Inbound Webhook

Last updated: May 15, 2026

Here you will find all the information you need to configure the inbound webhook for your assistant.

With the inbound webhook feature, you can configure your Fonio AI phone assistant to automatically retrieve customer-specific information – such as the caller's name – from an external database during incoming calls and use it directly in the conversation.
For each incoming call, a webhook is triggered that passes the calling number. The returned result can then be used in the assistant's prompt via{{variable}}.

Introduction

Do you want your AI phone assistant to query information in advance during incoming calls and use it directly in the conversation – for example, name, customer number, or call history?

This is exactly what the inbound webhook enables.
In this guide, we will show you step by step how to set up the feature with fonio.ai and Make.com.

Requirements for Setup

The following items are required for setup:

  1. Automation software such as Make.com to catch the webhook and perform a database query.

  2. Database with customer data, e.g., a Google Sheet with phone numbers and customer names.

  3. Tool to test the webhook, such as Postman, to verify functionality before going live.

Setting Up an Inbound Webhook

1. Activate Inbound Webhook in Fonio

  • Open the "Technical" tab in the Fonio app.

  • Enable the "Inbound Webhook" feature.

  • This option allows communication between external systems and Fonio.

2. Create Webhook Scenario in Make.com

  • Select "Custom Webhook" as the starting point and create a new webhook.

  • Copy the generated webhook URL.

  • Enter the URL in the Fonio app under "Webhook URL" and save.

3. Create Automation Workflow in Make

  • Search your database (e.g., Google Sheets) for information related to the calling number.

  • Send the data back as a JSON response to Fonio, e.g.{{name}}

  • Example: The assistant greets the caller with
    “Hello {{name}}, I am the AI phone assistant from XY…”

You can use Handlebars conditional logic in prompts to avoid asking for information that the webhook already provides.

{{#if name}}
You are speaking with {{name}}. NEVER ask for the caller's name as it is already known.
{{else}}
Politely ask for the caller's name if it's relevant to the conversation.
{{/if}}

Example flow in Make (4 steps):

  1. Receive custom webhook.

  2. Google Sheets "SearchRows": query by phone number.

  3. Router node: distinguish between Name found / Name not found.

  4. Webhook response: return variable {{name}}or "not found".

    Make sure to set the content-typeto application/json in the advanced settings.

4. Test Webhook Automation with Postman

  • Create a POST request to the webhook URL.

  • Use JSON in the body, e.g.:

{ "fromNumber": "+4915123456789", "toNumber": "+49891234567" }

  • Test both existing and unknown numbers to verify the logic.

5. Test Inbound Webhook with Fonio

  • Ensure the correct webhook URL is entered in Fonio.

  • Add the variable name (e.g. {{name}}) in the prompt or start message.

  • Make a real test call (browser test not possible).

Example:
“Hello Isabella, this is Lena from Fonio, how can I help?”