Zapier, MCP and AI phone calls to leads: what actually works.
Zapier MCP exposes app actions, not a phone line. Here are the two working routes to get AI calls triggered from your lead pipeline.
What Zapier MCP does and does not do
Zapier MCP lets an AI assistant trigger Zapier actions: create a Google Sheet row, send an email, update a CRM record. That is genuinely useful. But it does not include a phone line, a voice engine, or anything that can hold a real conversation with a prospect.
So if you are searching for a way to make Zapier MCP dial a lead list, the honest answer is: it cannot do that on its own. What it can do is trigger a webhook that reaches a service with a phone line. And that is where the two working routes come in.
Route one: your AI assistant connects to FoxEra directly
If your assistant (ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor or any MCP-compatible client) is already managing your workflow, you can connect it to FoxEra Calls via MCP without Zapier in the middle. Point the assistant at https://app.foxera.co.uk/mcp, authenticate with OAuth 2.1, and it gains access to every calling tool: add leads, choose the AI agent, preview the campaign, approve it, read transcripts and pull reports.
This is the simplest path when your assistant is already the one deciding when to call. No extra service, no webhook to maintain, no API key to rotate. FoxEra’s AI calling agents (Cass, Alex or Andrea) handle the actual conversation, record it, and log the outcome.
Route two: Zapier webhook to the FoxEra REST API
If Zapier is already central to your pipeline and you want a new-lead trigger to queue up a calling campaign, use a Zapier webhook step that calls the FoxEra REST API with a bearer key (fxk_...).
- Trigger: a new lead arrives in your CRM, form tool, or spreadsheet.
- Webhook step: Zapier sends a POST to the FoxEra API to add the lead to a folder.
- Preview and approval: a second step requests a campaign preview. You receive the preview (headcount, calling window, estimated cost) by email or Slack and approve before any call goes out.
- Run: after your approval, the webhook tells FoxEra to start the campaign. FoxEra’s AI agent makes the calls.
- Report: a final step pulls outcomes and transcripts back into your pipeline.
The OpenAPI 3.1 spec is at https://app.foxera.co.uk/api/public/openapi.json. Full details are on the developer guide.
Why the approval step matters
FoxEra requires the exact confirmed headcount and a separate approval before anyone is phoned, regardless of how the campaign was created. Whether you use Zapier, an AI assistant, or the FoxEra dashboard directly, nobody is called until you say yes.
Every action is logged inside your FoxEra workspace. You can see exactly what was done and when. You can revoke access at any time by deleting the API key or disconnecting the MCP server. For more on how FoxEra Calls works, including safety controls, see the main product page.
What the calling tools can do
Whether you connect via MCP or the REST API, these are the actions available:
- Check your account balance and available credit
- Add leads individually or upload an entire folder of contacts
- Choose which AI calling agent (Cass, Alex or Andrea) will make the calls
- Preview the campaign: headcount, calling window and estimated cost
- Create, schedule and approve a campaign after you have reviewed the preview
- Cancel or stop a live campaign immediately
- Read call outcomes, transcripts and recordings after the calls finish
- Set calling hours so calls go out only during the window you choose
- Edit or approve the calling script your AI agent follows
- Pull a report covering outcomes and cost, or get a link to top up credit
What it costs
Connecting to FoxEra Calls is free whichever route you choose. You pay only for the calls themselves: from 12p per connected minute, with no subscription and no seat fee. Every new FoxEra account gets £7 of free calling credit, enough for a short test campaign.
Use the cost calculator to estimate what your first campaign will cost, or see the full breakdown on the pricing page. For a comparison of pay-as-you-go AI calling against monthly subscriptions, that page is worth reading too.
Frequently asked questions
Can Zapier MCP make phone calls?
No. Zapier MCP lets an AI assistant trigger Zapier actions (spreadsheet updates, emails, CRM writes), but it has no phone line. To trigger AI cold calls, connect your assistant to FoxEra Calls directly via MCP, or use a Zapier webhook step to call the FoxEra REST API.
Which route should I pick: direct MCP or Zapier webhook?
If your AI assistant is already the one deciding when to call, connect it to FoxEra directly via MCP. If Zapier is already central to your lead pipeline and you want a new-lead trigger to queue calls, use a webhook step to the REST API.
Will calls go out without my approval?
No. FoxEra requires you to confirm the exact number of people and approve the campaign separately before anyone is phoned, regardless of how the campaign was created.
How much does a first test campaign cost?
New accounts get £7 of free calling credit. Calls cost from 12p per connected minute with no subscription, so a short test of 20 to 30 leads typically costs a few pounds.