Manual calling from a contact
Manual calling is for precision: a VIP lead, a compliance-sensitive follow-up, or a quick supervised test before you scale a campaign.
At a glance
- Manual calls start from the Contact detail page.
- You select:
- a from-number
- an agent
- how agent variables should be populated (from contact fields or manual inputs)
When the Call button appears
The Call action is shown only when the contact is callable (not deleted, not blocked by DNC) and you have a tenant selected.
Step-by-step: place a manual call
- Open the contact.
- Click Call.
- Choose a From number.
- Choose an Agent.
- Review variable mapping:
- map variables from contact fields where possible
- fill missing variables manually
- Start the call.
Variable mapping (how to think about it)
There are two ways a variable can be satisfied:
- Mapped from contact data (standard fields, tags, custom fields)
- Entered manually (runtime value)
What gets sent at runtime
The UI sends two bags of values:
variable_mappings: “which contact field should feed this agent variable”runtime_vars: “this exact value should be used right now”
This distinction is important for operators: a mapping stays meaningful as the contact updates; a runtime value is a one-off override.
Common empty/error states
- No active phone numbers available
- No active agents available
- Backend failure after you click call
Pro tip: use manual calling as a preflight check
Before you launch a new campaign, place 1–3 manual calls on representative contacts. It’s the fastest way to catch missing variables, awkward openings, or timezone mismatches.
Next: scale from manual to campaign
Once manual calls look healthy, move the same logic into a segment or CSV audience and launch a pilot campaign.