--- title: Quick Start — Your First Agentic Call in 5 Minutes slug: mcp-server/mcp-quick-start docTags: createdAt: 2026-05-14T11:24:45.119Z --- Imagine typing: :::BlockQuote *"Call Priya and ask her if the onboarding report is ready"* ::: Claude calls Priya, has the conversation, and comes back with: :::BlockQuote *"Priya says the report will be ready by 3pm. She's waiting on one number from Finance."* ::: That's what Exotel MCP enables. This guide gets you there in under 5 minutes. *** ## What You'll Need | Requirement | Details | | ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **AI Client** | Any MCP-compatible client — Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex, etc. This guide uses Claude Desktop as the example. | | **Node.js** | v18 or later — [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org) | | **Exotel Account** | Active account with API credentials | *** ## Step 1 — Install MCP Remote Open your terminal and run: ```bash npm install -g mcp-remote ``` Verify: ```bash npm list -g mcp-remote # Should show: mcp-remote@x.x.x ``` *** ## Step 2 — Get Your Exotel Credentials You need three things from your Exotel Dashboard. **1. API Key and Secret → your token** Log into [my.exotel.com](https://my.exotel.com) → **Settings → API Settings**. :::BlockQuote \[SCREENSHOT: API Settings page showing API Key and API Secret fields] ::: Copy your **API Key** and **API Secret**, then run this in your terminal to create your token: ```bash echo -n "YOUR_API_KEY:YOUR_API_SECRET" | base64 ``` Save the output. That's your `token`. **2. Account SID** Still on the API Settings page — copy your **Account SID**. **3. Your Exotel Number** Go to **Numbers** in the sidebar. Pick any active India number — this is what people will see when they receive your call. :::BlockQuote \[SCREENSHOT: Numbers page showing registered phone numbers] ::: *** ## Step 3 — Configure Claude Desktop Open Claude Desktop settings: - **Mac**: Claude menu → Settings → Developer → Edit Config - **Windows**: File → Settings → Developer → Edit Config Add the Exotel server inside `mcpServers`: ```json { "mcpServers": { "exotel": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.exotel.com/mcp", "--header", "Authorization:${AUTH_HEADER}" ], "env": { "AUTH_HEADER": "{\"token\":\"YOUR_BASE64_TOKEN\",\"from_number\":\"YOUR_EXOTEL_NUMBER\",\"caller_id\":\"YOUR_EXOTEL_NUMBER\",\"account_sid\":\"YOUR_ACCOUNT_SID\",\"api_domain\":\"https://api.in.exotel.com\",\"exotel_portal_url\":\"https://my.exotel.com\"}" } } } } ``` Replace: | Placeholder | Replace with | | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | | `YOUR_BASE64_TOKEN` | The Base64 string from Step 2 | | `YOUR_EXOTEL_NUMBER` | Your number from the Numbers page (e.g. `08046800979`) | | `YOUR_ACCOUNT_SID` | Your Account SID from API Settings | :::BlockQuote **Globally-hosted accounts:** If your Exotel dashboard is at `my.exotel.com` (not `my.in.exotel.com`), use `https://api.exotel.com` as `api_domain`. ::: :::BlockQuote \[SCREENSHOT: Claude Desktop Developer settings with the Exotel config pasted in] ::: Save the file. *** ## Step 4 — Restart Claude Desktop Quit Claude Desktop completely and reopen it. Once connected, you'll see a 🔧 tools icon in the chat input. Click it — you should see Exotel tools listed. :::BlockQuote \[SCREENSHOT: Claude Desktop showing the tools icon expanded with Exotel tools listed — voice\_call\_initiate, voicebot\_place\_call, etc.] ::: *** ## Step 5 — Make Your First Agentic Call Type this in Claude: ```javascript Call +91XXXXXXXXXX and ask them if they're available for a quick catch-up tomorrow ``` Claude will: 1. Ask permission to use the Exotel tool — click **Allow** 2. Dial the number using your Exotel caller ID 3. The VoiceBot will identify itself as calling on your behalf and deliver the message 4. When the call ends, Claude returns with what the person said :::BlockQuote \[SCREENSHOT: Claude chat showing the result — "They said tomorrow works, preferably after 11am."] ::: You can also use a name instead of a number: ```javascript Call Priya and ask her if the onboarding report is ready ``` Claude will look up Priya's number from your contacts and make the call. *** ## What Just Happened When you asked Claude to make that call, it: 1. Identified the intent and selected the right Exotel tool 2. Passed your credentials securely from the `AUTH_HEADER` to the Exotel MCP server 3. The MCP server placed an outbound call using your Exotel number 4. A VoiceBot conducted the conversation — identifying itself, asking your question, listening to the response 5. The transcript came back to Claude, which distilled the answer and reported it to you No code. No API calls. Just natural language — and a real conversation happened. *** ## More Things to Try ```javascript Call +91XXXXXXXXXX and tell them the meeting is shifted to 4pm ``` ```javascript Call the team lead and check if yesterday's deployment went through ``` ```javascript Send an SMS to +91XXXXXXXXXX saying "Running 10 minutes late" ``` ```javascript Check the status of my last call ``` *** ## What's Next - [Available Tools →](#) — Full list: voice calls, SMS, VoiceBot management, conversation analytics - [Credentials Guide →](#) — Step-by-step screenshots for every credential - [Troubleshooting →](#) — Top errors and how to fix them *** ## Troubleshooting **Tools icon not showing after restart** - Run `npm list -g mcp-remote` to confirm installation - Validate your JSON config — no trailing commas, all quotes properly escaped - Update Claude Desktop to the latest version **"Authentication failed" error** - Regenerate your Base64 token: `echo -n "api_key:api_secret" | base64` - Confirm there is no space or newline in the token - Check your Account SID matches what's in API Settings **Call placed but no answer from bot** - Verify your Exotel number has outbound calling enabled (Dashboard → Numbers) - Check your account has sufficient balance - Ensure the destination number is in international format (`+91XXXXXXXXXX`) *** *Questions? *[developer.exotel.com/api/exotel-mcp-server](https://developer.exotel.com/api/exotel-mcp-server)* | *[Exotel Support](https://support.exotel.com)