Make an Outbound Call... does nothing

Support Help
1

After spending 2 hours setting up agents, a phone number, etc, I click on the Make an Outbound Call, enter a number, in the modal, then click Call and… nothing. It just closes the modal after spinning for 2 sec.

There are a dozen errors in the web dev console (but none in the web page UI), including:
5086-bfa265b429da8999.js:1 POST https://api.retellai.com/v2/create-phone-call 400 (Bad Request)

What is going on?

2

The 400 Bad Request error indicates your outbound call request is being rejected due to invalid parameters(1). Here are the most common causes:

Phone Number Configuration Issues

Your phone number must be properly configured before making outbound calls(2). Specifically:

  • The from_number must be a Retell-managed or imported number(2)(1)
  • You need to bind an outbound agent to your phone number(2)
  • The number must be in E.164 format (e.g., +14157774444)(1)(3)

Required Setup Steps

Before making outbound calls, ensure you’ve completed these configurations(2):

  1. Bind an agent to your phone number: Navigate to your phone number settings and assign an outbound agent(2)
  2. Verify number format: The destination number must be in E.164 format with country code, no spaces or special characters(1)(3)
  3. Check international calling: If calling outside the US with a Retell-purchased number, verify the destination country is in the 15 supported countries(2)

Common 400 Error Causes

Based on similar cases, the 400 error typically occurs when(4)(5):

  • The from_number is not a valid Retell phone number(4)
  • No outbound agent is bound to the phone number(2)
  • The phone number format is incorrect (not E.164)(1)(3)
  • The destination country is not supported for your number type(2)

Quick Fix

Check your phone number configuration in the dashboard(2):

  1. Go to “Phone Numbers” tab(6)
  2. Click on your purchased number
  3. Under Outbound Agent, ensure an agent is selected(2)
  4. Verify the number shows as active

If you continue experiencing issues after verifying these settings, check out these resources:

3

Hello @ty1

Can enter the number you are calling in the E.164 format, and if the issue is still happening, can you share your org id and a quick video showing how you are doing it.

4

To ensure your phone number is in the correct E.164 format for Retell AI, it should include the country code prefixed with a plus sign (+), followed by the number with no spaces or special characters(1)(2).

For example, a valid E.164 format would be "+14157774444"(1)(2).

Common E.164 formatting issues:

  • Ensure the number includes the + prefix followed by the country code(1)(2)
  • Remove any spaces, dashes, or special characters from the number(1)(2)
  • For a US number, it should look like "+12137771234" rather than "(213) 777-1234" or "2137771234"(2)

If you’re experiencing issues with number format, double-check that there are absolutely no dashes, spaces, or other characters in your phone number(3).

If you’re using a local VOIP provider that doesn’t automatically provide numbers in E.164 format, you may need to handle normalization on your side with a PBX dialplan or SBC rule(4). Some users have resolved issues by changing the destination number format to +E.164 in their telephony provider settings(5).

If the issue persists after verifying the format, please share your org ID and a video showing the steps you’re taking so the support team can investigate further.

**

5

Sure. It’s the easyjet phone number. UK tho +44. I tried 20 configurations and a couple other phone numbers too.

Tyler

6

If you can share the org id that will be helpful.

7

To find your workspace ID (also called org ID) in Retell AI:(1)

  1. Access your workspace settings from the system settings page(1)
  2. Click the workspace selector in the top left corner of the dashboard(1)
  3. Navigate to your workspace settings(1)
  4. Retrieve the workspace ID from there(1)

The workspace ID is sometimes needed when debugging issues related to your account.(1)(2)(3)

8

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