> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.brilo.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Limit how long a call runs

> Set a maximum call length for your Brilo agent so a call that goes nowhere cannot run on and quietly eat your call minutes.

**Limit Call Duration** puts a hard ceiling on a single call, from 1 to 30 minutes. It exists for the
calls that go wrong rather than the calls that go well: a caller who walks away, a line left open, an
argument that will never resolve. You set it in the **Call Settings** block of the **Configure** tab.

## Before you start

* An agent. See [Create your first agent](/agents/create-your-first-agent).
* Two minutes.
* A sense of how long your longest genuine call runs. Check a few recordings rather than guessing.
* You will be working in the **Call Settings** block of your agent's **Configure** tab.

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find out how long your real calls take">
    Open your call history and look at your longest few calls that ended well. Your cap has to sit
    comfortably above that number, or you will cut off the calls you most wanted to keep.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open Call Settings">
    Open your agent, go to **Configure**, and scroll to **Call Settings**. **Limit Call Duration** is
    near the bottom of the block.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn it on and set the cap">
    Switch it on, then set the maximum in minutes. The slider runs from 1 to 30.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save and check a long call">
    Save. Then make a deliberately long test call and confirm it ends where you expect. See
    [Test your agent yourself](/go-live/test-your-agent-yourself).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## You will know it worked when

A test call that runs past your cap ends on its own, and your ordinary calls are completely unaffected
because they finish well inside it.

## How to pick the number

Take your longest successful call and add generous headroom. If your longest real booking call runs 4
minutes, a 10 minute cap is sensible and a 5 minute cap is a trap.

Rough starting points:

| What your agent does                 | Suggested cap    |
| ------------------------------------ | ---------------- |
| Booking and simple enquiries         | 10 minutes       |
| Lead qualification                   | 15 minutes       |
| Detailed support or intake           | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Outbound reminders and confirmations | 5 minutes        |

The point is to catch the outliers. If the cap is firing on calls that were going fine, it is set too
low.

## What else you can do here

* End calls that have gone silent, which is the more common waste. See
  [Pauses, silence and interruptions](/calls/pauses-and-silence).
* Watch where your minutes actually go before you tighten anything. See
  [What counts towards my usage](/account/what-counts-towards-my-usage).
* Hand long calls to a person instead of capping them, which is usually the better answer for a caller
  who genuinely needs more time. See [Pass the call to a person](/actions/pass-the-call-to-a-person).
* Limit how many calls run at once, a separate control. See
  [How many calls at once](/calls/how-many-calls-at-once).

## If it did not work

**Real calls are being cut off.** The cap is too low. Raise it, and tell your agent in its instructions
to offer a transfer or a call back when a call is dragging, so the caller is handed on rather than
dropped. See [Write what your agent says](/agents/write-what-your-agent-says).

**The call ends with no warning to the caller.** The cap ends the call, it does not announce it. If
your calls sometimes run long, instruct your agent to offer a call back well before the cap. See
[Schedule a callback](/actions/schedule-a-callback).

**Calls still run away with your minutes.** Silence is the usual culprit, not length. Check **Hangup
call on user silence**. See [Pauses, silence and interruptions](/calls/pauses-and-silence).

**The setting will not save.** Check the rest of the **Call Settings** block. A message field left
empty on **Check if user is online** or **Voicemail Behavior** blocks the save for the whole block.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I set a maximum call length for my Brilo agent?">
    Yes. Turn on **Limit Call Duration** in **Call Settings** on the **Configure** tab and set a cap
    between 1 and 30 minutes. The call ends when it reaches the cap.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens to the caller when the limit is reached?">
    The call ends. Your agent does not announce it first, so if your calls can legitimately run long,
    instruct your agent to offer a transfer or a call back before the cap is reached.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is a good maximum call length?">
    Take your longest successful call and add plenty of headroom. Around 10 minutes suits booking and
    enquiries, 15 for lead qualification, and 20 to 30 for detailed intake. The cap is there for
    outliers, not for normal calls.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does the call limit save me money?">
    A little, on the calls that would have run on pointlessly. Ending silent calls sooner usually saves
    more. See [What counts towards my usage](/account/what-counts-towards-my-usage).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does the limit apply to outbound and campaign calls too?">
    Yes. It is an agent setting, so every call that agent handles is capped, inbound and outbound.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is this the same as limiting how many calls happen at once?">
    No. This caps the length of one call. How many calls run simultaneously is separate. See
    [How many calls at once](/calls/how-many-calls-at-once).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

* [Pauses, silence and interruptions](/calls/pauses-and-silence) to end silent calls sooner
* [How many calls at once](/calls/how-many-calls-at-once) for simultaneous call limits
* [What counts towards my usage](/account/what-counts-towards-my-usage) for where minutes go
* [Pass the call to a person](/actions/pass-the-call-to-a-person) for callers who need longer
* [Schedule a callback](/actions/schedule-a-callback) to offer a call back before the cap