A Twilio browser softphone built for outbound calling

Why a bare Twilio keypad slows reps down

• Building a softphone on the Voice SDK means handling access tokens, a TwiML app, microphone devices, reconnects and call status events yourself, and that is only the first part of a home-built dialer on Twilio.
• SIP softphones need a SIP domain, credentials and codecs configured, and still know nothing about the lead you are calling or the outbound calling workflow around it.
• Calling from a personal mobile puts business calls on a personal number and leaves no shared call history.
• A bare keypad shows a number, not the person, their company or what they said last time.

Calling from the browser softphone

1. Connect your Twilio account

   Save your Account SID and Auth Token. Rapidialer creates the API key and TwiML app the softphone needs and refreshes its one-hour access tokens for you.

2. Choose a caller ID

   Call from your default number, your own assigned line, or Auto · local number to match the lead’s area code with one of your numbers.

3. Call with context

   Dial from the keypad or a list. The lead’s name, company, notes and talk track stay on screen; mute and keypad tones are one click away.

4. Wrap up and log

   Hang up, choose an outcome and add notes. The call, its duration and its recording land in history automatically.

How does a Twilio browser softphone work?

The browser runs Twilio’s Voice SDK with a short-lived access token. When you press call, Twilio asks the TwiML app what to do, and Rapidialer answers with the number to dial and the caller ID to show. Twilio connects the browser to the phone network and reports the call’s progress back to Rapidialer, which keeps the call record. In Rapidialer the softphone sits inside the web dialer, next to the lead and the talk track.

In the Twilio Console you can see the two pieces Rapidialer created for it: an API key named “Rapidialer by Botcadence Key” under API keys & auth tokens, and a TwiML app named “Rapidialer by Botcadence” under TwiML apps. Deleting either stops browser calls until an owner presses Import from provider on the Telephony page, which recreates what is missing.

That means a browser call has two legs on your Twilio bill: the browser leg at $0.0040 per minute and the phone leg at $0.0140 per minute to a US number, at Twilio’s published rates (Twilio US voice pricing).

What does the softphone cost a 3-rep or 10-rep team?

At about 1,000 billed minutes per rep a month, three reps pay roughly $64.95 to Twilio and ten pay $216.50, on top of $15 or $50 in seats. Each rep’s share is $18 for the two call legs, $2.50 for recording and $1.15 for a local number; turn recording off and it falls to about $19.15 per rep (Twilio US voice pricing).

What does a rep need to use the softphone?

A desktop browser, a headset with a microphone, and a steady internet connection. The browser asks for microphone access the first time a call starts. Inbound calls ring the softphone on any Rapidialer page while the rep is signed in, and an owner or admin can add a forwarding mobile for each rep so callbacks reach them away from the desk.

Can the softphone hold or transfer calls?

Yes. Besides mute, keypad tones (for phone menus) and hang-up, the softphone can put the other side on hold and transfer the call to a teammate or an outside number. A warm transfer lets the rep introduce the call first, then hand it over or merge into a three-way call; a cold transfer passes it straight on.

Which headset works best, and how do you fix echo on browser calls?

A wired or USB headset with a boom microphone works best for a Twilio web phone, and echo almost always means the lead is hearing their own voice through your speakers. Audio problems on browser calls usually come from the headset, the room or the network rather than from Twilio. A few habits fix nearly all of them:

• Use a USB or wired headset with a boom microphone. Laptop speakers and built-in microphones pick up echo and keyboard noise, and Bluetooth headsets can switch to a low-quality mode when the microphone is in use.
• If the lead hears an echo, stop using speakers, lower the headset volume and check that the browser is not using the laptop microphone next to the speakers.
• Use a wired network connection where you can, or sit near the Wi-Fi router. Video calls, uploads and backups on the same connection make voices break up.
• Close other tabs and apps that use the microphone, and allow microphone access for Rapidialer when the browser asks.
• Keep the browser up to date, and if the other side cannot hear you, check which microphone the browser is using in its site settings.

Which caller ID does the softphone send?

Every outbound call needs a From number that lives in your Twilio account. Rapidialer settles it in this order: the number the rep picked in the caller ID menu, then, with local presence on, your number that shares the lead’s area code, then the rep’s assigned line, then the organization’s default. Auto · local number only appears in the menu once an owner or admin turns on Local presence under Settings → Dialing → Caller ID & hours.

Numbers verified in Twilio as Verified Caller IDs, such as a rep’s own mobile, can’t be used: Rapidialer syncs only phone numbers bought in or ported into the Twilio account, and only those appear in the menu.

Does the Twilio browser phone work on Mac and Windows?

Yes. Rapidialer’s Twilio browser phone is a web page, not a desktop app, so it runs the same way on a Mac, a Windows PC or a Linux laptop in an up-to-date desktop browser. There is nothing to install and no WebRTC phone settings to enter; the browser handles the audio and Twilio’s Voice SDK handles the call.

Two limits apply. The optional side-panel keypad is a Chrome extension, so it needs Google Chrome 116 or later. And Rapidialer has no native mobile app, so a phone or tablet is not a supported way to make calls.

Why does the softphone show an error?

Softphone errors usually come from a blocked microphone, a lost connection to Twilio or an unsaved call outcome. The badge on the handset reads Ready, Connecting, On call, Ringing or Error; each message and its fix:

• “Microphone permission required.” The browser blocked the mic. Allow it for Rapidialer in the site settings, then reload the page.
• “Softphone is still connecting.” The softphone is still registering with Twilio. Wait a moment and call again.
• The badge shows Error. Press Reconnect (the ↻ button) on the handset. If it keeps failing, an owner or admin should check that the Telephony page says Configured.
• “Save call result to continue.” The last call has no outcome yet. Pick an outcome and press Done before the next call.
• Choppy or delayed audio. Twilio’s targets for browser calls are under 200 ms round-trip latency, 30 ms jitter and 3% packet loss (Twilio network requirements); test your connection against those numbers.

The features behind it

• Power DialSequential power dialing: the next contact is dialed after each wrap-up and a five-second countdown.
• Inbound callsCallbacks to your Twilio numbers ring the assigned rep in the browser, then the team.
• Local presenceCaller ID that picks one of your own Twilio numbers with the lead’s area code.
• Call recordingDual-channel call recording stored in your own Twilio account, played back from call history.

Teams that use it this way

• SDR and BDR teamsHow SDR and BDR teams run call blocks, book meetings and track activity in Rapidialer.
• RecruitersHow recruiters and staffing teams call candidate and client lists in Rapidialer.

Twilio softphone: questions and answers