• ACTIVE
  • LOGS
  • MANUAL
  • DATA

How to trigger outbound phone calls with your AI

Connect Retell AI to your agent and start making calls through a simple chat command. Your AI handles the dialing and agent selection.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I make my AI call someone?

You tell your AI which agent to use and which number to dial. It then uses Retell AI to pick your resources and initiate the call. You'll see the call happen in real time through your configured setup.

Call outcomes

What happens after you command a call

The AI takes your text and turns it into a live connection.

ACTIVE

Call starts

The AI selects your agent and number, then triggers the dialer. You get an active outbound call to the target number.

LOGS

Agent selection

The AI checks your available Retell agents and phone numbers. You can verify which identity the AI is using for the call.

MANUAL

Human oversight

The AI handles the dialing, but you stay in control of the logic. You decide exactly when and to whom the call is placed.

DATA

Resource check

The AI confirms your phone numbers and agents exist before dialing. This prevents failed attempts due to missing configurations.

The workflow

What your AI does when the request arrives.

The AI moves from your text command to a live phone connection.

  1. Identify resources

    The AI looks through your Retell account to find the right agent and phone number for the task.

    list_agentslist_phone_numbers

  2. Initiate dialing

    Once the agent and number are matched, the AI sends the command to start the outbound call.

    create_phone_call

  3. Verify setup

    The AI double checks that the requested agent is available to handle the call.

    list_agents

  4. Confirm number

    The AI ensures the specific phone number you want to call is active in your Retell list.

    list_phone_numbers

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to trigger your first call.

Starting points

Swap out the agent names and phone numbers for your actual Retell credentials.

Retell AI Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_7z3T4F0oJiK1uBA1iK2nSyQSG5YggPL6GvYgb38S/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Retell AI capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "retell-ai-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_7z3T4F0oJiK1uBA1iK2nSyQSG5YggPL6GvYgb38S/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Call 555-0123 using my 'Sales Agent' from Retell AI.

  • Use my Retell phone number ending in 4444 to call 555-9876 with the 'Support Agent'.

  • List my Retell agents and then call 555-1111 using the first one on the list.

  • Find my available phone numbers and call 555-2222 using the 'Receptionist' agent.

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Retell AI once, then ask.

Log in to Retell AI once to authorize the connection. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can start calling immediately through your AI client.

Connect Retell AI to your AI

FAQ

How the calling task behaves

  • 01

    Can the AI change my Retell agent settings?

    No. The AI can only list your agents and use them to make calls; it cannot modify their configurations.

  • 02

    Can the AI delete my phone numbers?

    No. The AI can list your numbers to select one for a call, but it has no capability to delete or remove them.

  • 03

    Does the AI listen to the call?

    The AI triggers the call using your Retell agent. The actual conversation happens between the Retell agent and the recipient.

  • 04

    Can I call multiple people at once?

    You can ask the AI to trigger multiple calls, but it will execute them as individual commands.

  • 05

    How does the AI know which number to use?

    You specify the number in your prompt, or the AI can look through your available numbers using the list tool.

  • More questions about Retell AI? The Connector page answers them. See everything the Retell AI Connector can do

Connect Retell AI to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more