Why does this use forwarding instead of SIP?

Aircall is a closed cloud PBX — it doesn't expose external SIP for third parties. The cleanest integration pattern is call forwarding from Smartflows to a number Open answers.

Can I keep my Aircall numbers?

Yes. Your Aircall numbers stay on Aircall. Open just provides the destination Aircall forwards to for the specific calls you opt-in to AI.

Will the AI know who is calling?

Yes — Open looks up the caller in Aircall via their public API, so the AI can greet returning customers by name and access their previous call history.

Can the AI transfer to my Aircall team?

Yes. The AI bridges via PSTN to a number that routes back into Aircall, and posts the transcript to the Aircall contact record so your agent has full context.

What does this cost on top of Aircall?

Aircall keeps billing your seats and the minutes Aircall handles. Open charges per resolved conversation. No markup on Aircall minutes; you only pay carrier minutes for the legs Open answers.

Do I need extra Aircall seats for the AI?

No. The AI is not an Aircall user.

Can I A/B test AI vs. my Aircall team?

Yes. Use a Smartflow split or distinct IVR branches to send a percentage of calls to AI and the rest to your Aircall team.

How long does setup actually take?

Inbound is typically 10–15 minutes once you've provisioned the Open inbound number and connected Aircall via OAuth.

Cloud PBX

Open for Aircall

Forward an Aircall Smartflow branch, team, or IVR option to Open and the AI picks up — Aircall keeps owning the rest of your phone system.

Try now

Setup time: Under 15 minutes
Auth: PSTN forward + Aircall API key
Directions: Inbound · Call transfer
Pricing: Included with Open

01 — Overview

Can I add an AI phone agent to Aircall?

Yes — via call forwarding from a Smartflow branch or team overflow rule to a number Open provides. Aircall keeps owning users, numbers, and the dashboard; AI takes the calls you opt-in to.

Aircall is a closed cloud PBX — it doesn't expose external SIP routing the way carrier-grade systems do. The integration pattern is call forwarding: in your Smartflow, an IVR branch (e.g. 'press 2 for billing'), an unanswered overflow rule, or after-hours routing forwards to an external phone number that Open answers. Aircall stays in charge of users, numbers, the dashboard, and reporting.

Practically, you provision an Open inbound number (via your existing carrier or Open-provided), then add it as a forwarding destination in Aircall. The Smartflow can pass the original caller's number to Open as the caller-ID on the forwarded leg, so your AI knows who it's talking to. Aircall stays in charge of users, numbers, the dashboard, and reporting; only the specific calls you've routed to AI take the detour.

What the AI does on the call: it greets, listens, reasons over your knowledge base and the tools you've connected (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zendesk, calendar, payments — including Aircall's own contact records via the Aircall public API), and acts. When the AI needs a human, it warm-transfers back to your Aircall team via PSTN bridge, with the live transcript and detected intent attached.

Aircall's analytics keep working for the legs Aircall handled. Open adds AI-side reasoning traces, transcripts, and outcome tags on its side, so you can compare resolution rate, AHT, and escalation rate between human and AI cleanly.

Billing stays predictable. Aircall continues to invoice your seats and the carrier minutes for the legs it handles. Open charges per resolved conversation, no markup, no extra Aircall seats.

What stays the same on Aircall

Aircall users and dashboard
Seats, teams, and the Aircall app don't change.
Numbers and IVR
Numbers stay on Aircall. Smartflows still own the routing tree.
Aircall integrations
CRM and helpdesk integrations on the Aircall side keep working for human-handled calls.
Reporting
Aircall analytics continue for legs Aircall answered.

What's new with Open

A forwarding destination
On the specific Smartflow branch or team you want AI'd, you forward to an Open-provided number.
AI handles those legs
The forwarded leg is answered by Open. The AI greets, listens, calls your tools, and replies in natural speech.
Transfers come back via PSTN
When the AI escalates, it bridges to a number that lands on your Aircall team — with the transcript handed over via the Aircall public API.
Pricing model
You pay Open per resolved conversation. Aircall keeps invoicing the legs Aircall answers.

02 — Why this works

The native Aircall experience

Works with Aircall's closed model
No SIP gymnastics required — the integration uses Aircall's own forwarding rules.
Per-Smartflow branch opt-in
Pick exactly which IVR options, teams, or after-hours rules get AI. The rest of Aircall stays untouched.
AI knows the caller via the Aircall API
Open uses Aircall's public API to fetch contact details for the calling number, so the AI greets returning customers by name.
Warm transfer back to your Aircall team
When the AI escalates, the call comes back into Aircall as a regular inbound call, with the transcript posted to the Aircall contact record.

03 — Setup guide

Wire up Aircall in under 15 minutes

Two trunks — one inbound, one outbound. Both configurable from Settings → SIP in the Open dashboard.

1
Open Settings → Phone Numbers
Provision or attach an inbound number Open will own — this is what Aircall forwards to.
2
Connect Aircall via OAuth
In Open: Settings → Integrations → Aircall. Authorize Open to read contacts and post call notes.
3
Pick the Smartflow target
Decide which Smartflow branch, team overflow, or after-hours rule should forward to AI.
4
Add Open’s number as a forwarding destination
In the Aircall dashboard, edit the chosen Smartflow node and forward to the Open number from step 1.
5
Pass the caller-ID through
Enable "Forward as original caller" on the Aircall side so Open sees the real caller, not the Aircall number.
6
Assign the number to an AI agent
In Channels → Phone → Agents, assign the Open inbound number from step 1 to the AI agent that should answer.
7
Place a test call
Dial the Aircall number, take the path that forwards to AI, and confirm Open picks up. The transcript will appear in your Open inbox and on the Aircall contact.

04 — Configuration

Settings → SIP, at a glance

A real inbound trunk for Aircall looks something like this. Yours are generated when you open Settings → SIP.

Forwarding rule · Aircall

Sample

Inbound (Open): +1 (212) 555-0199Open-owned
Aircall target: Smartflow branch / Team overflow
Forward to: +1 (212) 555-0199
Pass caller-ID: Yesenable on Aircall
Aircall API: OAuth · contacts:read, calls:write

05 — Security

Encrypted, audited, refundable

SIP over TLS for signaling, SRTP for media. Every call is logged with full reasoning traces. SOC 2 Type II, GDPR-aligned, HIPAA- and PCI-ready. Backed by the Open $2M Refund Guarantee.

06 — FAQ