Actions
Actions are the things an agent can do during a conversation — not just talk. Booking an appointment, texting a link, transferring to a human, or calling your own system. The agent decides when an action is needed, runs it, and continues with the real result.
Where: open an agent → Actions.
Actions are real. When the agent says “let me check availability,” it actually calls your calendar and reads back the true open slots — it won’t fabricate a booking. (See the agent’s built-in guardrails on the Agents page.)
Adding an action
Open the Actions tab
On the agent, go to Actions → Add action and pick a type (below).
Configure it
Each type has its own fields. The most important shared field is the description / when to use it — a short sentence telling the agent when this action applies (e.g. “use when the caller wants to book or reschedule”). This is how the agent knows to reach for it.
Save and test
Make a test call and trigger the action naturally (“I’d like to book an appointment”). Confirm the agent runs it and reports the real outcome.
Action types
📅 Booking (Cal.com)
Check real availability and book appointments on the call.
- Requires connecting Cal.com first in Integrations.
- Pick the event type to book into.
- On the call the agent checks open times, offers them, takes the caller’s name (and any details), and books — then confirms the real booking reference.
See it end-to-end in the AI receptionist guide.
💬 Send SMS
Text the caller during or after the call — a confirmation, a link, directions, a form.
- Optionally set a filler/holding phrase (“Sure, sending that now”) the agent says while it sends.
- Sent from one of your active phone numbers.
☎️ Transfer call
Hand the call off to a human (a real phone number) when the agent can’t or shouldn’t handle something.
- Configure the destination number.
- Use a description like “transfer when the caller asks for a manager or has a billing dispute.”
🔌 Custom API
Call your own endpoint to look something up or submit data — check an order status, create a ticket, verify a customer. The agent sends the relevant details and uses the response in the conversation.
- Configure the URL, method, and any auth/headers.
- Use a clear description so the agent knows exactly when to call it.
Custom API requests are made by our servers. For your security, Televox blocks requests to internal / private addresses (an SSRF guard) — your endpoint must be a public URL.
Holding phrases (no awkward silence)
Some actions take a moment (checking a calendar, calling an API). The agent automatically says a brief holding phrase (“One moment while I check…”) so the caller isn’t left in silence, then shares the real result. You can customize the phrase per action.
Best practices
- Write the “when to use it” like an instruction to a new hire — specific triggers beat vague ones.
- Keep results truthful — the agent reads back exactly what your action returns, so make sure your API returns clean, speakable data.
- Start with one action. A receptionist that only books is already valuable; add SMS/transfer later.