Simple Telecom API: Automate Your Call Management & Routing

What Is the Simple Telecom API?

The Simple Telecom API is a RESTful web service that gives you programmatic access to your Simple Telecom account. You can retrieve call data, manage routing configurations, and list your active services — all through simple HTTP requests. The API is designed for developers, marketing operations teams, and businesses who want to integrate their telecom services with their own systems.

Whether you're building a custom CRM integration, automating marketing attribution, or creating a real-time call analytics dashboard, the Simple Telecom API provides the data and control you need. The API uses standard Bearer token authentication, returns JSON responses, and includes rate limiting to ensure fair usage. Code examples are provided in PHP, JavaScript, and cURL.

The API is organised around three core areas: the Services API for listing your numbers, the CDR API for retrieving call records, and the Routing Management API for controlling call forwarding and recording. Together, these give you complete programmatic control over your telecom services.

Services API: List Your Active Numbers

The Services API endpoint (GET /api/services) returns a list of all active services on your Simple Telecom account. Each service entry includes the service_id, service_number, service_type (1300, 1800, or CTN), and status. This is the starting point for most API workflows — you use the data returned here to query CDRs or manage routing.

For example, to find the service_id for a specific 1300 number before managing its routing, you call the Services API first, then use the returned service_id in your routing management requests. Similarly, to retrieve call records for a number, you use its service_number as a parameter in the CDR API.

The API supports pagination with page and page_size parameters, and results can be sorted in ascending or descending order by service number. Only active services are returned, so you always have an accurate view of your current infrastructure.

CDR API: Access Your Call Detail Records

The CDR API (GET /api/cdrs) lets you retrieve detailed call records for any of your service numbers. This is invaluable for billing reconciliation, usage analysis, compliance reporting, and marketing attribution. Each record includes the call's start and end time, duration in seconds, the caller's number (source), the destination number, and the cost in AUD.

You can filter records by service_number (required), start_date, and end_date in YYYY-MM-DD format, with a default window of the last 30 days. The API supports pagination with up to 100 records per page, and results can be sorted by start time. Records appear within 1–2 minutes of a call completing, giving you near-real-time access to your call data.

This data is particularly powerful for marketing teams who need to track which campaigns drive phone calls. By combining CDR data with campaign identifiers, you can build a complete picture of your marketing ROI — from ad click to phone call to conversion.

Routing Management API: Control Call Flow Programmatically

The Routing Management API gives you full CRUD control over your call routing configuration. You can view current routing settings, add or remove forwarding numbers, update ring durations and display names, and enable or disable call recording — all via API calls rather than logging into the web console.

This is ideal for businesses that need to update routing dynamically. For example, a call centre might automatically update forwarding numbers based on agent availability, or a marketing agency might route calls to different teams based on campaign schedules. The API supports sequential calling patterns, letting you add the same number multiple times with different ring durations to create sophisticated overflow behaviours.

Call recording can be toggled per service, giving you fine-grained control over which numbers record calls. This is essential for compliance workflows where recording policies vary by department or campaign.

Getting Started: Authentication and Setup

Getting started with the Simple Telecom API is straightforward. Authentication uses Bearer tokens in the format st_..., which you generate from your Simple Telecom console. Navigate to Settings → API Access, click 'Generate API Token', and copy your token. Keep it secure — if compromised, revoke it immediately from the console and generate a new one.

All API requests are made to the base URL https://api.simpletelecom.com.au/v1. Include your token in the Authorization header: Authorization: Bearer st_your_token_here. The API enforces rate limiting, with response headers indicating your current limit, remaining requests, and reset time.

Every API response includes clear error codes and messages in JSON format. Common errors include unauthorized (401) for invalid tokens, missing_parameter (400) when required fields are omitted, and too_many_requests (429) when rate limits are exceeded. The error messages are human-readable, making debugging straightforward.

Build Automated Marketing and Lead Management Systems

The Simple Telecom API is purpose-built for businesses that want to integrate their phone system with their marketing and sales workflows. Here are some of the most powerful applications:

CRM Integration: Automatically log call records to your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, or custom systems). Every inbound call with caller ID, duration, and timestamp can be captured without manual data entry, giving your sales team a complete view of prospect engagement.

Marketing Attribution: Use unique 1300 or 1800 numbers per campaign. The CDR API lets you pull call volumes, durations, and costs per number, so you know exactly which channels — Google Ads, Facebook, radio, print — drive the most valuable phone leads.

Automated Routing: Build dynamic call routing systems that adapt to your business. Route calls based on time of day, agent availability, or campaign-specific requirements — all managed through the API without touching the web console.

Custom Analytics: Build your own dashboards and reports using CDR data. Track call volumes by day, week, or month; calculate cost-per-lead; identify peak calling times; and optimise your staffing and marketing spend accordingly.

No matter what integration you're building, the Simple Telecom API gives you the data and control you need to connect your telecom services to the rest of your technology stack.