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Inbound vs Outbound (Who Starts the Conversation)

In a multi-turn simulation, either the Driver (simulated user) or the Target (your agent) can send the first message. Choosing who starts affects how the conversation feels and what you're testing—especially for voice, where it maps to inbound vs outbound calls.

What “Inbound” and “Outbound” Mean​

DirectionWho speaks firstTypical use
InboundDriver (simulated user/caller)User or customer initiates (e.g. support call, chat opened by user).
OutboundTarget (your agent)Agent initiates (e.g. outbound call, proactive message).

In Okareo you control this with the first turn (or equivalent) setting: driver = inbound, target = outbound.

How to Set It​

Voice simulations​

When you run a voice simulation (e.g. Voice Simulation), use first_turn="driver" to simulate an inbound caller—the Driver (simulated caller) says the first thing, and your voice agent (Target) responds. Use first_turn="target" when you want the agent to speak first (outbound).

evaluation = okareo.run_simulation(
    driver=driver,
    target=target,
    scenario=scenario,
    name="Inbound Call Simulation",
    first_turn="driver",  # inbound: caller opens the conversation
    max_turns=10,
    checks=[...],
)

Prompt and custom-endpoint simulations​

For Prompt Target and Custom Endpoint multi-turn runs, the same idea applies wherever “first speaker” or “first turn” is configured (in the UI or in the SDK). Check the run options for your Target/Driver setup—typically a first_turn or first_speaker parameter set to "driver" (inbound) or "target" (outbound).

Why It Matters​

  • Inbound (driver first): Matches most support and sales flows where the user or customer reaches out. Use this by default unless you're testing outbound campaigns or agent-initiated conversations.
  • Outbound (target first): Use when you're testing proactive outreach, welcome messages, or flows where the agent is required to speak first. Checks and scenarios should reflect that the first content is from the agent.

For voice, matching your production call direction (inbound vs outbound) in the simulation makes the test more realistic and avoids subtle ordering effects in your checks or metrics.

Next Steps​