Important Note. For the guide on how to set up Autopilot and Navigator using Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), please check this article: Autopilot and Navigator Setup using PSTN.
- Preparation
- AI Agent Platform: Create
- Create an Autopilot Agentic in AI Launchpad
- Create an “Incoming call” Studio flow
- Connect and Configure Navigator
- Connect and configure Autopilot Agentic
- Set SIP User-to-User Information (UUI) Header using the “Set SIP Headers” component
- Build SIP Target with the “Run Function” component
- Use the “Forward to External Number” component
- Publish the Studio flow
- Assign the SIP trunk number to the Studio flow
To set up Autopilot and Navigator, you need to follow a series of integration steps that ensure seamless call routing, AI treatment, and escalation between Talkdesk AI and your contact center. The high-level overview of these steps is provided below:
| Step | Action | Description |
| 1 | Prepare SIP trunk, SBC, licensing |
This step involves SIP trunking and SIP Refer for call transfers. It also requires the necessary licensing, configuration of Session Border Controller (SBC) for NAT, codec, security, and procurement of SIP trunk from your provider.
To set up please contact your Talkdesk representative. |
| 2 | Create Autopilot/Navigator in AI Launchpad | Use the AI Launchpad to create and configure your Autopilot or Navigator virtual agent. This involves defining the AI model, naming it, and linking it to your orchestration logic. |
| 3 | Design Autopilot conversation in Automation Designer | Build the conversational flow for Autopilot using Automation Designer. Define intents, actions, and escalation logic to match your business requirements. |
| 4 | Create an incoming call Studio flow for call routing | Create and configure a Studio flow to route incoming calls from your SIP trunk via the virtual number to the Autopilot/Navigator. Integrate the virtual agent component and set up escalation paths as needed. |
| 5 | Connect and configure Navigator | Add the Analyze Voice Message component to your Studio flow to enable Navigator topic detection. Configure topics (intents) and sample messages, set up exits for each topic, and define routing logic (e.g., escalate to an agent, route to another flow). Use the Navigator Wizard for guided setup and testing. |
| 6 | Connect and configure Autopilot | Add the Connect to Autopilot Voice component to your Studio flow. Select your previously created Autopilot model, configure the component settings (such as escalation exits), and map Studio flow exits to appropriate actions (e.g., escalate to an agent, end call, or route to another flow). Ensure context and variables are passed as needed. Test the flow to confirm Autopilot is invoked and responds as expected. |
| 9 | Connecting and configuring the “Forward to External Number” component | The "Forward to External Number" component in Talkdesk Studio allows you to escalate a call from a customer to an agent within your existing contact center for additional assistance. This component routes the call out of Talkdesk. To connect and configure it, add the component to your Studio flow at the desired point and enter the external phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +1234567890). Note that this target is a SIP address and therefore allows the passage of additional context using the SIP UUI header. Set any additional options, such as caller ID or timeout. |
| 10 | Test and validate integration | Test the SIP trunk and Studio flow to ensure calls are routed correctly, Autopilot/Navigator is invoked, forwarding works, and context (UUI, call IDs) is preserved end-to-end. |
| 11 | Monitor and maintain | Continuously monitor SIP trunk health (e.g., using SIP OPTIONS PING), update routing/topic mappings as needed, and use reporting tools to track performance and troubleshoot issues. |
Preparation
Call flow
Prerequisites and Requirements
- SIP Trunking: Your contact center must support SIP trunking and SIP REFER for call transfers.
- SIP UUI Handling: Ensure your platform can send/receive context via SIP UUI headers.
- Licensing: You must have the necessary licenses on your infrastructure to set up SIP trunking.
- SIP Trunk Sourcing: You are responsible for sourcing your own SIP trunk from your service provider.
- Session Border Controller (SBC): Configure SBC as needed for NAT, codec, and security.
SIP Trunk between Talkdesk & Contact Center
You’ll need to contact your Talkdesk representative or submit a Support ticket to set up a trunk between Talkdesk and your existing Contact Center system. Ensure that you have the configuration information of the SIP trunk handy.
- Transport Protocol
- Codecs supported
- IP, NAT & Firewall settings
-
SBC settings in your contact center environment, as well as any unique configuration that a peering SBC might need.
AI Agent Platform: Create
Use the Automation Designer to create a conversational flow for the autopilot. This enables the autopilot to provide appropriate responses during the conversation with a caller. For more details, refer to AI Agent Platform: Create. The screenshot below shows an example of how the automation designer can be built.
Create an Autopilot Agentic in AI Launchpad
Configure a new AI Model through AI Launchpad to create an autopilot.
For more details on this process, please refer to Creating an Autopilot Agentic in AI Launchpad.
Create an “Incoming call” Studio flow
Create a new “Incoming Call” Studio flow to manage the incoming call flow and perform the required routing of the call. You’ll find more information about Studio in Talkdesk Studio: Overview.
Connect and Configure Navigator
Add a new “Analyze voice message” component in the Studio to trigger the Navigator. Configure it as needed. You’ll find more details in Analyze Voice Message (Powered by Navigator).
Refer to the example below to create a Navigator component for Healthcare. Using the Navigator, you’ll capture the following topics: Schedule Appointment, Check upcoming appointments, Prescription Refill. Each of these topics serves as an exit in the Navigator.
Example:
Connecting and configuring Autopilot Agentic
You can find full details on this process here.
Set SIP User-to-User Information (UUI) Header using the “Set SIP Headers” component
Use the context from the autopilot’s escalation step and format the SIP UUI header to pass information to your contact center system. The UUI header will contain a base64 encoded string representing the key information from the conversation between the caller and the autopilot.
In the example above, the administrator has formatted the UUI header to contain a “skill” and a “topic” so this information can be decoded by the contact center system, and the required routing can be performed. Refer to the Set SIP Headers document for more information.
Build SIP Target with the “Run Function” component
This step uses a custom function to build the SIP target that Talkdesk will transfer the call to. Use the Functions page to get more information on building a custom function. Refer to the screenshot below for an example of how to set up the target for the call. The target will be an entry point within the contact center system.
After creating the function, it can be utilized in the Run Function component as shown in the example.
Use the “Forward to External Number” component
Use the “Forward to External Number” component to escalate the call to an agent within your contact center system. Connected the required exits to this component. For instance, the “Escalate” exit from the “Connect to autopilot voice” component and the “Timeout” and “No Match” exits from the “Analyze voice message” component. You can find more details about this component in Forward to External Number.
You can also select which exits directly lead to “Forward to External Number” to escalate the call to an agent. In the example below, a Prescription Refill clearly needs to be handled by an agent rather than autopilot, so this call is sent directly to the contact center system.
Publish the Studio flow
Publish the Studio flow after configuring all required exits, such as failures and errors in the Navigator, Autopilot, and the other steps. A simpler flow appears as shown in the screenshot above.
In the healthcare example, all error flows, and the “Autopilot Escalate” exit point go to “Forward to External Number”.
Assign the SIP trunk number to the Studio flow
Assign the number configured for Talkdesk to the Studio flow published in the previous step. This ensures that all calls sent by your contact center system to this number trigger the flow.
For more details, refer to Assigning a Flow to a Number.