Call Routing

This page covers the XML elements for call routing: connecting to other parties, transferring call flow, ending calls, and pausing execution.

Dial

The <Dial> element connects the current call to another phone number, SIP endpoint, or Plivo user. When the dialed party answers, both parties are connected. When either party hangs up, the connection ends.

Basic Usage

<Response>
    <Dial>
        <Number>+14155551234</Number>
    </Dial>
</Response>

from plivo import plivoxml

response = plivoxml.ResponseElement()
dial = plivoxml.DialElement()
dial.add(plivoxml.NumberElement('+14155551234'))
response.add(dial)
print(response.to_string())

Dial Attributes

Attribute	Type	Default	Description
`action`	URL	-	URL to receive dial completion status
`method`	string	`POST`	HTTP method for action URL (`GET`, `POST`)
`timeout`	integer	-	Seconds to wait for answer
`timeLimit`	integer	`14400`	Maximum call duration in seconds
`callerId`	string	caller’s ID	Caller ID to display
`callerName`	string	caller’s name	Caller name (max 50 chars)
`hangupOnStar`	boolean	`false`	Let caller hang up B-leg by pressing *
`redirect`	boolean	`true`	Redirect to action URL when complete

Callback Attributes

Attribute	Type	Description
`callbackUrl`	URL	URL for real-time dial events
`callbackMethod`	string	HTTP method for callback (`GET`, `POST`)
`confirmSound`	URL	URL returning XML to play when B-leg answers
`confirmKey`	string	Key B-leg must press to accept call
`confirmTimeout`	integer	Seconds to wait for confirm key
`dialMusic`	URL	URL returning XML for ringback, or `real`
`digitsMatch`	string	DTMF patterns to report (A-leg)
`digitsMatchBLeg`	string	DTMF patterns to report (B-leg)
`sipHeaders`	string	Custom SIP headers (key=value,key2=value2)

Nested Elements

<Dial> must contain at least one nested element:

Number Element

Dial a phone number:

<Dial>
    <Number>+14155551234</Number>
</Dial>

Number Attributes:

Attribute	Type	Default	Description
`sendDigits`	string	-	DTMF digits to send after answer. Use `w` for 0.5s pause
`sendOnPreanswer`	boolean	`false`	Send digits during early media

User Element

Dial a SIP endpoint:

<Dial>
    <User>sip:[email protected]</User>
</Dial>

Simultaneous Dialing

Ring multiple numbers at once. First to answer is connected:

<Response>
    <Dial>
        <Number>+14155551111</Number>
        <Number>+14155552222</Number>
        <Number>+14155553333</Number>
    </Dial>
</Response>

from plivo import plivoxml

response = plivoxml.ResponseElement()
dial = plivoxml.DialElement()
dial.add(plivoxml.NumberElement('+14155551111'))
dial.add(plivoxml.NumberElement('+14155552222'))
dial.add(plivoxml.NumberElement('+14155553333'))
response.add(dial)
print(response.to_string())

Sequential Dialing

Try numbers one at a time with timeouts:

<Response>
    <Dial timeout="15" action="/dial-status/">
        <Number>+14155551111</Number>
    </Dial>
    <Dial timeout="15" action="/dial-status/">
        <Number>+14155552222</Number>
    </Dial>
    <Speak>Sorry, no one is available. Please try again later.</Speak>
</Response>

from plivo import plivoxml

response = plivoxml.ResponseElement()

# First attempt
dial1 = plivoxml.DialElement(timeout=15, action='/dial-status/')
dial1.add(plivoxml.NumberElement('+14155551111'))
response.add(dial1)

# Second attempt
dial2 = plivoxml.DialElement(timeout=15, action='/dial-status/')
dial2.add(plivoxml.NumberElement('+14155552222'))
response.add(dial2)

response.add(plivoxml.SpeakElement('Sorry, no one is available.'))
print(response.to_string())

Dial with Confirmation

Require the called party to press a key to accept:

<Response>
    <Dial confirmSound="https://example.com/confirm.xml" confirmKey="1">
        <Number>+14155551234</Number>
    </Dial>
</Response>

The confirmSound URL should return XML like:

<Response>
    <Speak>Press 1 to accept this call.</Speak>
</Response>

Custom Caller ID

<Response>
    <Dial callerId="+14155559999" callerName="Support Team">
        <Number>+14155551234</Number>
    </Dial>
</Response>

Custom Ringback

Play custom audio instead of the standard ring:

<Response>
    <Dial dialMusic="https://example.com/ringback.xml">
        <Number>+14155551234</Number>
    </Dial>
</Response>

Use dialMusic="real" to play the actual ringtone from the carrier.

