Import Retell Agents into Telnyx

Migrate your Retell AI agents to Telnyx in minutes. The import API pulls agent configurations directly from Retell using your API key and recreates them as Telnyx AI Assistants. Both single-prompt and multi-prompt Retell agents are supported.

Interaction model: Collect the user's Telnyx API key and Retell API key, store the Retell key as a Telnyx integration secret, run the import, then verify. Do NOT skip the secret-creation step — the import endpoint requires a secret reference, not a raw key.

What Gets Imported

Component	Imported?	Notes
Instructions	Yes	Imported as-is (both single and multi-prompt)
Greeting / first message	Yes	Maps to assistant greeting
Voice configuration	Yes	Voice provider and voice ID preserved
Dynamic variables	Yes	Default values carried over
Tools (hangup, transfer, webhook)	Yes	Tool definitions and configurations
MCP Server integrations	Yes	Server URLs and tool mappings
Call analysis / insights	Yes	Mapped to insight_settings
Data retention preferences	Yes	Mapped to privacy_settings
Knowledge base	No	Must be manually added post-import
Secrets (API keys in tools)	Partial	Placeholder secrets created — you must re-enter values in the Telnyx portal

Prerequisites

1. Telnyx API key — get one at https://portal.telnyx.com/#/app/api-keys
2. Retell API key — from your Retell dashboard
3. Store the Retell API key as a Telnyx integration secret at https://portal.telnyx.com/#/app/integration-secrets

Step 1: Store Your Retell API Key as a Telnyx Secret

Before importing, store your Retell API key as an integration secret in Telnyx. Note the secret reference name (e.g., retell_api_key) — you'll use it in the import call.

You can create integration secrets via the Telnyx Portal under Integration Secrets, or via the API.

Step 2: Import All Retell Agents

Import every agent from your Retell account:

curl

curl \
  -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TELNYX_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "provider": "retell",
  "api_key_ref": "retell_api_key"
}' \
  "https://api.telnyx.com/v2/ai/assistants/import"

Python

import os
from telnyx import Telnyx

client = Telnyx(api_key=os.environ.get("TELNYX_API_KEY"))

assistants = client.ai.assistants.imports(
    provider="retell",
    api_key_ref="retell_api_key",
)

for assistant in assistants.data:
    print(f"Imported: {assistant.name} (ID: {assistant.id})")

JavaScript

import Telnyx from 'telnyx';

const client = new Telnyx();

const assistants = await client.ai.assistants.imports({
  provider: 'retell',
  api_key_ref: 'retell_api_key',
});

for (const assistant of assistants.data) {
  console.log(`Imported: ${assistant.name} (ID: ${assistant.id})`);
}

Go

assistants, err := client.AI.Assistants.Imports(context.TODO(), telnyx.AIAssistantImportsParams{
    Provider:  telnyx.AIAssistantImportsParamsProviderRetell,
    APIKeyRef: "retell_api_key",
})
if err != nil {
    panic(err.Error())
}
for _, a := range assistants.Data {
    fmt.Printf("Imported: %s (ID: %s)\n", a.Name, a.ID)
}

Java

import com.telnyx.sdk.models.ai.assistants.AssistantImportsParams;
import com.telnyx.sdk.models.ai.assistants.AssistantsList;

AssistantImportsParams params = AssistantImportsParams.builder()
    .provider(AssistantImportsParams.Provider.RETELL)
    .apiKeyRef("retell_api_key")
    .build();
AssistantsList assistants = client.ai().assistants().imports(params);
assistants.getData().forEach(a ->
    System.out.printf("Imported: %s (ID: %s)%n", a.getName(), a.getId()));

Ruby

assistants = client.ai.assistants.imports(
  provider: :retell,
  api_key_ref: "retell_api_key"
)

assistants.data.each do |a|
  puts "Imported: #{a.name} (ID: #{a.id})"
end

Step 2 (Alternative): Import Specific Agents

To import only certain agents, pass their Retell agent IDs in import_ids:

curl

curl \
  -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TELNYX_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "provider": "retell",
  "api_key_ref": "retell_api_key",
  "import_ids": ["retell-agent-id-1", "retell-agent-id-2"]
}' \
  "https://api.telnyx.com/v2/ai/assistants/import"

Python

assistants = client.ai.assistants.imports(
    provider="retell",
    api_key_ref="retell_api_key",
    import_ids=["retell-agent-id-1", "retell-agent-id-2"],
)

JavaScript

const assistants = await client.ai.assistants.imports({
  provider: 'retell',
  api_key_ref: 'retell_api_key',
  import_ids: ['retell-agent-id-1', 'retell-agent-id-2'],
});

Step 3: Verify the Import

List your Telnyx assistants to confirm the import succeeded:

curl

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TELNYX_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.telnyx.com/v2/ai/assistants"

Python

assistants = client.ai.assistants.list()
for a in assistants.data:
    print(f"{a.name} — {a.id} — imported: {a.import_metadata}")

JavaScript

const assistants = await client.ai.assistants.list();
for (const a of assistants.data) {
  console.log(`${a.name} — ${a.id} — imported:`, a.import_metadata);
}

Step 4: Post-Import Checklist

After importing, complete these manual steps:

1. Re-enter secrets — Any API keys referenced by tools were imported as placeholders. Go to https://portal.telnyx.com/#/app/integration-secrets and supply the actual values.
2. Add knowledge bases — Knowledge base content is not imported. Upload files or add URLs in the assistant's Knowledge Base settings.
3. Assign a phone number — Connect a Telnyx phone number to your imported assistant to start receiving calls.
4. Test the assistant — Use the Telnyx assistant testing API or make a test call to verify behavior.

Re-importing

Running the import again for the same Retell agents will overwrite the existing Telnyx copies with the latest configuration from Retell. This is useful for syncing changes during a gradual migration.

API Reference

Field	Type	Required	Description
provider	string	Yes	Must be "retell"
api_key_ref	string	Yes	Name of the Telnyx integration secret containing your Retell API key
import_ids	array[string]	No	Specific Retell agent IDs to import. Omit to import all.

Endpoint: POST https://api.telnyx.com/v2/ai/assistants/import

Full API docs: https://developers.telnyx.com/api-reference/assistants/import-assistants-from-external-provider