### Answer The inbound webhook provides limited information before the call connects. The payload includes: [(1) ]() -

from_number

– the caller's phone number -

to_number

– the number being called -

agent_id

– if an inbound agent is configured for that number -

agent_version

– if configured Note that at this point, the call is not yet connected and no call object or call ID exists yet. If you need full call information (transcript, recording, analysis, etc.) , you'll want to use the call event webhooks (

call_started

,

call_ended

,

call_analyzed

) which trigger during and after the call and include the complete call object. [(2) ]() The inbound webhook is primarily designed to let you: - Override agent settings - Set dynamic variables - Add metadata - Filter/reject calls before they connect [(1) ]()

​ To learn more, see the sources I considered: [[1] Inbound webhook](https://docs.retellai.com/features/inbound-call-webhook) [[2] Webhook Overview](https://docs.retellai.com/features/webhook-overview) ​

Feel free to tag @AI Evy with additional questions. I also appreciate feedback, it helps me improve.

### Answer To set a dynamic variable like

account_status

from your inbound webhook response, you need to return it under the

call_inbound.dynamic_variables

object in your webhook response. [(1) ]() Your webhook should return a JSON response structured like this:

json
{
  "call_inbound": {
    "dynamic_variables": {
      "account_status": "active"
    }
  }
}

Important: Do not use

retell_llm_dynamic_variables

at the top level—this is a common mistake. For inbound webhooks, dynamic variables must be nested under

call_inbound

with the key

dynamic_variables

. [(2) ]() Once configured, you can reference

{{account_status}}

in your agent's prompts, begin message, or tool configurations. [(3) ]() Quick setup steps: 1. Enable the inbound webhook on your phone number [(1) ]() 2. Your webhook endpoint receives the

call_inbound

event with

from_number

and

to_number

3. Look up the caller's account status in your system 4. Return the response with

dynamic_variables

nested under

call_inbound

5. Use

{{account_status}}

in your agent prompt [(3) ]()

​ To learn more, see the sources I considered: [[1] Inbound webhook](https://docs.retellai.com/features/inbound-call-webhook) [[2] Inbound webhook returns retell_llm_dynamic_variables but agent doesn't receive them](https://community.retellai.com/t/inbound-webhook-returns-retell-llm-dynamic-variables-but-agent-doesnt-receive-them/733) [[3] Dynamic Variables](https://docs.retellai.com/build/dynamic-variables) ​

Feel free to tag @AI Evy with additional questions. I also appreciate feedback, it helps me improve.

### Answer Yes, the inbound call stays in a ringing state while waiting for your webhook response. [(1) ]() The webhook has a 10-second timeout. If no successful response (2xx) is received within that time, it will retry up to 3 times. What happens based on your webhook response: - Successful response with agent override → Call connects using your specified settings and dynamic variables - Successful response without

override_agent_id

→ If you want to reject the call, return a 200 status without the

call_inbound.override_agent_id

field - All webhook attempts fail → Retell checks if the number has an inbound agent configured. If yes, it connects to that agent. If not, the call disconnects. So your webhook response determines both if and how the call connects, and the caller remains on hold (ringing) until that response is processed.

​ To learn more, see the sources I considered: [[1] Inbound webhook](https://docs.retellai.com/features/inbound-call-webhook) ​

Feel free to tag @AI Evy with additional questions. I also appreciate feedback, it helps me improve.