Skip to main content
GuidesAPI ReferenceSupport

User-initiated calling

What is User-initiated Calling?​

User-initiated calling allows customers to call your business directly from WhatsApp by tapping a call entry point (for example, the call icon shown in chat or a "Call" button).

The customer always initiates the call, making this a low-friction way to escalate from messaging to voice when immediate assistance is needed.

With 8x8 CPaaS, WhatsApp calls are delivered into your environment using SIP, so you can reuse your existing contact center, PBX, SBC, IVR, queues, and agent workflows.

When to Use User-initiated Calling​

User-initiated calling is best suited for:

  • Customer support and issue escalation
  • Sales enquiries and consultations
  • Order, delivery, or account issues
  • Situations where messaging is insufficient or too slow

Because the customer initiates the call, user-initiated calling is typically the simplest way to enable inbound WhatsApp voice.

Geographic Availability​

User-initiated calling (UIC) has broader availability than business-initiated calling:

Available in:

  • Most regions where the WhatsApp Cloud API is supported
  • Significantly more countries than business-initiated calling

Blocked in sanctioned countries:

  • 🇨🇺 Cuba, 🇮🇷 Iran, 🇰🇵 North Korea, 🇸🇾 Syria
  • 🇺🇦 Ukraine (Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk regions)

Business phone number requirements:

  • Your business phone number must be registered in a Cloud API-supported country
  • Customers can call from any country where WhatsApp Cloud API is available
  • Internet connectivity (WiFi or mobile data) required for calls
Advantage over Business-Initiated Calling

User-initiated calling is available in USA, Canada, Turkey, Egypt, Vietnam, and Nigeria – countries where business-initiated calling is NOT supported. This makes UIC a valuable alternative for businesses serving customers in these regions.

To verify current availability:

How It Works (8x8 SIP Model)​

At a high level, the call is delivered to your environment like a standard inbound SIP call.

Customer (WhatsApp)
        ⟷ WhatsApp Calling
        ⟷ 8x8 Voice Platform
        ⟷ SIP
        ⟷ Your Contact Center / PBX / Agents

Step-by-step Call Flow​

  1. Customer opens WhatsApp

    • The customer opens your business chat or profile.
    • They see one or more call entry points (depending on what is enabled for your WhatsApp Business number).

  2. Customer initiates the call

    • The customer taps the call entry point.
    • WhatsApp starts a VoIP call using the customer's data or Wi-Fi connection.

  3. 8x8 receives the inbound WhatsApp call

    • 8x8 anchors the calling integration as your WhatsApp Calling BSP.
    • 8x8 manages the WhatsApp calling connectivity and the handoff into your voice environment.

  4. 8x8 delivers the call via SIP

    • 8x8 delivers the call to your configured SIP endpoint (contact center / PBX / SBC).
    • From your perspective, this behaves like a standard inbound SIP call.

  5. Your system routes the call

    • Apply your existing routing logic:
      • IVR menus
      • Queues
      • Skills-based routing
      • Direct agent or extension routing

  6. Agent answers

    • Two-way audio is established:

      Customer (WhatsApp) ⟷ 8x8 ⟷ Agent (SIP)

  7. Call ends

    • Either party hangs up.
    • Call records and reporting are generated in your voice systems.

Call Entry Points (What Customers See)​

User-initiated calling can be made available through one or more WhatsApp surfaces, depending on configuration:

  • Call icon in the WhatsApp chat header or business profile
  • Call button presented in WhatsApp experiences (for example, interactive messages)

WhatsApp chat showing call icon and call entry points

How Call Entry Points Are Enabled (8x8 BSP Model)​

As your BSP for WhatsApp Calling, 8x8 manages the Meta-side enablement, including:

  • Enabling calling for your WhatsApp Business number (where eligible)
  • Configuring calling entry points (call icon / call buttons)
  • Providing the required templates and configurations for call buttons (where applicable)

If you have a specific customer journey in mind (for example, "Call us now" buttons inside a support flow), contact your 8x8 account team to confirm the recommended configuration.

Availability and After-hours Handling​

You can manage availability in one (or a combination) of the following ways:

Option 1: Entry-point control (via 8x8 / WhatsApp configuration)​

If you want to limit inbound calling to specific hours or conditions, 8x8 can help configure the appropriate call entry point behaviour.

Option 2: SIP-side handling (common)​

Leave calling enabled and manage business hours in your voice environment:

  • Play a closed announcement
  • Route to voicemail
  • Route to a queue with limited staffing
  • Encourage customers to continue in chat

This approach keeps call treatment logic in your existing voice stack.

SIP Behaviour​

From your infrastructure's point of view:

  • Calls arrive as standard inbound SIP calls
  • Existing routing, recording, monitoring, and reporting apply
  • 8x8 provides SIP interconnect details (IPs/FQDNs, ports, security, and codec guidance) during onboarding

What You Need (and Don't Need)​

To enable user-initiated WhatsApp calling with 8x8, you only need a SIP endpoint to receive calls. You do not need to build a direct Meta Cloud API calling integration—8x8 provides the BSP integration and calling setup.

Best Practices​

  • Align entry points with staffing — don't expose a call option you can't answer
  • Use clear after-hours messaging — announcement + chat fallback
  • Treat WhatsApp voice as a distinct channel — tag calls internally as "WhatsApp Voice"
  • Plan for spikes — incidents or outages can cause sudden inbound calling volume

Next Steps​

Support Channels​