Dial Extensions

Send DTMF tones after the call connects (useful for extensions):

<Response>
    <Dial>
        <Number sendDigits="wwww1234">+14155551234</Number>
    </Dial>
</Response>

Each w adds a 0.5-second pause. This example waits 2 seconds, then dials extension 1234.

Dial Action URL Parameters

When the dial completes, these parameters are sent to the action URL:

Parameter	Description
`DialStatus`	`completed`, `busy`, `failed`, `cancel`, `timeout`, `no-answer`
`DialRingStatus`	`true` or `false` - whether the call rang
`DialHangupCause`	Standard telephony hangup cause
`DialALegUUID`	Call UUID of the A-leg (original caller)
`DialBLegUUID`	Call UUID of the B-leg (empty if not answered)

Dial Callback URL Parameters

Real-time events sent to callbackUrl:

Parameter	Description
`DialAction`	`answer`, `connected`, `hangup`, `digits`
`DialBLegStatus`	B-leg status
`DialALegUUID`	A-leg call UUID
`DialBLegUUID`	B-leg call UUID
`DialBLegDuration`	Call duration (on hangup)
`DialBLegBillDuration`	Billed duration (on hangup)
`DialBLegFrom`	B-leg caller number
`DialBLegTo`	B-leg destination
`DialDigitsMatch`	Matched DTMF digits
`DialDigitsPressedBy`	`ALeg` or `BLeg`
`DialBLegHangupCauseName`	Hangup reason
`DialBLegHangupCauseCode`	Hangup code
`DialBLegHangupSource`	Who hung up
`STIRVerification`	STIR/SHAKEN attestation

Dial to SIP

<Response>
    <Dial>
        <User>sip:[email protected]</User>
    </Dial>
</Response>

Redirect

The <Redirect> element transfers call execution to a different URL. Plivo fetches new XML instructions from the specified URL and continues the call.

Basic Usage

<Response>
    <Redirect>https://example.com/new-flow/</Redirect>
</Response>

from plivo import plivoxml

response = plivoxml.ResponseElement()
response.add(plivoxml.RedirectElement('https://example.com/new-flow/'))
print(response.to_string())

Redirect Attributes

Attribute	Type	Default	Description
`method`	string	`POST`	HTTP method to use (`GET`, `POST`)

Dynamic Routing

Redirect based on conditions:

@app.route('/route-call/', methods=['POST'])
def route_call():
    caller = request.form.get('From')
    response = plivoxml.ResponseElement()

    # VIP callers get priority queue
    if is_vip(caller):
        response.add(plivoxml.RedirectElement('https://example.com/vip-queue/'))
    else:
        response.add(plivoxml.RedirectElement('https://example.com/standard-queue/'))

    return Response(response.to_string(), mimetype='application/xml')

After Dial Failure

Redirect when a dial attempt fails:

<Response>
    <Dial timeout="20">
        <Number>+14155551234</Number>
    </Dial>
    <Redirect>https://example.com/voicemail/</Redirect>
</Response>

If the dial fails or times out, the call redirects to voicemail.

Conditional IVR Flow

<Response>
    <GetDigits action="https://example.com/ivr-choice/" numDigits="1">
        <Speak>Press 1 for English, press 2 for Spanish.</Speak>
    </GetDigits>
    <Redirect>https://example.com/ivr-timeout/</Redirect>
</Response>

Create a menu that returns to itself:

@app.route('/main-menu/', methods=['POST'])
def main_menu():
    digits = request.form.get('Digits', '')
    response = plivoxml.ResponseElement()

    if digits == '1':
        response.add(plivoxml.RedirectElement('https://example.com/sales/'))
    elif digits == '2':
        response.add(plivoxml.RedirectElement('https://example.com/support/'))
    elif digits == '9':
        # Repeat menu
        getdigits = plivoxml.GetDigitsElement(
            action='https://example.com/main-menu/',
            numDigits=1
        )
        getdigits.add(plivoxml.SpeakElement('Press 1 for sales, 2 for support, 9 to repeat.'))
        response.add(getdigits)
        response.add(plivoxml.RedirectElement('https://example.com/main-menu/'))
    else:
        response.add(plivoxml.SpeakElement('Invalid option.'))
        response.add(plivoxml.RedirectElement('https://example.com/main-menu/'))

    return Response(response.to_string(), mimetype='application/xml')

Redirect with GET Method

<Response>
    <Redirect method="GET">https://example.com/next-step/?lang=en</Redirect>
</Response>

Redirect Request Parameters

When Plivo calls the redirect URL, it includes all standard request parameters:

Parameter	Description
`CallUUID`	Unique call identifier
`From`	Caller’s number
`To`	Called number
`CallStatus`	Current call status
`Direction`	`inbound` or `outbound`

Redirect Best Practices

Avoid infinite loops - Ensure redirects eventually lead to an endpoint that doesn’t redirect
Handle errors - Your redirect URL should always return valid XML
Use HTTPS - All URLs should use HTTPS
Pass context - Use query parameters to pass state between endpoints

Hangup

The <Hangup> element terminates the current call. Use it to gracefully end calls after completing a flow.

