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Control costs with automatic time limits. Set maximum durations for calls — when reached, your agent ends the conversation gracefully instead of running indefinitely. What you’ll learn: Duration configuration, separate limits for normal vs. transferred calls, and cost control strategies.

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Why Use Maximum Call Duration?

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Cost Control

Voice conversations incur per-minute costs for telephony, speech processing, and language model usage. Time limits prevent unexpectedly expensive calls from eroding your budget.

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Resource Management

Long-running calls consume system resources. Time limits ensure resources are available for other calls, particularly important for high-volume operations.

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Prevents Stuck Calls

Technical issues can occasionally cause calls to remain connected indefinitely. Maximum duration acts as a safety net, automatically ending problematic calls.

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Operational Efficiency

Most legitimate conversations complete within predictable timeframes. Time limits help identify and terminate anomalous calls that may indicate problems.

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How to Configure Maximum Call Duration

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Step 1: Enable Maximum Call Duration

  1. Open your agent’s configuration
  2. Navigate to the Features tab
  3. Find Maximum Call Duration and toggle it on

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Step 2: Set Time Limits

Configure duration limits in seconds: maxDurationSeconds (Normal Calls)
  • Default: 3600 seconds (1 hour)
  • Applies to standard agent conversations
maxDurationInTransferSeconds (During Transfer)
  • Default: 7200 seconds (2 hours)
  • Applies while a call is in transfer state (connected to human operator)
Why different limits?
  • Normal agent calls typically resolve quickly (5-15 minutes)
  • Calls in transfer state may involve complex troubleshooting requiring more time
  • Human-to-human conversations naturally run longer than agent interactions

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Step 3: Test Time Limits

Before deploying to production:
  1. Make test calls that approach the time limit
  2. Verify the agent ends calls gracefully
  3. Ensure callers receive appropriate closing messages
  4. Adjust limits based on actual conversation durations

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Configuration Examples

This shows the config.features.maxDuration object structure: 
{
  "isEnabled": true,
  "maxDurationSeconds": 1800,
  "maxDurationInTransferSeconds": 3600
}
Rationale: Most support calls resolve in 10-20 minutes. Generous buffer allows complex issues while preventing extreme outliers.
{
  "isEnabled": true,
  "maxDurationSeconds": 900,
  "maxDurationInTransferSeconds": 2400
}
Rationale: Qualification calls should be brief. Tight limits maintain efficiency and prevent rambling conversations.
{
  "isEnabled": true,
  "maxDurationSeconds": 2400,
  "maxDurationInTransferSeconds": 7200
}
Rationale: Technical troubleshooting takes time. Generous limits accommodate complex diagnostic processes.
{
  "isEnabled": true,
  "maxDurationSeconds": 600,
  "maxDurationInTransferSeconds": 1800
}
Rationale: Surveys should be brief and focused. Short limits respect respondent time and maintain survey quality.

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Common Use Cases

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High-Volume Outbound Campaigns

  • Configuration: 10-15 minute limit for normal calls
  • Why: Cost control at scale. Brief, focused conversations keep campaign costs predictable.

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Customer Support with Escalation

  • Configuration: 30 minutes normal, 1-2 hours transferred
  • Why: Agent handles routine issues quickly; complex issues get adequate human time after transfer.

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Appointment Reminders

  • Configuration: 5-10 minute limit
  • Why: Reminders should be brief confirmations, not extended conversations.

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Lead Qualification

  • Configuration: 15-20 minute limit
  • Why: Qualification should be efficient. Long calls often indicate poor fit or lack of interest.

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Technical Support Triage

  • Configuration: 20-30 minutes normal, 2+ hours transferred
  • Why: Agent triages issues quickly; deep troubleshooting happens after transfer with adequate time.

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Monitoring and Optimization

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Key Metrics

Track these metrics to optimize time limits:
  • Average call duration - What’s typical for your use case?
  • Calls hitting limit - What percentage reach maximum duration?
  • Duration distribution - What’s the 90th percentile call length?
  • Limit-hit outcomes - Were these legitimate long calls or stuck calls?

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Optimization Process

  1. Baseline: Set initial limits based on expected durations
  2. Collect data: Monitor actual call durations for 1-2 weeks
  3. Analyze: Review calls hitting limits—were they legitimate or stuck?
  4. Adjust: Increase limits if legitimate calls are cut short; decrease if limits aren’t catching outliers
  5. Repeat: Continuously monitor and refine

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Warning Signs

Too many calls hitting limits (>5% of total)
  • Limits may be too restrictive
  • Complex issues may need more time
  • Consider increasing limits by 25-50%
No calls ever hit limits
  • Limits may be too generous
  • Not providing cost protection
  • Consider reducing limits to find optimal threshold
Caller complaints about abrupt endings
  • Limits too short for your use case
  • Improve graceful ending messages
  • Increase limits to provide adequate time

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Technical Considerations

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Timer Precision

Duration tracking is accurate to within 1-2 seconds. Calls terminate as soon as the limit is reached.

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Transfer Timing

When a call is transferred:
  • Normal call timer stops
  • Transferred call timer starts
  • Only transferred call limit applies after transfer
  • Pre-transfer duration doesn’t count toward transferred limit

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Multiple Transfers

If a call is transferred multiple times:
  • Transferred call limit applies to total post-transfer time
  • Timer doesn’t reset between transfers

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Compatibility

Maximum call duration works across:
  • ✅ Outbound phone calls
  • ✅ Inbound phone calls
  • ✅ Web-based voice calls
  • ✅ All call types and scenarios

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Troubleshooting

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Problem: Legitimate Calls Being Cut Short

Solution: Increase maximum duration by 25-50%. Review calls hitting limits to understand why they run long. Consider if agent needs better training to resolve issues more efficiently.

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Problem: Stuck Calls Not Being Caught

Solution: Reduce maximum duration. Verify time limits are enabled. Check for technical issues causing calls to hang without triggering duration tracking.

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Problem: Callers Frustrated by Time Limits

Solution: Implement warning system so agent can notify callers when time is running out. Offer to schedule follow-up calls for complex issues. Increase limits if consistently insufficient.

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Problem: High Costs Despite Time Limits

Solution: Review actual call duration distribution. Consider whether limits need to be more aggressive. Analyze calls to identify opportunities for agent efficiency improvements.

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Problem: Different Limits Needed for Different Scenarios

Solution: Create separate agents for different use cases, each with appropriate time limits. Use agent selection logic to route calls to correctly-configured agents.

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Cost Impact Example

Scenario: 10,000 calls per month Without time limits:
  • Average duration: 15 minutes
  • Outliers (2%): 90 minutes average
  • Total minutes: 153,600
  • Cost at 0.05/min:0.05/min: 7,680
With 30-minute limit:
  • Average duration: 15 minutes (unchanged)
  • Limited outliers (2%): 30 minutes max
  • Total minutes: 150,600
  • Cost at 0.05/min:0.05/min: 7,530
  • Savings: $150/month (2%)
Even small percentages of outlier calls can significantly impact costs at scale.

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Next steps

Silence Management

Handle inactive calls before time limit

Call Transfers

Configure separate limits for transferred calls

Webhooks

Receive notifications when calls hit limits

Call History

Monitor call duration metrics