Phone Calls Skill

Make AI-powered phone calls on behalf of the user — book restaurants, make appointments, inquire about services, etc.

Provider: Bland AI

Why Bland AI?

• Simplest API of all options (Vapi, Retell are more complex)


• Just need phone_number + task to make a call


• Low latency, natural-sounding voices


• Pay-per-minute, no platform fees


• Self-hosted (data stays secure)

Setup Required

1. Create Bland AI Account

Go to

Sign up with email

Add payment method (or use free trial credits)

2. Get API Key

Go to

Click your profile → API Keys

Copy your API key

3. Configure Clawdbot

Add to your environment or .env:

BLAND_API_KEY=sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Or store in ~/.clawd/secrets.json:

{
  "bland_api_key": "sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
}

Usage

Basic Call

./phone-call.sh "+447123456789" "Call the restaurant and book a table for 2 at 7pm tonight under the name John"

With Custom Voice

./phone-call.sh "+447123456789" "Ask about their opening hours" --voice maya

Check Call Status

./check-call.sh <call_id>

How It Works

You provide a phone number and a task/objective

Bland AI calls the number with an AI agent

The AI follows your instructions naturally

You get a transcript and summary after the call

Example Tasks

Restaurant Booking:

Call this restaurant and book a table for 4 people on Saturday at 8pm. 
The booking should be under the name "Smith". If they ask for a phone 
number, give them +447123456789.

Appointment Inquiry:

Call this dental office and ask what appointments are available next 
week for a routine checkup. Get at least 3 options if possible.

Service Inquiry:

Call this plumber and ask if they can come out tomorrow to fix a 
leaking tap. Get a quote for the callout fee.

Pricing (Bland AI)

• Outbound calls: ~$0.09/minute (US)
• Varies by country — check for current rates
• First calls may have free credits

Voice Options

Built-in voices:

• josh - Male, professional


• maya - Female, friendly (default)


• florian - Male, European accent


• derek - Male, casual


• june - Female, professional


• nat - Male, natural


• paige - Female, upbeat

Advanced Features

Voicemail Handling

The AI can detect voicemails and either hang up, leave a message, or ignore.

Call Recording

Set record: true to get a recording URL after the call.

Webhooks

Get notified when calls complete by setting a webhook URL.

Conversation Pathways

For complex flows (IVR menus, multi-step processes), create pathways in the Bland dashboard.

Limitations

• Cannot call emergency services (999, 911, etc.)
• Some numbers may be blocked (DNC lists)
• Rate limited: 1 call per 10 seconds to the same number
• Max call duration: 30 minutes default (configurable)

Troubleshooting

"Invalid phone number"

• Include country code: +44 for UK, +1 for US


• Remove spaces and parentheses

"Insufficient balance"

• Add credits at

"Rate limit exceeded"

• Wait a few seconds between calls to the same number

Files

• phone-call.sh — Make a phone call
• check-call.sh — Check call status/transcript
• bland.sh — Low-level API wrapper