Claude Code + VAPI
VAPI lets you build voice AI agents—phone bots, receptionists, appointment setters, outbound callers. The platform is powerful.
It's also a lot.
Assistants, phone numbers, tool calls, prompts, server URLs, function definitions, transfer configurations—getting everything wired up correctly takes time. One wrong setting and your agent either sounds broken or doesn't work at all.
Claude Code turns the setup process into a conversation.
In this workshop, you'll build two voice agents from scratch—one inbound, one outbound—using Claude Code to handle the API calls, JSON configurations, and troubleshooting that normally slow you down.
Build 1: Inbound Receptionist
An AI agent that answers incoming calls
Greets callers, answers common questions, and books appointments
Handles transfers to the right person when it can't answer
The agent most businesses need first
Build 2: Outbound Lead Qualifier
An AI agent that makes calls to a list of leads
Asks qualifying questions based on your criteria
Logs responses and scores leads
Hands off warm leads for human follow-up
Across both builds, you'll learn:
Setting up VAPI and connecting to the API through Claude Code
Configuring prompts, voices, and conversation flows
Setting up tool calls so your agents can take actions (book appointments, look up info, log data)
Managing phone numbers and inbound/outbound configurations
Testing and iterating without clicking through dashboards
Debugging common issues (awkward pauses, missed intents, failed transfers)
By the end, you'll have two working voice AI agents—and a repeatable process for building more.
REQUIREMENTS:
Claude Code requires a paid plan. You'll need either a Claude Pro subscription ($20/month) or an Anthropic API key with at least $5 credit.
You'll also need:
A VAPI account with API access (free tier includes limited credits for following along)
A Twilio or Telnyx account for phone number provisioning (we'll cover setup during the session)
API credits for an LLM provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) for your agent's "brain"
API credits for a TTS (Text-to-Speech) provider for your agent's voice (ElevenLabs, Deepgram, PlayHT, etc.)
API credits for an STT (Speech-to-Text) provider for understanding callers (Deepgram, AssemblyAI, etc.)
We've put together a sheet listing platforms that offer free credits so you can get started without spending money upfront. We'll share that along with a full setup guide and recommended providers before the session.
No voice AI experience required. If VAPI has felt overwhelming, this is your session.