Applets
Overview
Exotel’s Call Flow Applets allow you to design intelligent call workflows that manage customer interactions dynamically. An Applet is a building block for creating call flows and you can mix and match Applets in your call flows to greet callers, route calls, capture input, or send automated notifications.
Below is an overview of each available applet and its purpose.
Greeting Applet
The Greeting applet allows you to pre-set a recorded voice or entry message for your callers.
You can:
- Upload a custom .wav file (8000 Hz Mono)
- Record a message using your phone
- Let Robocop (text-to-speech) speak for you
- Dynamically change the greeting at call time by specifying an Application URL that returns a .wav file
--> Learn more about the Greeting Applet
Connect Applet
The Connect applet is used to connect callers to users, groups, or phone numbers.
You can activate the following features within this applet:
- Dial a User or Group Always recommended to connect via a group for better load distribution.
- Record Calls Optionally play a message via the Greeting applet to inform callers that calls are recorded for quality purposes.
- Load Balancing Evenly distributes incoming calls among all group members over time.
- Sticky Agent Ensures returning callers are connected to the same agent they last spoke with, improving customer continuity.
- Queue Calls When all agents are busy, callers are placed in a queue. You can play a message or hold music during this wait.
--> Learn more about the Connect Applet , Call Queuing
Voicemail Applet
The Voicemail applet allows callers to leave voice messages when agents are unavailable. These recordings are stored and can be routed to a specific user or group for review.
Email Applet
The Email applet sends an email to a user or group email ID with complete call details, including:
- Who called
- Call time
- Agent response
- Caller input (if any)
- Voicemail recording (if applicable)
IVR Menu Applet
The IVR Menu applet lets you create multi-option menus such as:
You can configure it for:
- Department-based routing
- Region-based routing
- Language-based routing
It effectively acts as a Virtual Receptionist for your business.
Hangup Applet
The Hangup applet simply ends the call flow. It’s typically placed at the end of your flow to close the call cleanly.
Timing Applet
The Timing applet helps define operating hours for call handling.
You can:
- Accept calls during specific time windows
- Redirect after-hours calls to Voicemail or another flow
Multiple shifts can be created by reusing the Timing applet with Transfer applets.
Gather Applet
The Gather applet captures numeric input from callers using their keypad. Common use cases include:
- Capturing coupon codes
- Verifying IDs
- Collecting menu selections
- Passing user input dynamically via the PassThru applet
PassThru Applet
The PassThru applet allows data exchange between Exotel and your systems.
It sends call details (via HTTP GET/POST) to your hosted endpoint and receives a response in real time. This enables tight CRM integration, live data exchange, and dynamic flow decisions.
Transfer Applet
The Transfer applet helps manage modular call flows.
You can:
- Transfer callers between multiple flows
- Reuse existing flows (e.g., a “Voicemail” flow) instead of recreating them
- Keep flows shorter, flexible, and easier to update
Who’s Calling Applet
The Who’s Calling applet routes callers based on their phone numbers.
You can:
- Define caller lists (e.g., customers, employees, VIPs)
- Route each group to different applets or flows
- Provide specialized handling for known contacts
List Manager Applet
The List Manager applet allows dynamic addition of callers to lists.
Example use case:
- Subscribing callers to an “Offers” or “Alerts” list
- Managing contact lists for campaigns
Lists can be viewed or edited under the Lists tab in the Exotel Dashboard.
Switch Case Applet
The Switch Case applet allows you to route calls based on multiple possible responses. You can define conditions that determine which branch or flow the caller will be sent to next.
SMS Applet
The SMS applet sends a message to the caller after an incoming call.
Two modes are available:
- Static Message: A predefined message is sent (e.g., “Thank you for calling! We have received your request.”)
- Dynamic Message: Exotel fetches a message from your provided URL (GET request). The text returned in plain format is sent as the SMS content.
New SMS Applet
The New SMS (or New Text) applet sends SMS notifications to internal agents or groups involved in a call flow.
Typical use: Notify an agent when a new call or voicemail is received.
You can include the following variables in your message body:
Variable | Description |
|---|---|
%caller% | Caller’s phone number |
%number% | Your Exotel number that received the call |
%pickedupby% | The agent’s number who answered the call |
Learn More
Explore more use cases and feature updates on the Exotel Blog.