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PolyAI supports outbound calling for appointment reminders, follow-ups, and automated notifications.

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Prerequisites

  • An active PolyAI project
  • Outbound calling enabled (contact your PolyAI representative)
  • A phone number configured for outbound calls
Outbound calling requires configuration by PolyAI. Contact your account manager or support@poly.ai to enable this feature.

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Outbound calling methods

Outbound Calling API

Programmatically trigger calls via REST API

SIP integration

Route outbound calls through your SIP infrastructure

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Using the Outbound Calling API

The Outbound Calling API lets you programmatically trigger calls and monitor their status:
  • Appointment reminders - Call customers before scheduled appointments
  • Follow-up calls - Re-engage customers after specific events
  • Notifications - Deliver time-sensitive information via voice
  • Campaigns - Run proactive outreach at scale

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Quick start

  1. Obtain your authentication token from your PolyAI representative
  2. Use the base URL provided for your project by PolyAI:
    • US: https://api.us-1.platform.polyai.app
    • UK: https://api.uk-1.platform.polyai.app
    • EUW: https://api.euw-1.platform.polyai.app
  3. Trigger a call: 
curl -X POST https://api.us-1.platform.polyai.app/v1/outbound-calling/trigger \
  -H "X-PolyAi-Auth-Token: YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to_number": "+14155551234",
    "metadata": {
      "customer_name": "John",
      "appointment_time": "2:00 PM"
    }
  }'
  1. Monitor call status using the returned callSid:
Call status data is retained for approximately 2 hours after the call ends. Poll and store status data before it expires if you need it longer.
curl -X GET "https://api.us-1.platform.polyai.app/v1/outbound-calling/{callSid}/status" \
  -H "X-PolyAi-Auth-Token: YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN"
For complete API documentation, see the Outbound Calling API reference.

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SIP-based outbound calling

If your telephony setup uses SIP, you can route outbound calls through your existing infrastructure instead of using the API. This is a good option if you already have a SIP-based contact center and want to keep routing under your control. SIP-based outbound calling allows:
  • Custom SIP header injection for the outbound leg
  • Integration with your contact center platform
  • Routing through your preferred carrier
When using custom SIP handoffs, you can specify the outbound endpoint in your function: 
return {
    "handoff": True,
    "outbound_caller_id": conv.caller_number,
    "outbound_endpoint": "YOUR_OUTBOUND_ENDPOINT_NAME"
}
For detailed SIP configuration, see the Custom SIP integration guide.

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Twilio-based outbound calling

Twilio-based outbound calling requires configuration by PolyAI. Contact your PolyAI representative to set this up for your project.
If you’re integrated with Twilio, outbound calls can be routed through your Twilio account. This leverages your existing Twilio infrastructure and phone numbers.

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Best practices

  • Validate phone numbers - Use E.164 format (e.g., +14155551234)
  • Respect time zones - Schedule calls during appropriate hours for the recipient
  • Handle failures - Implement retry logic with exponential backoff
  • Pass context via metadata - Include customer information to personalize conversations
  • Monitor outcomes - Track delivery status for optimization

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Call status tracking

When using the API, you can track call progress through these statuses:
StatusDescription
queuedCall has been queued for processing
callingCall is being placed to the destination
successCall completed successfully
failureCall failed to connect or was not answered

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Next steps

API reference

Complete API documentation

Trigger a call

API endpoint to initiate calls

Check call status

Monitor call progress

SIP integration

Configure SIP-based calling
Last modified on March 20, 2026