Calls FAQ

This page covers common questions and issues related to making, receiving, and reviewing calls in BuildVoiceAI.

Failed Calls

Why did my call fail?

Calls can fail for several reasons. Check the call detail view for the specific error message, then review these common causes:

1. No phone number assigned — The agent must have a phone number assigned to make or receive calls. Check the agent editor.
2. Provider balance depleted — Log into your voice provider dashboard and verify you have credits or an active subscription.
3. Calling window restriction — If the agent has a calling window configured, calls outside those hours are blocked.
4. Invalid phone number — The destination number may be disconnected, invalid, or in an unsupported region.
5. Provider outage — Check your provider’s status page for ongoing incidents.

Why is the call stuck on “Initiating”?

If a call shows as “Initiating” for more than 30 seconds:

1. The provider may be experiencing delays — check the status page
2. The phone number may be unreachable — try calling a different number
3. Refresh the page — the status may have updated but the UI did not refresh

Missing Transcripts

Why is there no transcript for a completed call?

Transcripts are generated by the voice provider after the call ends. Common reasons for missing transcripts:

1. Processing delay — Transcripts can take up to 5 minutes to appear after a call ends. Wait and refresh.
2. Very short calls — Calls under 5 seconds may not generate a transcript.
3. Provider issue — Check your provider dashboard to see if the transcript exists there.

Why is the transcript incomplete?

Partial transcripts can occur when:

• The call had poor audio quality
• The caller spoke in an unsupported language
• The provider’s speech-to-text engine had difficulty with accents or background noise

Test Call Issues

Microphone not working during test calls

Browser-based test calls require microphone access. If you cannot hear or be heard:

1. Check browser permissions — Click the lock icon in the address bar and ensure microphone access is set to “Allow” for the BuildVoiceAI domain.
2. Check system permissions — On macOS, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and ensure your browser is allowed.
3. HTTPS required — Test calls only work over HTTPS. If you see a “Not Secure” warning, the feature will not work.
4. Try a different browser — Chrome is recommended for best WebRTC compatibility.

No audio during test calls

If the call connects but you hear nothing:

1. Check speaker/headphone output — Ensure your audio output device is correct.
2. Firewall or VPN — WebRTC requires specific ports and protocols. Corporate firewalls or VPNs may block the audio stream. Try without VPN.
3. Browser tab muted — Right-click the browser tab and check if it is muted.
4. Refresh and retry — Close the test call modal, refresh the page, and try again.

WebRTC firewall issues

Test calls use WebRTC, which requires the following:

• UDP ports: 10000-60000 (varies by provider)
• STUN/TURN servers: Must be accessible
• Protocol: HTTPS for signaling

If you are behind a corporate firewall, ask your IT team to allow WebRTC traffic, or test from a network without restrictions.

Call Quality Issues

Agent sounds robotic or choppy

1. Check your internet connection — Unstable connections affect audio quality.
2. Try a different voice — Some voices handle certain content better than others.
3. Check provider latency — Switch to a provider with lower latency for your region.

Agent does not handle interruptions well

Interruption handling varies by provider:

• Retell and Vapi — Support natural turn-taking and interruptions
• Bland — More basic interruption handling

If natural conversation flow is important, use Retell or Vapi.

Outbound Call Issues

Calls are not being placed

1. Check the agent’s phone number — Outbound calls require an assigned number.
2. Verify the calling window — Calls outside allowed hours are queued or rejected.
3. Check phone number format — Numbers must be in E.164 format (e.g., +15551234567).
4. Provider balance — Outbound calls require credits on the provider side.

Calls go to voicemail

This is normal behavior — the recipient may not answer. Some providers offer voicemail detection, which can be configured in the agent settings to leave a message or hang up.

Recording Issues

Where are recordings stored?

Call recordings are stored by the voice provider, not by BuildVoiceAI. Retention periods depend on the provider:

• Retell — Retained per your Retell account settings
• Vapi — Retained per your Vapi account settings
• Bland — Retained per your Bland account settings

BuildVoiceAI streams recordings from the provider on demand. If a recording is missing, check your provider dashboard.