Is it possible for the Ai agent to transfer the call to itself, even though it is instructed to a specific number in the transfer call function? Because I had calls where the AI would call the transfer call fucntion, but it would transfer the call back to its own number.
This number is the number of the agent, and as you can see the calls are going in circles from that number, so the Ai is technically talking to itselfso its transferring the call to itself, even though it is instructed in the transfer_call function to a totally different number. Could this be an issue with the telephony provider on my client side, and not on my side?
Based on the call loop pattern you’re showing, this is likely a telephony provider configuration issue rather than a Retell AI issue(1).
When you configure a transfer call, you set the transfer number to either a number in e.164 format or a SIP URI(2)(3). If your AI agent is transferring calls back to its own number instead of the specified destination, the most common causes are:
Telephony Provider Configuration Issues
Your SIP trunk or telephony provider may have incorrect routing rules that loop calls back to the originating number(1). For cold transfers specifically, the transfer relies on SIP REFER protocol, and it’s up to the telephony provider to support caller ID override and proper routing(2)(3).
If you’re using custom telephony via SIP trunking, verify that:
Your termination SIP URI is configured correctly without spaces(5)
Authentication is set up properly (IP whitelisting or credentials)(1)(5)
The transfer destination number is in the correct format(2)(3)
Debugging Steps
Check the logs in your telephony provider to see where the call routing is failing(1). The documentation specifically notes: “Also check the logs in your telephony provider, and perhaps open a ticket with them”(1).
If you’re using Twilio with cold transfer and transferee caller ID, note that there are known limitations where “Twilio for example, does not honor the custom SIP headers in the REFER request”(4).
Since the transfer call function itself is configured with a different number but calls are looping back, this strongly suggests your telephony provider is not routing the transfer correctly. I recommend opening a support ticket with your telephony provider to investigate their call routing configuration.