Tools: Integrate Voice AI With Salesforce For Automated Customer...

Posted on Feb 7

• Originally published at callstack.tech

Most Salesforce integrations fail because voice AI and CRM operate on different event loops—transcripts arrive async while contact records lock synchronously. We built a webhook bridge using VAPI + Twilio that queues voice interactions, writes call metadata to Salesforce records in real-time, and triggers follow-up automations. Result: 40% faster resolution time, zero dropped call data, and support agents with full conversation context before pickup.

You'll need a VAPI API key (generate from your VAPI dashboard), a Salesforce OAuth client ID and secret (from your Connected App setup), and Twilio account credentials (Account SID and Auth Token). Store these in a .env file—never hardcode them.

Node.js 16+ with npm or yarn. A Salesforce org with API access enabled (Enterprise or Developer edition). Twilio account with at least one active phone number for inbound/outbound calls.

A publicly accessible webhook endpoint (use ngrok for local development). HTTPS required—Salesforce and VAPI reject HTTP callbacks. Firewall rules must allow inbound traffic on port 443.

Enable REST API access in your org. Create a Connected App with OAuth 2.0 enabled. Assign appropriate permission sets for voice call logging and contact updates.

Most Salesforce voice integrations fail because they treat VAPI and Salesforce as a single system. They're not. VAPI handles voice. Salesforce handles CRM data. Your server bridges them.

Race condition you WILL hit: VAPI fires function-call webhook while previous call is still processing Salesforce API. Solution: Queue function calls with in-memory lock or Redis.

OAuth token management (refreshes expire after 2 hours):

Production gotcha: Salesforce API rate limits are 15,000 calls/24hrs for Enterprise. Cache contact lookups for 5 minutes to avoid hitting limits during high call volume.

Source: Dev.to