/Accounts/<account_sid>/Campaigns' \
  -d 'Name=January_Sales_Outreach' \
  -d 'CallFlowId=<flow_id>' \
  -d 'Numbers=+919876543210,+919876543211,+919876543212' \
  -d 'Schedule=2025-01-20T09:00:00'

See: Outbound Dialer

Method 5: Progressive Dialer

A progressive dialer automatically dials the next number from a list when an agent becomes available. This maximizes agent utilization by eliminating idle time between calls.

Agent finishes call → System dials next number → Agent hears ring → Customer answers → Connected

Advantages over manual dialing:

Aspect	Manual Dialing	Progressive Dialer
Agent idle time	High (searching, dialing)	Minimal (auto-dial)
Calls per hour	15-20	30-50
Misdials	Common	Zero
Agent effort	High	Low (system does the work)

See: Outbound Dialer

Outgoing Call via Voice v2 API

The Voice v2 API provides enhanced control over outgoing calls:

curl -X POST 'https://api.exotel.com/v2/accounts/<account_sid>/calls' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic <base64(api_key:api_token)>' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "from": {
      "number": "<agent_number>"
    },
    "to": {
      "number": "<customer_number>"
    },
    "caller_id": "<exophone>",
    "record": true,
    "status_callback": "https://your-app.com/call-status"
  }'

Caller ID Management

Scenario	Caller ID Shown to Customer
Standard outgoing call	ExoPhone number
With Truecaller verification	Business name (verified)
Without ExoPhone	Not possible -- ExoPhone is required

tip

Enable Truecaller Verified Caller ID to display your business name instead of just a phone number. This significantly improves answer rates.

Call Status Tracking

Track the progress of outgoing calls using status callbacks:

Event	Description
`initiated`	Call request received by Exotel
`ringing`	Agent or customer phone is ringing
`in-progress`	Both parties connected
`completed`	Call ended normally
`busy`	Customer's line was busy
`no-answer`	Customer did not answer
`failed`	Call could not be placed
`canceled`	Call was canceled before connection

Configure the StatusCallback URL in your API request to receive these events in real time.

Best Practices

Call during appropriate hours -- Respect business hours and local regulations. In India, TRAI regulations restrict commercial calls to 9 AM - 9 PM.
Use Truecaller verification -- Verified business caller ID increases answer rates by 30-50%.
Set reasonable timeouts -- A 30-second ring timeout gives customers time to answer without wasting agent time.
Enable call recording -- Record outbound calls for quality assurance and compliance.
Implement retry logic -- For unanswered calls, schedule retries at different times of day. See Auto Retry.
Monitor call analytics -- Track answer rates, call duration, and outcomes. See Call Analytics.
Use the right method -- Use click-to-call for ad-hoc calls, Connect to Flow for automated messages, and campaigns for bulk outreach.

warning

Ensure compliance with local telecom regulations when making outbound calls. In India, calls to numbers on the DND (Do Not Disturb) registry require prior consent. Non-compliance can result in penalties.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
Agent number not ringing	Incorrect `From` number	Verify agent number format
Customer sees unknown number	ExoPhone not set as CallerID	Set `CallerId` parameter
Call fails immediately	Invalid customer number	Use E.164 format or 10-digit number
Low answer rate	Caller ID not recognized	Enable Truecaller verified caller ID
Both parties hear hold music	Flow misconfigured	Use Connect Two Numbers, not Connect to Flow
Call recorded but no audio	Only one leg was connected	Ensure both parties answered

How Outgoing Calls Work in Exotel​

Methods for Making Outgoing Calls​

Method 1: Click-to-Call (Dashboard)​

Method 2: Click-to-Call (API)​

Method 3: Connect to Flow (API)​

Method 4: Bulk Outbound Campaigns​

Method 5: Progressive Dialer​

Outgoing Call via Voice v2 API​

Caller ID Management​

Call Status Tracking​

Best Practices​

Troubleshooting​

Related​