Skip to main content

Auto-Dialer and Bulk Outbound Campaigns

The auto-dialer in 4phone runs automated outbound call campaigns across a contact list: notifications, reminders, service announcements, surveys, and interactive flows that transfer answered calls to an operator.

What a Campaign Contains​

A campaign stores the outbound route, Caller ID or revolver profile, concurrent line limit, contact list, and visual call flow. You do not need to recreate a campaign for every new batch of contacts: you can clear the contact list separately while keeping all campaign settings intact.

Visual Flow Blocks​

BlockPurpose
StartEntry point. Initializes the call and, if enabled, starts call recording.
Play audioPlays an uploaded or personalized audio file.
Collect digitsPlays a prompt and waits for DTMF input. Each digit can route to a separate branch; supports a fallback branch for timeout or invalid input.
SurveyCaptures a single DTMF rating within a defined range and saves the survey score.
Retry decisionAdds a pause before continuing the branch.
Transfer to queueTransfers the answered call to an operator queue.
Transfer to extensionTransfers the call to a specific internal extension.
HTTP actionSends contact and DTMF data to an external webhook handler for further automation.
Opt outRecords an opt-out request, adds the number to the DNC list, and ends the call.
HangupEnds the call with the selected hangup cause.
Important

Transfer to queue, Transfer to extension, Opt out, and Hangup are terminal blocks: the current branch does not continue after them.

Connecting Collect digits Branches​

Outgoing connections from a DTMF block are labeled with a digit such as 1, 2, or 9. You can also assign a dedicated connection as fallback, timeout, invalid, or else, which triggers when none of the digit branches match.

Use flow validation before publishing: the system checks all connections and prevents publishing a flow with errors.

Uploading Contacts​

Both manual import and CSV/Excel uploads are supported. Before finalizing the import, a preview shows valid rows, duplicates, numbers on the DNC list, format errors, and plan limit warnings.

+998901234567,Ivan
+998907654321,Maria

The same phone number cannot be added to a single campaign twice.

Replacing the Contact List Without Deleting the Campaign​

  1. Pause or stop the running campaign.
  2. In the contacts section, click Clear contacts.
  3. Campaign settings, the visual flow, Caller ID, and outbound routing remain intact.
  4. Upload the new CSV/Excel file and check the import preview.
  5. Start the campaign again.

Clearing contacts removes the existing contacts along with their dial attempts and resets the campaign counters. This action is blocked while the campaign is in the "Running" state.

Publishing and Launching​

Recommended workflow:

  1. create a campaign;
  2. build the visual flow;
  3. upload and preview the contact list;
  4. verify the trunk/revolver profile and Caller ID;
  5. run Validate flow;
  6. publish the flow;
  7. start the campaign.

A campaign will not start without a published flow, at least one contact, and a working outbound route.

DNC and Opt-Out Handling​

Phone numbers are checked against the DNC (Do Not Call) list before import. Blocked numbers are excluded from the active contact list. During a call, the Opt out block lets recipients opt out immediately and adds their number to the DNC list.

Pre-Launch Checklist​

Before starting a campaign
  1. the import preview shows no unexpected duplicates or format errors;
  2. the visual scenario passes Validate flow;
  3. audio prompts and DTMF branches lead to the expected blocks;
  4. the Caller ID and outbound trunk or revolver profile are active;
  5. the concurrent line limit matches your available trunk capacity;
  6. if call transfer is used, the target queue or extension is available.

Troubleshooting​

Campaign Does Not Start​

Check that the flow is published, contacts are loaded, billing balance is sufficient, and the outbound route is active.

Contact Is Not Imported​

The import preview shows the exact reason: invalid format, duplicate, DNC match, or contact limit exceeded.

Need to Upload a New List While Keeping Settings​

Use Clear contacts instead of deleting and recreating the campaign.

DTMF Input Does Not Follow the Expected Branch​

Check the label on the outgoing connection and make sure a fallback connection is configured for timeouts or invalid input.

Next, see Common Issues and Quick Fixes.