3CX Call Scripts Setup for CRM Integration in Development/Test Environment

[hpgitsupport]

Hello,
We are developing an integration between our 3CX system and our CRM application. The integration requires the 3CX Call Scripts feature to receive inbound caller information and pass it to an external API to connect with our CRM.
Our developer wants to build and test this integration in a separate, non-production instance before touching our live system, rather than developing directly on production. Our priority is to avoid any interruption to our current production environment and to our daily inbound and outbound call operations, since our business relies on this communication continuously.
We are trying to find the right option for our situation and would like to understand what is available, given that we would prefer not to purchase an additional licence solely for testing.
Specifically, we would like to know:

1. What is the technical feasibility of setting up a separate, non-production 3CX instance for development and testing, without affecting our existing production system in any way?
2. Does our existing subscription entitle us to a secondary licence key for a backup or test instance at no additional cost, or is this only available under certain plans?
3. Does 3CX offer any developer or sandbox licence intended specifically for testing integrations like this?
4. Our developer needs to simulate inbound calls using different, arbitrary caller phone numbers to test the integration logic. Is there a supported way to do this on a self-hosted or standby instance, or any 3CX recommended approach for testing inbound call scenarios without live calls?
5. Our developer attempted this using the free trial of AI Edition but was unable to run Call Scripts due to a licensing limitation on the trial. Could you clarify what the trial does and does not include in this regard?
6. What would 3CX recommend as the best approach for a business in our situation, testing a new integration without disrupting production calls and without purchasing a full additional subscription?

We would appreciate your guidance on the options available, and if a meeting/call would help clarify our requirements, we are happy to arrange one.

 

[Evolute IT]

You will need to buy a license, set it up with a trunk and use that as sandbox. There's no entitlement or any kind of sandbox provided to customers. Partners get NFRs but those are different.

We might be able to help tho, as we do a lot of these, we could lend our lab instance and assist with your development as needed.

 

[GeorgeNotDigital]

First, I'd check whether you need Call Scripts at all. If what you want is "call comes in, send the caller's number to your API, pull up the record in your CRM", that is what the server-side CRM Integration template is designed for. It's the supported route for CRM lookups and call journaling, and crucially it does not sit in the call path. If your template has a bug, the lookup fails and the call still connects normally. Call Scripts do sit in the call path. Someone on here attached a script to a DID, deleted it, and every call to that DID started getting rejected. That's the exact scenario you're trying to protect yourself from. You can also develop a template against your own API without needing live calls at all.

If you would like live call state after that point (answered, transferred, DTMF, hold), you would need the Call Control API WebSocket at /callcontrol/ws, using a bearer token. Some things to know before you start: in the API app config you have to explicitly select which extensions to monitor or you'll receive no events at all, and the events themselves are thin, so you'll be doing a GET on the participant to fill in the details. You'll also need a minimum 8SC AI license for the call API.

If you genuinely do need Call Scripts specifically, the only thing that works is a small paid Pro license (a 4SC is enough) on its own FQDN for the dev box. No free, trial or POC key will unlock the feature, so there isn't a zero-cost path to testing it. A 4SC annual is a lot cheaper than one morning of dropped calls on production.

Please post your progress so we can follow along, and happy to help if you get stuck. I'm doing a few projects like this and I'm interested in the outcome.

https://www.3cx.com/docs/crm-integration/
https://www.3cx.com/docs/call-control-api-endpoints/

 

[hpgitsupport]

Thank you for your suggestions.

We are currently evaluating a solution that uses a CRM Integration Template to trigger a screen popup and navigate coordinators directly to a specific record from our CRM when a call is rung/received.

We also need to use/control Call Scripts to control certain aspects of the call flow. While reviewing the 3CX codebase, we noticed that the logic which enables/disables Call Scripts appears to check specifically for an Enterprise license, rather than a Pro license.

However, the current feature comparison/licensing matrix seems to indicate otherwise.

Could you please confirm:

1. Are Call Scripts currently supported on Pro licenses, or do they now require an Enterprise license?
2. If Enterprise is now required, was this a recent licensing change?
3. 4SC AI plan isn't available in here: https://www.3cx.com/ordering/pricing/

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[GeorgeNotDigital]

Call Processing Scripts and CRM Integration Templates both work with 3CX Pro. I have a 4SC Pro license and I'm able to use scripts from the "Add from Store" button.

The Call Control API requires an 8SC AI license.

When they updated the prices in 2024 they renamed Enterprise to AI and they removed the 4SC AI license.

Here's a quick breakdown of the Features:
https://www.3cx.com/ordering/pricing/features/

Check out the Call Flow Designer to generate your own scripts:
https://www.3cx.com/phone-system/call-flow-designer/

 

[VoIPTools]

There are some xAPI features that require and Enterprise license, so look carefully at the feature list. There are some some gaps between what you can do with the new xAPI, and what you can do with the old legacy .Net Call Control API. So if you don't see what you need in the xAPI, don't give up. There is another API you can use. I understand you have an existing developer that is helping you with this project, however, if you are looking for someone with years of experience building 3CX/CRM integrations, I can highly recommend Evolute IT. You may also take note that edossantos_sipcaller is the person who originally wrote all of 3CX's CRM integrations so his comments will carry a lot of weight.

 

[VoIPTools]

Regarding setting up a test environment, you need to be very careful. Having two 3CX servers that can see each other in the same network will cause a lot of problems. You will need to completely isolate any test server you create from the production 3CX otherwise you could potentially have production phones registering to your test server.

Separately, depending on the length of time required for development, your 3CX partner should be able to get a trial license. I'm not sure whether 3CX would see that as an appropriate use of a trial license, but that might be an option.

However, depending on your available budget, and the size of your 3CX environment, having a small paid 3CX server may be a good investment. You should know that building any integration with 3CX is NEVER, EVER a one-time investment. 3CX frequently makes changes to their APIs and how 3CX functions under the covers, and these changes may impact your integration. Further, your CRM software may also make changes that require updates to your integration. That means two things: (1) periodic changes to your integration and therefore, (2) a justifiable need for a small paid license. Finally, if it is not already obvious, change typically requires funding either through an on-going support contract, or through specific funding for as-needed changes.