Basic Usage

<Response>
    <Speak>Thank you for calling. Goodbye!</Speak>
    <Hangup/>
</Response>

from plivo import plivoxml

response = plivoxml.ResponseElement()
response.add(plivoxml.SpeakElement('Thank you for calling. Goodbye!'))
response.add(plivoxml.HangupElement())
print(response.to_string())

Hangup Attributes

Attribute	Type	Default	Description
`reason`	string	-	Hangup reason: `rejected`, `busy`
`schedule`	integer	-	Seconds to wait before hanging up

Scheduled Hangup

End the call after a delay:

<Response>
    <Speak>This call will end in 60 seconds.</Speak>
    <Hangup schedule="60"/>
    <Play loop="0">https://example.com/hold-music.mp3</Play>
</Response>

This schedules a hangup while continuing to execute subsequent elements.

Reject with Reason

Provide a hangup reason to simulate different call states:

<Response>
    <Hangup reason="busy"/>
</Response>

Reason	Effect
`rejected`	Caller hears rejection tone
`busy`	Caller hears busy signal

After IVR Timeout

<Response>
    <GetDigits action="/handle-input/" numDigits="1" timeout="10" retries="2">
        <Speak>Press 1 to continue.</Speak>
    </GetDigits>
    <Speak>We didn't receive any input. Goodbye.</Speak>
    <Hangup/>
</Response>

After Business Hours

@app.route('/answer/', methods=['POST'])
def answer():
    response = plivoxml.ResponseElement()

    if not is_business_hours():
        response.add(plivoxml.SpeakElement(
            'Our office is currently closed. Please call back during business hours.'
        ))
        response.add(plivoxml.HangupElement())
    else:
        response.add(plivoxml.SpeakElement('Welcome! Please hold.'))
        dial = plivoxml.DialElement()
        dial.add(plivoxml.NumberElement('+14155551234'))
        response.add(dial)

    return Response(response.to_string(), mimetype='application/xml')

Block Spam Callers

@app.route('/answer/', methods=['POST'])
def answer():
    caller = request.form.get('From')
    response = plivoxml.ResponseElement()

    if is_blocked(caller):
        response.add(plivoxml.HangupElement(reason='rejected'))
    else:
        response.add(plivoxml.SpeakElement('Hello! How can I help you?'))
        # Continue with normal flow

    return Response(response.to_string(), mimetype='application/xml')

Implicit Hangup

If your XML doesn’t end with <Hangup>, the call automatically ends when all elements are executed. However, it’s good practice to include it explicitly for clarity.

Wait

The <Wait> element pauses call execution for a specified duration. Use it for hold times, delays, or with answering machine detection.

Basic Usage

<Response>
    <Speak>Please hold while we connect you.</Speak>
    <Wait length="5"/>
    <Speak>Thank you for waiting.</Speak>
</Response>

from plivo import plivoxml

response = plivoxml.ResponseElement()
response.add(plivoxml.SpeakElement('Please hold while we connect you.'))
response.add(plivoxml.WaitElement(length=5))
response.add(plivoxml.SpeakElement('Thank you for waiting.'))
print(response.to_string())

Wait Attributes

Attribute	Type	Default	Description
`length`	integer	`1`	Seconds to wait
`silence`	boolean	`false`	Play silence (vs default hold music)
`minSilence`	integer	-	Minimum silence milliseconds to detect
`beep`	string	-	Detect beeps: `true` or beep parameters

Silent Wait

By default, <Wait> plays hold music. For silence:

<Response>
    <Wait length="10" silence="true"/>
</Response>

Delayed Call Answer

Use <Wait> to delay answering (useful for screening):

<Response>
    <Wait length="3"/>
    <Speak>Hello, you've reached Acme Corp.</Speak>
</Response>

Answering Machine Detection

Detect answering machines by listening for beeps:

<Response>
    <Wait length="10" beep="true"/>
    <Speak>Hello, this is an automated message from Acme Corp.</Speak>
</Response>

Beep Detection Parameters

For fine-grained control, pass beep parameters as a comma-separated string:

<Wait beep="duration=300,inter_silence=50,intra_silence=500,threshold=256"/>

Parameter	Default	Description
`duration`	300	Beep duration in ms to match
`inter_silence`	50	Silence between beeps (ms)
`intra_silence`	500	Silence after beep to confirm (ms)
`threshold`	256	Audio level threshold

Silence Detection

Detect when the other party stops speaking:

<Response>
    <Wait length="30" silence="true" minSilence="1000"/>
    <Speak>It seems like you're done speaking.</Speak>
</Response>

minSilence is the minimum silence duration in milliseconds to trigger detection.

