> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://doc.rapida.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Exotel

> Connect your Exotel phone numbers to Rapida AI for inbound and outbound voice AI conversations.

Exotel is a cloud telephony platform widely used across India and Southeast Asia, offering programmable voice and messaging APIs. Rapida integrates with Exotel to enable AI-powered phone conversations using Exotel's media streaming capabilities.

<Info>
  Exotel is particularly well-suited for businesses operating in India and SEA, offering local virtual numbers, regulatory compliance, and reliable connectivity in those regions.
</Info>

## How It Works

```mermaid theme={null}
sequenceDiagram
    participant Caller
    participant Exotel as Exotel Cloud
    participant API as Rapida Webhook API
    participant WS as Rapida Media Stream
    participant AI as AI Pipeline (STT → LLM → TTS)

    Caller->>Exotel: Dials your Exotel number
    Exotel->>API: POST /v1/talk/exotel/call/{assistantId}
    API->>API: Create conversation + save call context
    API-->>Exotel: Response with stream instructions

    rect rgb(230, 255, 230)
    Note over Exotel,AI: Media Streaming
    Exotel->>WS: Audio stream (bidirectional)
    WS->>AI: Audio → STT → LLM → TTS
    AI->>WS: TTS audio
    WS->>Exotel: Audio frames
    Exotel->>Caller: AI speaks
    end

    Caller->>Exotel: Hangup
    Exotel->>API: Status callback
```

***

## Prerequisites

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Exotel Account" icon="phone">
    An active Exotel account with at least one virtual number and an Exotel App (applet)
  </Card>

  <Card title="Rapida Account" icon="key">
    An active Rapida account with a configured voice assistant
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

You will need your **Account SID**, **Client ID**, and **Client Secret**, which you can find in the [Exotel Dashboard](https://my.exotel.com/).

***

## Step 1: Set Up Provider Credentials

Store your Exotel API credentials in Rapida so the platform can authenticate with Exotel for outbound calls and webhook handling.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to External Integrations">
    Go to **Integration > Tools** in the Rapida dashboard. You will see a grid of available external integrations.

    <img src="https://mintcdn.com/rapidaai/iFtJHOhZE0HHFT_Q/images/integration/external/external.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=iFtJHOhZE0HHFT_Q&q=85&s=99328dbb5a850dcb54adad31362a0aef" alt="External Integrations Page" width="3600" height="2022" data-path="images/integration/external/external.png" />
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Exotel">
    Find the **Exotel** card and click **"Setup Credential"**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter Your Exotel Credentials">
    <img src="https://mintcdn.com/rapidaai/gzJ0Zd4iKCHgZm7r/images/integration/external/exotel.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=gzJ0Zd4iKCHgZm7r&q=85&s=c1adb18d8f91edcbe7b8423f25768a24" alt="Exotel Credentials" width="3562" height="2088" data-path="images/integration/external/exotel.png" />

    A modal will appear. Fill in the following fields:

    | Field             | Description                                                     | Where to Find                                               |
    | ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **Key Name**      | A friendly name for this credential (e.g., "Production Exotel") | Your choice                                                 |
    | **Account SID**   | Your Exotel Account SID                                         | [Exotel Dashboard](https://my.exotel.com/) → Settings → API |
    | **Client ID**     | Your Exotel API Client ID                                       | Exotel Dashboard → Settings → API Credentials               |
    | **Client Secret** | Your Exotel API Client Secret                                   | Exotel Dashboard → Settings → API Credentials               |

    Click **"Configure"** to save.

    <Warning>
      Keep your Client Secret secure. It is used for API authentication and should not be shared publicly.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify Connection">
    After saving, the Exotel card should display **"Connected"**. Click on it to see credential details, last updated time, and management options.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Step 2: Configure Phone Deployment

With credentials saved, configure your assistant's phone deployment to use Exotel.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Your Assistant">
    Navigate to **Assistants** and select the assistant you want to deploy via phone.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to Phone Deployment">
    Click **"Deploy"** → **"Phone"** to open the phone deployment configuration page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Exotel as Telephony Provider">
    In the **Telephony** section:

    1. Select **Exotel** from the telephony provider dropdown
    2. Choose the Exotel credential you created in Step 1 from the **Credential** dropdown
    3. Enter your **Phone** number — the Exotel virtual number for inbound calls and outbound caller ID
    4. Enter the **App ID** — your Exotel applet identifier that routes calls to Rapida

