Outbound Call (Beta) Node

warning

This node is in beta and may not be fully tested or documented. Use with caution.

Make an outbound phone call to another agent. The tool will wait for the call to complete and return a summary of the conversation.

Properties

Label	Property	Type	Description	Default Value	Is Required
Agent Flow	flowReference	botdojo/types/flow_reference_select	Select the agent flow that will handle the outbound call. Only flows with outbound voice capability should be selected.	null
Tool Name	toolNameOverride	botdojo/types/string	Override the name of the tool (defaults to 'make_outbound_call')	make_outbound_call	✅
Tool Label	toolLabel	botdojo/types/string	The label to use for the tool in the chat (defaults to the tool name).	null	✅
Hide Step in Chat	toolHideStep	botdojo/types/boolean	When enabled, the tool execution will not be shown to the user in the chat.	false	✅

Output

Label	Property	Type	Description	Default Value
Tool	tool	botdojo/interface/tool	The outbound call tool that can be used by an agent	null

Overview

The Outbound Call Tool enables your agent to initiate phone calls to other voice-enabled agents. The tool waits for the call to complete and returns a detailed summary of the conversation, making it perfect for scenarios where one agent needs to gather information from another agent via phone.

Use Cases

• Agent-to-Agent Communication: Have one agent call another agent to gather specific information
• Automated Follow-ups: Create workflows where an agent calls customers or contacts
• Multi-step Voice Workflows: Chain together multiple agents handling different parts of a conversation
• Phone Tree Automation: Navigate phone menus and IVR systems programmatically

How It Works

1. The tool initiates an outbound call using the Twilio integration
2. The call connects to the specified agent flow (which must have an outbound voice trigger configured)
3. The tool polls every 10 seconds (configurable) to check if the call has completed
4. Once the call ends, it retrieves the flow request data and generates a conversation summary
5. The summary is returned to the calling agent, who can use it to continue their workflow

Tool Schema (Parameters)

When an agent uses this tool, it can provide the following parameters:

• to_number (string, required): The phone number to call in E.164 format (e.g., +1234567890)
• call_instructions (string, optional): Instructions for what the agent should do or say during the call

Prerequisites

1. Twilio Integration: You must have the Twilio integration configured in your account
2. Phone Number: The target agent flow must have a phone number assigned
3. Outbound Voice Trigger: The target agent flow must have an outbound voice trigger configured
4. Voice Configuration: The target flow should have proper voice settings (greeting, voice selection, etc.)

Setting Up the Target Agent Flow

To use a flow as an outbound call target:

1. Create or open your agent flow
2. Go to Flow Settings → Voice
3. Configure the outbound voice trigger
4. Set up voice configuration (voice selection, greeting, etc.)
5. Ensure the flow's Start node accepts voice input
6. Make sure the flow's End node returns appropriate voice output

Accessing Call Instructions in the Target Flow

When the outbound call is made, the target flow receives the call_instructions through a trigger data property. This is a special input property on the Start node that contains information about how the call was triggered.

The property name follows the pattern trigger_data_[id] and contains an object with the to_number and call_instructions.

To use the instructions in your flow:

1. Add an input property to your Start node (e.g., trigger_data_1234)
2. Configure it as type "Data" (object)
3. In your agent configuration, reference the instructions via this property
4. Example in a prompt: Reference the trigger data property to access the instructions

Example Usage

Simple Scenario

You have a customer service agent that needs to verify information with another department:

1. Main Agent (customer-facing): Has the Outbound Call Tool configured
2. Verification Agent (internal): Has an outbound voice trigger and handles verification requests

The main agent can call the verification agent during a conversation:

// The LLM will automatically structure the tool call like this:
{
  "to_number": "+15551234567",
  "call_instructions": "Please verify the account status for customer ID 12345"
}

Advanced Workflow

Create a multi-step process where agents collaborate:

1. Sales Agent gathers initial customer requirements
2. Sales Agent calls Technical Agent to get technical feasibility
3. Technical Agent responds with assessment
4. Sales Agent uses the information to provide accurate quote

Call Summary Format

The tool returns a formatted summary including:

• Call ID and status
• Duration and timestamps
• End type (hang_up, completed, error, etc.)
• Call instructions provided
• Full conversation transcript or response
• Any errors that occurred

Example summary:

# Outbound Call Summary

- **Call ID**: CAxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- **Status**: complete
- **Duration**: 45s
- **End Type**: hang_up
- **Started**: 2024-01-15T10:30:00Z
- **Ended**: 2024-01-15T10:30:45Z
- **Total Turns**: 3

## Call Instructions
Please verify the account status for customer ID 12345

## Conversation Transcript

### Turn 1

**Caller**: [Call initiated]

**Agent**: Hello, this is the verification department. How can I help you?

*Duration: 2s*

### Turn 2

**Caller**: I need to verify account 12345

**Agent**: Let me check that for you. One moment please.

*Duration: 5s*

### Turn 3

**Caller**: Okay

**Agent**: Account 12345 is active with no pending issues. The verification is complete.

*Duration: 3s*

Troubleshooting

"No voice trigger found for flow"

Make sure the target flow has an outbound voice trigger configured in Flow Settings → Voice.

"No phone number assigned to flow"

The target flow needs a phone number assigned. Configure this in Flow Settings → Voice → Phone Number.

"Call timed out"

The call exceeded the max wait time. You can:

• Increase the Max Wait Time property
• Optimize the target agent flow to complete faster
• Check if the target agent is stuck in a loop

"Flow does not have an outbound voice trigger configured"

The node validation detected that the selected flow doesn't have the proper trigger. Add an outbound voice trigger to the flow or select a different flow.

Best Practices

1. Set Appropriate Timeouts: Consider the expected call duration when setting max wait time
2. Handle Errors Gracefully: The calling agent should be prepared for call failures or timeouts
3. Clear Instructions: Provide specific call instructions to help the target agent understand what's needed
4. Test Thoroughly: Test the complete flow before deploying to production
5. Monitor Costs: Each outbound call incurs Twilio charges, so monitor usage
6. Use Proper Phone Numbers: Always use E.164 format for phone numbers (+country code + number)

Limitations

• The tool is synchronous and blocks until the call completes or times out
• Only works with flows that have outbound voice triggers
• Requires active Twilio integration
• Call duration affects tool execution time
• Polling interval affects responsiveness (lower values = more API calls)