Lesson 2
Key Terms Used in Bland
This lesson covers the essential terminologies used within Bland, helping students to effectively use the platform.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Define basic terms and concepts used in Bland
Apply these terms in the context of Bland operationsns
Terminology
Inbound Call
Bland can receive phone calls for you, with your defined Agent answering the phone.
Conversational Pathway
Conversational pathways allow you to give your Agent instructions on how it should respond at each point in a conversation. This gives you:
Greater dialogue control
Gives your agent instructions on how it should respond at specific points of the conversation.
Conversational Pathways are like intelligent flow-charts that your Agent can follow during a call. The Agent makes decisions at each node about what to say, and what to do next.
For example, if you look at the image below, you will see a Conversational Pathway for a Car Rental.
Here, the AI starts the call with a greeting and a question: ”Could I get your rental number?”
Then the AI makes a decision based on the user response. If the user declines or doesn't provide a rental number, the agent decides to transfer to a Human Agent. If the user provides a rental number, it then moves to collect the last name.
Now if the user declines to provide a last name, we can once again transfer to a human. Otherwise, we can move forward to an API call to get the caller's rental information with the last name and rental number provided.
This refers to an API used to perform an external action - for example, if you want to reserve an appointment or look up information from your sales database.
A Batch is a group of calls. You can provide a CSV file to supply phone numbers and other information.
Agents
An AI-driven voice entity that handles inbound or outbound calls following defined logic. Agents execute prompts, run webhooks, and knowledge bases to converse intelligently.
Why it matters: Every project in Bland revolves around agents; understanding their configuration is key to every integration or campaign.
Node
A building block in a Conversational Pathway representing one logical step, such as asking a question, executing a webhook, or transferring a call.
Why it matters: Nodes form the structural foundation of a call flow. You’ll design them when turning business logic into executable flows.
Prompt
A written instruction that defines how an agent should behave, speak, and interpret context.
Why it matters: Effective prompting directly influences accuracy, tone, and success rate of the AI’s responses.
Batch
A set of calls executed together, typically uploaded via CSV or API for campaign-scale operations.
Why it matters: Central to managing large outreach or data collection operations efficiently.
Inbound & Outbound Numbers
Provisioned phone numbers for receiving or making calls through Bland. These can be purchases through the Bland Platform or imported through Twilio
Why it matters: Essential for setting up and managing how agents communicate externally.
Secrets
A secure storage mechanism for API keys, tokens, or sensitive credentials.
Why it matters: Keeps integrations secure while allowing agents to authenticate with external systems.
You can learn more in our docs here.
Post-Call Webhook
A callback mechanism that triggers after each call to send data such as transcripts, variables, or outcomes to external systems.
Why it matters: Enables detailed analytics, CRM updates, and reporting automation.
You can learn more here.
Billing & Plans
Details how usage is metered, billed, and monitored within the Bland platform.
You can find information about pricing here.
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