Calls

Sela supports human phone-style calls between your operators and customers, from the browser and from WhatsApp and Telegram. This page explains how calls start, how to route them, what administrators must configure so audio connects, and the honest state of AI voice.

Plan and where to find it#

• The Calls page (the sidebar shows Calls, titled Call Logs) requires the Enterprise platform plan. See Plans and billing.
• It lists recent calls with their status, start time and an AI summary, and holds the Call routing card.
• If no calling channel is connected, the page links to the channel catalog so you can connect one. The catalog card sela Calls opens this page.
• Call routing can be changed by admins only.

Kinds of calls#

The "Call us" number is set under Widget settings, Phone Contact Settings. It is a plain dialing number.

Operator and customer calls in the browser#

1. An operator opens a conversation and starts the call.
2. The customer's chat widget shows a ringing call. Ringing lasts up to 60 seconds before it is marked missed.
3. The customer accepts. Their browser asks for microphone permission, so the site must be served over HTTPS. The widget frame already allows microphone use.
4. Both sides exchange connection details and audio flows directly between browsers, or through a relay if a direct path is blocked.
5. Either side can end the call. The call log keeps the record and summary.

React Native apps that show the widget in a WebView must grant microphone access to the WebView. See Web chat widget.

STUN and TURN for administrators#

Audio between two browsers or phones needs a network path. On most mobile carriers and many office networks a relay is needed to carry the audio.

Sela configures the relay for you. If calls stay on "connecting" or have no audio, ask Sela support to confirm the relay is active for your workspace.

Call routing#

The Call routing card on the Calls page decides who is rung for a customer's call request.

Choose what happens If nobody on the list answers: Ring everyone (no call is lost), or Mark it as missed and notify the first agent and admins. Choose Save.

Each agent can hold one active call, and a customer has one active call at a time. Calls can be put on hold and transferred to another agent, who accepts or declines the transfer. Who can change routing is covered in Team, roles and permissions.

Telegram calls#

1. In the Telegram settings, turn on Call requests. See Telegram.
2. A customer sends /call or presses the call button. They see "Got it. A member of our team will call you here on Telegram shortly." and a Wait on the line button.
3. Operators are notified and choose Call customer on Telegram in the inbox.
4. The Mini App verifies the customer through Telegram, and joins them when an operator answers.

The Mini App uses the same network relay as browser calls.

WhatsApp calls#

WhatsApp calling is available only on the Our Partner connection, when the connection is ready and the conversation belongs to it. See WhatsApp.

1. In the conversation menu choose Call customer on WhatsApp.
2. If the customer has already permitted calls, Sela dials ("Dialing customer on WhatsApp...").
3. Otherwise Sela sends a call-permission request ("Call permission request sent to the customer on WhatsApp"). Dialing starts only after the customer agrees. If they decline you see "Customer declined call permission on WhatsApp."
4. If the 24-hour window has ended, you are told to send a template first.
5. If Calling is off for the number, you see "WhatsApp Calling is not enabled for this phone number in Meta WhatsApp Manager. Please enable Calling in WhatsApp Manager." Sela tries to enable it once, but you may need to do it in Meta.

Rules: one active call per operator and per customer. An offered call expires after 60 seconds, and an incoming call rings for 60 seconds. If another agent answers first you see "This call has ended or another agent answered it." Permission request messages are billed as service messages; call sessions themselves are not charged from the WhatsApp balance.

Voice status: AI voice and voice notes#

What works today:

• Voice notes. Customers can send audio messages on channels that carry them. The assistant transcribes the audio and answers as if it were typed, when Media Understanding is on. In the web widget, the microphone button appears only after a conversation is escalated to a human.
• Human calls as described above.
• Manual phone number in the widget.

Older phone-assistant settings are kept only for migration and no longer power anything. See Voice assistant for the current status.

Troubleshooting#