Introduction

Effective call management is essential for businesses to maintain seamless communication with their clients. 

Vtiger CRM offers a powerful solution through its Generic Phone Calls API, enabling users to effortlessly handle incoming calls and update call records.

A Generic Phone Call API lets you add phone call features to your CRM. It offers methods to start, manage, and handle calls, like making or receiving calls, call controls (answering, hanging up), call recording, accessing call details and updating call records.

You can use Postman to send Generic Phone calls API reqests. But before that, you must configure a Generic gateway in the Phone Configuration in the CRM settings.

Benefits

Following are the benefits of using Generic Phone call APIs:

• Simplifies adding phone call features to CRM systems, reducing development time.
• Customizable solution adaptable to CRM workflows and requirements.
• Handles large call volumes within CRM environments efficiently.
• Reduces development and maintenance costs compared to custom CRM call solutions.

Feature Availability

In his article, you will learn about:

• Configuring phone settings.
• Sending requests from Postman.
• Request examples. 

Key Terminology

Configuring Phone Settings

Follow these steps to configure the Generic gateway for phone calls:

1. Log in to your CRM account.
2. Click the User Menu.
3. Click Settings.
4. Select Phone Configuration under Extensions.
5. Click Add Gateway.
6. Select Generic from the drop-down.
7. Copy and paste the Vtiger Secret Key into a notepad.
8. Click Save.

Sending a Request From Postman

Once you configure a Generic gateway for phone calls, you must send a request from Postman to create or update Phone call records.

Follow these steps to send a request from Postman to your Vtiger instance:

1. Log in to your Postman account.
2. Click Send an API Request.
3. Select the POST method from the drop-down.
4. Enter the Endpoint as follows - (https://your_vtiger_domain/modules/PhoneCalls/callbacks/Generic.php)
5. Click the Header tab. 
6. Enter or select information for the following - 
   1. Key: Enter the key as (X-VTIGER-SECRET).
   2. Value: Paste the copied Vtiger Secret Key.
7. Click the Params tab.
   1. Enter the required parameters depending on the request. Refer to the Request examples in the next section.
8. Click Send.

Request Examples

Following are the request examples to perform certain actions during a phone call to update the Phone call record.

Call Initiation

To initiate a call, send the request with the following parameters: 

• Endpoint: https://your_vtiger_domain/modules/PhoneCalls/callbacks/Generic.php
• Type: POST

If the number of the inbound call matches a contact's number in the Office Phone Number field, then the phone call record is created for the contact.

Call Connected

If a call is initiated and you want to update the Status field of the call as In progress and update Handled By field, you can send the request with the following parameters.

This request will find existing phone call records using the Call ID, update the Status as In Progress, and update the Handled by field using the number in the To field.

Call Recording

If you want to update the call recording link in a phone call record, then send a request with the following parameters.

Call Transfer

If a call is transferred from one user to another and you want to update the Handled By field in a phone call record of the contact who received  the call, then send the request with the following parameters: 

Call Status Update

After a call is completed and the status needs to be updated, send a request with the following parameters: 

To update  a phone call record based on the Hang up Reason field, send a request with the following parameters:

References

• Phone Calls Module Overview
• Phone Calls API Usage