    <Tip>
      The **App ID** is the Exotel applet (flow) identifier. You create this in the Exotel dashboard and configure it to forward calls to Rapida's webhook URL.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Experience Settings">
    Set up the conversation experience:

    | Setting                  | Description                                    | Default            |
    | ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------ |
    | **Greeting**             | The first message the AI speaks when answering | *(optional)*       |
    | **Error Message**        | Message spoken when an error occurs            | *(optional)*       |
    | **Idle Timeout**         | Seconds before prompting an idle caller        | `30`               |
    | **Idle Message**         | Message spoken when caller is idle             | `"Are you there?"` |
    | **Idle Timeout Retries** | How many times to retry before ending call     | `2`                |
    | **Max Call Duration**    | Maximum call length in seconds                 | `300`              |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Audio Providers">
    Select your **Speech-to-Text** (STT) and **Text-to-Speech** (TTS) providers. These determine how audio is transcribed and synthesized during the call.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save Deployment">
    Click **"Deploy"** to save. Your assistant is now ready to handle phone calls via Exotel.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Step 3: Configure Your Exotel App

Point your Exotel app (applet) to Rapida so incoming calls are routed to your AI assistant.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Exotel Dashboard">
    Go to the [Exotel Dashboard](https://my.exotel.com/) and navigate to **App Bazaar** or **Flows**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create or Edit an App">
    Create a new app or edit an existing one. Configure the app to connect incoming calls to an external URL.

    Set the **webhook URL** to:

    ```
    https://websocket-01.in.rapida.ai/v1/talk/exotel/call/{your-assistant-id}?x-api-key={your-api-key}
    ```

    Replace `{your-assistant-id}` with your Rapida assistant ID.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Link Phone Number">
    Assign your Exotel virtual number to this app so inbound calls are routed through it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Save the app configuration. Your Exotel number is now connected to Rapida.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Making Outbound Calls

Once your phone deployment is configured, you can initiate outbound calls using the Rapida API or SDKs.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Python">
    ```python theme={null}
    from rapida import Rapida

    client = Rapida(api_key="rpd-xxx-your-key")

    call = client.calls.create(
        assistant_id=123456789,
        to_number="+919876543210",
        from_number="+911234567890",  # optional, uses deployment default
        metadata={"campaign": "follow-up"},
    )

    print(f"Call queued: conversation_id={call.conversation.id}")
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Node.js">
    ```typescript theme={null}
    import { Rapida } from 'rapida';

    const client = new Rapida({ apiKey: 'rpd-xxx-your-key' });

    const call = await client.calls.create({
      assistantId: 123456789,
      toNumber: '+919876543210',
      fromNumber: '+911234567890',
      metadata: { campaign: 'follow-up' },
    });

    console.log(`Call queued: ${call.conversation.id}`);
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="cURL">
    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -X POST https://api.rapida.ai/v1/talk/call \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer rpd-xxx-your-key" \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -d '{
        "assistant": { "assistant_id": 123456789 },
        "to_number": "+919876543210",
        "from_number": "+911234567890",
        "metadata": { "campaign": "follow-up" }
      }'
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## Features

| Feature                   | Description                                                        |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Inbound Calls**         | Customers call your Exotel number and speak with your AI assistant |
| **Outbound Calls**        | Initiate calls programmatically via SDK or API                     |
| **Real-time Streaming**   | Bidirectional audio via Exotel media streams                       |
| **Call Recording**        | Automatic conversation capture for review and compliance           |
| **India & SEA Numbers**   | Local virtual numbers for Indian and Southeast Asian markets       |
| **Number Masking**        | Protect customer and agent phone numbers during calls              |
| **Regulatory Compliance** | Compliant with TRAI and regional telecom regulations               |

***

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Calls don't reach Rapida">
    * Verify the webhook URL in your Exotel App configuration
    * Ensure the URL uses `https://` and the correct assistant ID
    * Confirm the phone number is assigned to the correct Exotel App
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="One-way audio or no audio">
    * Verify your Exotel credential (Account SID, Client ID, Client Secret) is correct in Rapida
    * Check that your STT and TTS providers are configured in the phone deployment
    * Ensure the App ID in your phone deployment matches the Exotel app
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Outbound calls fail">
    * Verify the Exotel credential is connected in **Integration > Tools**
    * Ensure the `from_number` is a valid Exotel number assigned to your account
    * Check that the phone deployment is configured and saved with the correct App ID
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="App ID issues">
    * The App ID should match the Exotel applet/flow identifier exactly
    * Verify the app is active and not paused in the Exotel dashboard
    * Ensure the app has the correct webhook URL configured
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Related Resources

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create an Assistant" icon="bot" href="/assistants/create-assistant">
    Build your voice AI assistant
  </Card>

  <Card title="Phone Deployment" icon="phone" href="/voice-deployment-options/phone">
    Overview of phone deployment options
  </Card>

  <Card title="Outbound Call API" icon="code" href="/api-reference/call/create-call">
    API reference for creating calls
  </Card>

  <Card title="Conversation Logs" icon="list" href="/activity/conversation-logs">
    View call history and transcripts
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

For more information on Exotel's platform, visit the [Exotel Developer Documentation](https://developer.exotel.com/).