Tutorials & Guides

Step-by-step tutorials to help you master Kalem's voice calling platform

Getting Started with Kalem Voice AI

This comprehensive guide will walk you through setting up your Kalem account and making your first AI-powered voice call in under 10 minutes.

10 minutes
Beginner Friendly
6 Steps

What You'll Learn

  • How to create and set up your Kalem account
  • How to create your first AI voice agent
  • How to generate API tokens for integration
  • How to make your first API call
  • How to monitor and analyze call results

Prerequisites

  • A valid email address for account registration
  • Basic understanding of APIs (helpful but not required)
  • A phone number to test calls (can be your own)

Step-by-Step Guide

1

Create Your Kalem Account

Start by creating your free Kalem account. This will give you access to the dashboard, free credits, and all the tools you need to get started.

Action Required:
  1. Visit https://kalem.me/register
  2. Enter your email address and create a secure password
  3. Verify your email address (check your inbox)
  4. Complete the onboarding questionnaire
Free Trial Included!

New accounts receive $10 in free credits to test the platform (approximately 50-100 calls).

2

Explore the Dashboard

Once logged in, familiarize yourself with the Kalem dashboard. This is your control center for managing agents, viewing call history, and accessing settings.

🤖 Agents

Create and manage your AI voice agents with custom personalities and instructions.

📞 Calls

View call history, listen to recordings, and analyze conversation transcripts.

⚙️ Settings

Configure API tokens, billing settings, and account preferences.

📊 Analytics

Monitor performance metrics, call success rates, and usage statistics.

Pro Tip:

Take a moment to explore each section. The dashboard provides helpful tooltips and guided tours for new users.

3

Create Your First AI Agent

Agents are the AI personalities that will handle your calls. Each agent can be customized with specific instructions, voice characteristics, and conversation flows.

Action Required:
  1. Navigate to the "Agents" section in your dashboard
  2. Click "Create New Agent" button
  3. Fill in the basic information:
    • Name: "My First Agent" (or something descriptive)
    • Voice: Choose from available voice options
    • Language: Select your preferred language
  4. Configure the agent instructions (we'll provide a template below)
  5. Save your agent
Sample Agent Instructions:
Agent Instructions Template
You are a friendly customer service representative calling to follow up on a recent inquiry.

Key Instructions:
- Introduce yourself clearly and professionally
- Speak naturally and maintain a warm, helpful tone
- Ask about their recent experience with our service
- Listen actively and respond appropriately to their feedback
- If they have questions you can't answer, offer to have someone call them back
- Keep the conversation focused and under 3 minutes
- Always end the call politely and thank them for their time

If the person seems busy or uninterested:
- Apologize for the interruption
- Ask if there's a better time to call
- Respect their wishes if they decline

Remember to speak clearly and at a moderate pace.
Note:

You can always edit and refine your agent's instructions later. Start simple and iterate based on call results.

4

Generate Your API Token

API tokens provide secure access to the Kalem API. You'll need this token to authenticate your API requests and start making calls programmatically.

Action Required:
  1. Go to "Settings" → "API Tokens" in your dashboard
  2. Click "Generate New Token"
  3. Give your token a descriptive name (e.g., "Getting Started Tutorial")
  4. Select the required permissions:
    • ✅ calls:create (to make calls)
    • ✅ calls:read (to view call details)
    • ✅ agents:read (to access agent information)
  5. Click "Generate Token"
  6. Important: Copy and save the token immediately (you won't see it again)
Security Warning:

Keep your API token secure! Never share it publicly or commit it to version control. Store it safely in environment variables or secure configuration files.

5

Make Your First API Call

Now that you have an agent and API token, let's make your first call using the Kalem API. We'll show you how to do this using different programming languages.

Before You Start:
  • • Make sure you have your API token ready
  • • Note down your agent ID (visible in the agents list)
  • • Have a phone number ready to test (your own number works)
  • • Ensure the phone number is in E.164 format (+1234567890)
Method 1: Test via Dashboard (Easiest)
  1. Go to your agent's detail page in the dashboard
  2. Click the "Test Call" button
  3. Enter your phone number
  4. Click "Make Test Call"
  5. Answer your phone and have a conversation with your agent!
Method 2: Direct API Call
Using cURL (Terminal/Command Line)
Terminal Command
curl -X POST "https://kalem.me/api/v1/call" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN_HERE" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "agent_id": 1,
    "to": "+1234567890",
    "record": true
  }'

Replace: YOUR_API_TOKEN_HERE with your actual token, agent_id with your agent's ID, and +1234567890 with your phone number.

Using JavaScript (Node.js)
JavaScript
const axios = require('axios');

async function makeFirstCall() {
  try {
    const response = await axios.post('https://kalem.me/api/v1/call', {
      agent_id: 1, // Replace with your agent ID
      to: '+1234567890', // Replace with your phone number
      record: true
    }, {
      headers: {
        'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN_HERE',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      }
    });

    console.log('Call initiated successfully!');
    console.log('Call ID:', response.data.data.id);
    console.log('Status:', response.data.data.status);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error making call:', error.response?.data || error.message);
  }
}

makeFirstCall();
Expected Response:
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "id": 12345,
    "status": "queued",
    "agent_id": 1,
    "to": "+1234567890",
    "created_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
  },
  "message": "Call queued successfully"
}
6

Monitor and Analyze Your Call

After making your call, you can monitor its progress and analyze the results through both the dashboard and API endpoints.

📊 Dashboard Monitoring
  • • Go to the "Calls" section to see your call history
  • • Click on your call to view detailed information
  • • Listen to the call recording (if enabled)
  • • Read the conversation transcript
  • • Review performance metrics
🔌 API Monitoring
Get Call Status
curl -X GET "https://kalem.me/api/v1/call/12345" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"
Understanding Call Status:
queued

Waiting to dial

dialing

Calling number

in_progress

Call active

completed

Call finished

🎉 Congratulations! What's Next?

You've successfully made your first AI-powered call with Kalem! Your agent is now ready to handle voice conversations automatically.

Next Steps:

  • • Refine your agent's instructions based on the call
  • • Experiment with different voice personalities
  • • Set up webhook notifications for real-time updates
  • • Integrate the API into your application