General

How does text-to-speech work?

Esendex’s text-to-speech engine converts raw text to written-out words and then assigns phonetic transcriptions to those words. Text-to-speech can also be combined with recorded WAV files according to your needs. Text-to-speech is highly customizable: refer to Speech Control Commands for more info.

When are my calls sent out?

Calls are sent out at whatever date and time you want. They can be sent out immediately or scheduled for later.

How many phone calls can I send with the Voice Broadcast API?

You can send or receive up to 12,000 Tier 1 quality calls per minute using text-to-speech, recorded WAV files, or both.

Does Voice Broadcast support incoming calls?

Yes, the API supports incoming call scripts. All of the commands utilized when sending an outbound call can be used the same way for incoming calls.

How does Voice Broadcast handle the status of the phone call?

You can use StatusChangePostURL to post information about the call to a URL you specify.

What coverage can I expect?

Calls outside of the U.S. and Canada incur an extra charge based on carrier. Please contact us for rates per country.

What is a transaction?

A transaction is defined by the number of seconds the call is connected (ringing does not count). The first transaction is 120 seconds. Every additional 60 seconds counts as another transaction. A failed or busy signal qualifies as a transaction, but retries to the same number are free if the original call was unanswered or busy. There is no extra charge to initiate a transfer call. International calls have an extra charge based on carrier. Incoming calls are billed the same as outgoing.

What is the difference between Voice Broadcast Software and Phone Verification Software?

Voice Broadcast API sends text-to-speech or recorded phone calls and supports incoming call scripts. Phone Verification validates the area code and prefix of U.S. and Canadian phone numbers, and also determines whether the number is from a cell phone or landline. Our Phone Verification API can detect and automatically correct errors in area codes, which allows businesses to have the most up-to-date data.

Can the CallerID number be the same as the recipent number?

No, the CallerIDNumber parameter value cannot be the same as the recipient number.

What is the maximum packet size I can send?

The largest packet size Esendex will accept is 4MB.

Do I have to provide my own storage for the sound files I upload to my key?

No. When uploading sound files to your license key, they are automatically stored on an Esendex database. This is free of cost, but Esendex reserves the right to charge for storage at any point in the future.

Does your API support calls to extensions?

Yes. If you would like to send a call to a recipient that has an extension, provide the full number in the PhoneNumberToDial parameter using this format: 15550000000×000

Does your API support calls to outside the U.S. and Canada?

Yes, international calls are supported by our API. To send a call to an international recipient the number needs to be formatted as: 011 + country code + phone number. For example: 0014458965203248

Can an international number be set as the CallerID number?

Yes. Either an international number or valid U.S. number can be set as the CallerID number. If none is preset the system defaults to the Reverse Notify/Replay number (1-866-665-4386).

Technical

How do I integrate the Voice Broadcast API into my application or system?

To use the service, add a web reference to your application allowing it to call the API on our server for processing. For a detailed guide take a look at our Quick Start section to see examples in your desired programming language.

Can I configure the sending number, or does it have to be the number you provide?

Yes, you can use the CallerIDNumber parameter to input the display number on the receiving party’s caller ID.

How do I include a sound file?

Within the TextToSay parameter of your request code, add ~^soundfilenamehere~ to include any sound files within your call scripts that are associated with your Voice Broadcast license key.