Outbound Routes control how calls leave your PBX. Every external call must match:

• A dial pattern
• An outbound route
• A trunk/provider

If outbound routing is wrong, calls may:

• Fail completely
• Use the wrong SIP provider
• Send incorrect Caller ID
• Create billing or fraud risks

Where Outbound Routes Fit in Call Flow

Extension / Queue / IVR
        → Dial Pattern Match
            → Outbound Route
                → Trunk
                    → Provider Network

FreePBX evaluates routes top to bottom. The first matching route wins.

Step 1: Route Settings (Define Where Calls Go)

Important Fields Explained

• Route Name → Logical label (example: airtel-outbound)
• Route CID → Caller ID forced for this route
• Override Extension → If enabled, trunk/route CID replaces extension CID
• Music On Hold → Played before trunk answers
• Time Match Group → Restricts route to working hours
• Trunk Sequence → Provider priority order (failover logic)
• Optional Destination → Where call goes if trunk fails

In production systems, trunk sequence is critical:

Primary trunk → Secondary trunk → Backup trunk

Step 2: Dial Patterns (Most Important Concept)

A dial pattern decides: Which numbers are allowed and how they are modified before reaching the provider.

Three Core Columns in Dial Patterns

• Prefix → Digits user dials first (removed before sending)
• Match Pattern → Structure of allowed phone number
• Prepend → Digits automatically added before sending to trunk

Real Meaning Using the Screenshot Example

The image shows normalization for Indian numbers:

User may dial:
+91XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX
0XXXXXXXXXX
1001 + number (internal prefix case)

Route converts all formats → +91XXXXXXXXXX
before sending to trunk.

This ensures:

• Users can dial in different formats
• Provider always receives one clean standardized number
• Billing and routing stay correct

Prefix vs Prepend (Critical Difference)

Prefix  → REMOVED from dialed number
Prepend → ADDED before sending to trunk

Example:

User dials:   9 9876543210
Prefix:        9   → removed
Prepend:       +91 → added
Sent to trunk: +919876543210

This is called number normalization, and it is essential for multi-provider environments.

Caller ID Behavior in Outbound Routes

Caller ID priority typically works like this:

Extension CID
   → Route CID (if override enabled)
       → Trunk CID
           → Provider enforced CID

Many providers allow only pre-approved numbers. If CID is invalid, calls may fail or appear anonymous.

Security & Fraud Protection

• Restrict international dialing
• Use PIN sets for expensive routes
• Allow only required dial patterns
• Monitor abnormal call spikes

Misconfigured outbound routes are a top cause of VoIP fraud worldwide.

Troubleshooting Outbound Calls

Call not going out

• Dial pattern mismatch
• Wrong trunk
• Provider authentication issue

Wrong Caller ID

• Provider override
• Route CID misconfigured

Wrong trunk used

• Route order incorrect
• Overlapping dial patterns

asterisk -rvvvvv
pjsip set logger on

Production Checklist

• Routes ordered correctly
• Dial patterns normalized
• Caller ID approved by provider
• Failover trunk configured
• International dialing secured

Next step in production: Queues, Recording, and Analytics to measure real business performance.