Machine Detection Flow

Combine with <Speak> for voicemail drops:

<Response>
    <Wait length="5" beep="true"/>
    <Speak>
        Hello, this is a reminder from Dr. Smith's office
        about your appointment tomorrow at 2 PM.
        Please call us at 555-1234 to confirm.
    </Speak>
</Response>

Use in PreAnswer

Delay before answering the call:

<Response>
    <PreAnswer>
        <Wait length="2"/>
        <Play>https://example.com/ring.mp3</Play>
    </PreAnswer>
    <Speak>Hello, thank you for calling.</Speak>
</Response>

PreAnswer

The <PreAnswer> element plays audio to the caller before the call is answered. This is useful for custom ringback tones or screening calls. The caller is not billed during this phase.

Basic Usage

<Response>
    <PreAnswer>
        <Speak>Please wait while we connect your call.</Speak>
    </PreAnswer>
    <Dial>
        <Number>+14155551234</Number>
    </Dial>
</Response>

from plivo import plivoxml

response = plivoxml.ResponseElement()
preanswer = plivoxml.PreAnswerElement()
preanswer.add(plivoxml.SpeakElement('Please wait while we connect your call.'))
response.add(preanswer)
dial = plivoxml.DialElement()
dial.add(plivoxml.NumberElement('+14155551234'))
response.add(dial)
print(response.to_string())

Nested Elements

<PreAnswer> can contain:

<Speak> - Text-to-speech messages
<Play> - Audio files
<Wait> - Pauses

Custom Ringback

Play music while connecting:

<Response>
    <PreAnswer>
        <Play loop="0">https://example.com/custom-ringback.mp3</Play>
    </PreAnswer>
    <Dial>
        <Number>+14155551234</Number>
    </Dial>
</Response>

Use Cases

Use Case	Description
Custom ringback	Replace standard ring with music or branding
Legal notices	”This call may be recorded” disclaimers
Spam screening	Delay answering to deter robocalls
Queue position	”You are caller number 3” before answering

Limitations

Only Speak, Play, and Wait elements are allowed
Call is not “answered” during PreAnswer, so some carriers may timeout
Recommended to keep PreAnswer duration under 30 seconds

Audio Output - Speak, Play, DTMF
Input Collection - GetDigits, GetInput
Conferencing - Conference, MultiPartyCall
Audio Streaming - Stream real-time audio

Getting Started

Concepts

API Reference

XML Reference

SDKs

Troubleshooting

Voice Tutorials

Migration Guides

​Dial

​Basic Usage

​Dial Attributes

​Callback Attributes

​Nested Elements

​Number Element

​User Element

​Simultaneous Dialing

​Sequential Dialing

​Dial with Confirmation

​Custom Caller ID

​Custom Ringback

​Dial Extensions

​Dial Action URL Parameters

​Dial Callback URL Parameters

​Dial to SIP

​Redirect

​Basic Usage

​Redirect Attributes

​Dynamic Routing

​After Dial Failure

​Conditional IVR Flow

​Menu Loop

​Redirect with GET Method

​Redirect Request Parameters

​Redirect Best Practices

​Hangup

​Basic Usage

​Hangup Attributes

​Scheduled Hangup

​Reject with Reason

​After IVR Timeout

​After Business Hours

​Block Spam Callers

​Implicit Hangup

​Wait

​Basic Usage

​Wait Attributes

​Silent Wait

​Delayed Call Answer

​Answering Machine Detection

​Beep Detection Parameters

​Silence Detection

​Machine Detection Flow

​Use in PreAnswer

​PreAnswer

​Basic Usage

​Nested Elements

​Custom Ringback

​Use Cases

​Limitations

​Related

Dial

Basic Usage

Dial Attributes

Callback Attributes

Nested Elements

Number Element

User Element

Simultaneous Dialing

Sequential Dialing

Dial with Confirmation

Custom Caller ID

Custom Ringback

Dial Extensions

Dial Action URL Parameters

Dial Callback URL Parameters

Dial to SIP

Redirect

Basic Usage

Redirect Attributes

Dynamic Routing

After Dial Failure

Conditional IVR Flow

Menu Loop

Redirect with GET Method

Redirect Request Parameters

Redirect Best Practices

Hangup

Basic Usage

Hangup Attributes

Scheduled Hangup

Reject with Reason

After IVR Timeout

After Business Hours

Block Spam Callers

Implicit Hangup

Wait

Basic Usage

Wait Attributes

Silent Wait

Delayed Call Answer

Answering Machine Detection

Beep Detection Parameters

Silence Detection

Machine Detection Flow

Use in PreAnswer

PreAnswer

Basic Usage

Nested Elements

Custom Ringback

Use Cases

Limitations

Related