Outbound Calling
There are two ways to make outbound calls with Auto-Respond:
- Automatic lead calling - a Calling Agent auto-dials every new lead from your connected sources.
- Manual outbound - you kick off a single call to a specific number right now.
For multi-recipient campaigns, see Batch & Campaign Calling.
Getting here
- Configure a Calling Agent: In Auto-Respond, go to Voice Agent → Voice Agents → Create New Agent (select type Calling Agent), or edit an existing one.
- Make a manual outbound call: From the agent detail view, use the Make Call action.
Automatic lead calling (Calling Agent)
A Calling Agent is tied to a business and its connected lead sources. Every time a new lead arrives from one of those sources, the agent calls the lead’s phone number the instant the lead is created.
How it works
A new lead arrives
A lead is created in Auto-Respond from one of your connected sources (for example, a Facebook Lead Ads form submission or a Google Local Services Ads lead).
The agent is triggered
The agent sees the new lead, pulls the lead’s name and phone number, and initiates an outbound call.
The call connects
When a live person answers, the agent identifies itself as AI first. The platform prompt requires the first spoken sentence to be Hi, this is {agent_name}, AI Assistant from {business_name}., then continues the customer’s configured greeting without changing the stored text. This identification cannot be turned off, and persona settings never allow the agent to claim it is human or deny that it is AI.
- If the lead answers, the agent runs its normal conversation - greeting, service identification, pricing, booking, etc.
- If the call goes to voicemail, the agent leaves the Voicemail Message.
- If the call isn’t answered, it’s logged as missed and the next scheduled follow-up applies (if configured elsewhere in your flow).
The call is logged
Full transcript, recording, AI summary, and extracted data appear in Call Logs. See Call Logs & Analytics.
Required setup
- Agent type: Calling Agent.
- Business: selected.
- Phone number: assigned with Use for outbound enabled.
- Voicemail Message: filled in (required for Calling Agents). Max 1000 characters.
- Knowledge Base and Scheduling Integration: recommended so the agent can quote and book live.
Manual outbound calls
You can place a one-off call through an existing agent - useful for calling a specific lead right now or testing a new prompt.
- Open the agent in Voice Agent → Voice Agents.
- Click Make Call (or the equivalent action in the agent detail).
- Enter the customer’s phone number (E.164 format with leading
+) and optional context fields (name, service, notes). - Click Call.
The from-number (caller ID) is the phone number assigned to the agent with Use for outbound enabled. If the agent’s business has caller ID verification set up and Use caller ID for lead is on, the customer sees your real business number instead. See Caller ID & Trust Hub.
From / to number rules
- The from-number must be a phone number assigned to the agent with Use for outbound enabled.
- The to-number can be any E.164-formatted number the agent has permission to dial.
- The country code of the from-number should match the to-number for acceptable connection rates. Cross-country calls are technically possible but often flagged or priced differently.
Consent and opt-outs
- Only call numbers for which your business has a valid basis to contact.
- The system checks the account suppression list before each outbound call is created.
- Natural-language requests such as “stop calling”, “take me off your list”, and “don’t call again” suppress the number immediately. The agent confirms the opt-out and ends the call.
- Planned calls to a newly suppressed number are canceled. If a provider-side batch cannot remove one recipient, the full pending batch is canceled to prevent the call.
- Outbound attempts and opt-outs are stored with the lead-source snapshot and suppression state so the contact chain can be audited by phone number.
Call hours
The agent’s Timing (call hours) applies to outbound calls too. A lead that arrives outside configured call hours is not called immediately - it’s queued and called once call hours begin.
Speed matters on outbound. Leads contacted within the first five minutes are dramatically more likely to engage. Set your call hours as wide as your agent can responsibly cover, and make sure automatic lead calling is enabled for your key sources.
Voicemail Message
Required for Calling Agents. See Advanced → Voicemail Message.
- Max length: 1000 characters.
- Default:
Hey {{lead_name}}, sorry we could not reach you directly. Please give us a callback if you can. - Placeholders:
{{lead_name}},{{agent_name}},{{company_name}}.
Keep it short (under 15 seconds spoken). Mention who you are, why you’re calling, and the best number to reach you.
Showing your real number as caller ID
By default, the customer sees the system phone number you purchased. To have them see your real business number, verify it as caller ID and toggle Use caller ID for lead on for outbound calls. See Caller ID & Trust Hub.
US outbound traffic benefits significantly from a completed Trust Hub profile. Without it, carriers are more likely to flag your calls as spam, lowering pickup rates. See Caller ID & Trust Hub.
Troubleshooting
New leads aren’t being called automatically.
- Confirm the agent type is Calling Agent.
- Confirm the agent has a phone number with Use for outbound enabled.
- Confirm the agent’s business is linked to the source that’s producing the leads.
- Check the current time - leads outside call hours are queued until call hours begin.
The outbound call shows the wrong caller ID to the customer.
- If you want them to see your own business number, verify it as caller ID and turn on Use caller ID for lead. See Caller ID & Trust Hub.
- If you want them to see the system purchased number, turn Use caller ID for lead off.
Outbound calls keep being marked as spam by carriers.
- Complete a Trust Hub profile for the business. See Caller ID & Trust Hub.
- Use a local-area-code phone number that matches the region you’re calling.
The agent is leaving long voicemails. Shorten the Voicemail Message. Aim for one or two sentences.
Questions? Email support@auto-respond.com.