Quick Start Guide — Launch Your First Campaign in 10 Minutes
This guide walks you through everything you need to go from a fresh ICTContact installation to a running outbound voice campaign. Follow these steps in order.
What You’ll Need Before Starting
- ICTContact installed and accessible at your domain
- A SIP trunk/gateway configured (your VoIP provider credentials)
- A list of contacts to call (CSV file with name + phone number)
- A recorded audio message (MP3 or WAV) OR text you want converted to speech
Step 1 — Add Your Gateway (2 minutes)
A gateway is your VoIP provider connection — it’s how calls actually get placed.
- Go to Administration > Gateways
- Click New Trunk
- Enter your SIP provider details: hostname, username, password, and caller ID
- Click Save and wait for the status to show Registered
If you don’t have a VoIP provider yet, sign up with Twilio, Commpeak, or any SIP provider. You’ll need their SIP credentials.
Step 2 — Upload Your Recording (1 minute)
- Go to Messages > Recordings
- Click Add New Recording
- Upload your WAV or MP3 file (8kHz mono WAV recommended for best quality)
- Give it a clear name like “Sales Intro July 2026”
- Save
Step 3 — Create a Contact Group & Upload Contacts (2 minutes)
- Go to Contacts > Contact Groups
- Click Add New Group, name it (e.g. “July Outbound List”), Save
- Go to Contacts > Contacts
- Click Import
- Upload your CSV — minimum columns required:
phone(first_name and last_name optional) - Map columns and select your new Contact Group
- Click Import — contacts are added immediately
Step 4 — Create Your Campaign (3 minutes)
- Go to Campaigns Management
- Click Add New Campaign
- Select campaign type: Message Campaign (for automated voice broadcast)
- Fill in the required fields:
- Name — e.g. “July Sales Blast”
- Contact Group — select the group you just created
- Recording/Message — select the audio you uploaded
- Gateway — select your SIP trunk
- Caller ID — the number that appears on recipients’ phones
- Channels — number of simultaneous calls (start with 5-10)
- Schedule — set start/end time and calling hours
- Click Save
Step 5 — Launch & Monitor (2 minutes)
- Back in Campaigns Management, find your campaign
- Click the Start button (play icon)
- Go to the Dashboard — you’ll see Active Calls increasing as the campaign dials
- Check Reports > CDR after a few minutes to see call results
- Check Reports > Disposition Report to see outcomes
Common First-Time Issues
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Campaign starts but no calls go out | Check gateway status — must show “Registered”. Check channel limit isn’t 0. |
| Calls go out but audio is silent | Re-upload recording as 8kHz mono WAV. MP3s sometimes fail on older Asterisk builds. |
| All calls show “Failed” | Your gateway rejected the calls — check SIP credentials and caller ID format (must include country code) |
| Campaign won’t start | Check the schedule — if start time is in the past, update it to a future time |
| Contacts not showing after import | Ensure the phone column has numbers in international format: +1234567890 or 1234567890 |
Next Steps
- Set up an IVR menu to handle inbound calls
- Add agents for inbound or blended campaigns
- Connect your CRM to sync call outcomes automatically
- Review the Reports Guide to track performance
Need help? Visit ICTContact Support or try the live demo.
