# Outbound calling with Bird Voice

A callback from your application

Prepare

Trunk · caller identity · destination

Connect

Your application → Bird → customer

Reconcile

Answer · end · call record

## How does an application place a call?

A SIP application or PBX sends the call through a Bird trunk. Bird checks access, identity and destination, then connects the telephone leg. Your application owns the reason for the call and the conversation. Use the call API to read records and events to keep your system informed.

## Put the next action inside your customer workflow.

### Customer callbacks

Let a customer request a call from your team, then pass the relevant case or order into your own application. Keep your callback queue, permissions and retry decisions beside that context.

### Appointments and service updates

Build a calling workflow around a clear outcome: confirm an appointment, explain an update or connect the customer to the right person. Use call sequences when the conversation needs prompts and keypad input.

### A call from your browser

Use the Bird browser phone for a controlled outbound call. Prepare the trunk and caller identity first; the phone gives you a practical way to check the connection and inspect its result.

## An answered call is the start of the conversation.

Check audio in both directions, keypad tones where needed and a clean hangup. Then match the call record to the job your application intended to complete. A telephone answer can be a person, voicemail or another system; it does not establish that the customer completed the task.

Confirm access to the trunk, an eligible caller identity, destination permissions and available wallet funds.

Find the stage that failed. Authentication can fail before a record exists; recorded refusal and carrier response help you choose the next check.

Inspect the last call and your application state. Avoid duplicate callbacks when a timeout leaves the outcome uncertain.

## Questions before you connect

### Can I use my existing PBX?

Yes. Connect SIP-capable equipment to a Bird trunk and keep the calling logic your application or PBX already owns. Test transport, authentication, audio and keypad behavior before rollout.

### Does the call-record API start a call?

The call-record API reads calls and their outcomes. Use the documented SIP calling path or the appropriate calling workflow to establish the conversation.

### How are outbound calls priced?

Review the destination rate card and its billing minimum and increment. Check the recorded answered time and rated cost. Capacity, number charges and additional call components belong in the complete workload estimate.

## Build the rest of the calling path

[Voice overview](/voice-api) Choose the calling path for your customer journey.

[SIP trunking](/voice-api/features/sip-trunking) Connect your PBX, softphone or SIP application to the telephone network.

[Call sequences](/voice-api/features/call-sequences) Turn prompts, keypad choices and named branches into a versioned workflow.

[Browser calling](/voice-api/features/browser-calling) Place an outbound call from your workspace with a browser phone and your SIP trunk.

[Voice pricing](/pricing/voice) Review the current destination rates and call components.

## Scale without  losing control.

Organize teams in workspaces, control API access, and trace changes through audit logs.

Harbor Organization
Workspaces Production Sandbox

### Delivery agent

API key · Customer operations team
Active
Permissions Access
Email Read & write
SMS Read & write
WhatsApp Read Read & write
AL Alex Lee Admin  Permissions updated

### Audit log

Production
 API key updated Alex Lee · 09:42:18 UTC

Workspace
Production

Resource
Delivery agent

WhatsApp
Read Read & write

Succeeded

 [Workspaces](/docs/guides/workspaces)[Team roles](/docs/guides/users-teams-roles)[API authentication](/docs/guides/authentication)
[Explore Enterprise](/enterprise)

## Start with Voice. Build across channels with Bird.

[Get started](/dashboard/signup?returnTo=%2Fdashboard%2Fw%2Fvoice%2Fonboarding) · [Contact Sales](/demo?product=voice)

[Email](/email-api) · [SMS](/sms-api) · [WhatsApp](/whatsapp-api) · [Apple Messages](/apple-messages-api) · [Voice](/voice-api)



## Related resources

- [Voice overview](/docs/guides/voice/overview) (docs)
- [What is a voice API?](/explained/voice/what-is-a-voice-api) (answer)

[Get an implementation brief](/learn/workspace?topic=voice)