How to select outbound (DID) number in Softphone.Pro

Supported in Softphone.Pro 5.10 and newer.

Agents often make calls for multiple projects, each using a separate phone number for outbound calls (a.k.a. DID number). Some PBXs provide multiple SIP accounts, each with its own DID number. Agent picks the SIP account in the softphone window before making a call. However, this isn’t the only way to manage multiple DID numbers. A single SIP account can make calls from several numbers (e.g. for regional numbers).

Some PBX systems, like Asterisk, can recognize a special header in the INVITE event for outbound calls. PBX extracts the DID number from this header and initiates the call. External systems like CRMs can send DID number to Softphone.Pro. This eliminates Agent errors and speeds up calls from different numbers.

If your PBX supports DID selection via a special INVITE header, use this guide to configure multiple outbound numbers and automate number selection from external systems.

Before proceeding make sure your PBX supports DID selection via the INVITE header. Consult your PBX support or administrator if needed.

Configure multiple DID numbers

To set up outbound numbers in Softphone.Pro do the following:

1. Exit Softphone.Pro.

2. Open the SoftphonePro.ini configuration file in a text editor.

3. Locate the [SipAccount] section for the SIP account you want to configure and set these parameters:

  • SipDidHeader: specify the INVITE header where your PBX expects the DID number.
  • DidNumbers: enter a quoted list of outbound numbers in the format "{DID_NAME},{DID_NUMBER};{DID_NAME},{DID_NUMBER}", where:
    • {DID_NAME}: the line name displayed in the Outbound account dropdown;
    • {DID_NUMBER}: the number sent to the PBX in the SipDidHeader;
    • Separate multiple entries with semicolons.
  • DefaultDid: set the default DID number index (starting from 0).

For example, if:

  • Your PBX expects the DID number in the Outbound-DID INVITE header;
  • Two numbers are configured: Sales (12345678901) and Support (10987654321);
  • Sales is the default number;
The SIP account settings would be: 

[SipAccount1]
...
SipDidHeader=Outbound-DID
DidNumbers="Sales,12345678901;Support,10987654321"
DefaultDid=0

4. Save the configuration file.

Pick DID number in Softphone.Pro

To switch the outbound number do the following:

1. In the Main window, open the SIP accounts list (use Ctrl-K shortcut for example).

2. Hover over the SIP account with multiple outbound numbers. A list of DID numbers will appear:

Open outbound numbers list

3. The list shows available numbers (checked is currently active). Pick DID number from the list:

Select outbound number

4. Dial the number or use click-to-call. Softphone.Pro will send the selected DID number to the PBX in the INVITE message.

5. Outbound calls from the main window will use the selected number until changed.

6. Call log displays outbound number in the DID field:

Outbound number in call log

When redialing from the call log, the will start from the number in DID field.

Select DID number automatically for third-party calls

Manual number selection isn't always efficient as Agents may forget to switch the number, juggle multiple projects, etc. Calls initiated from external systems (e.g., CRMs) also slow down if the correct DID number must be selected first.

To automate number selection, use the did_id parameter for outbound calls from web applications, using specific browser links, or by using command line parameters.

The did_id value is the index of the DID number (starts from 0).

For example, when using the sales/support setup above, create a SoftphonePro.Call link to auto-select the support number by adding did_id=1:

<a href="SoftphonePro.Call:19005551234;did_id=1">+1 (900) 555-1234</a>

Combine did_id with the sip_id parameter to auto-select both the SIP account and outbound number.

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