How do I get a business phone number?#
Open Phone setup, use Find a number with an area code, a run of digits it should contain, or the toll-free option, and Add the number you like. Numbers run on your Twilio account, connected once under Phone provider. Agencies connect Twilio at the agency level and each sub-account's numbers run on it.
From zero to a ringing number
Step 1: Connect Twilio
Under Phone provider, pick your Twilio connection. Then switch on Numbers so new numbers are rented live.Open Phone setupStep 2: Find and add a number
Search by area code or digits, or choose toll-free, then Add. Give it a label such as "Main line" or "Google Ads".Find a numberStep 3: Choose how it answers
Set How it answers, the ring time, an optional greeting, and whether to record answered calls.Set routingStep 4: Connect its text channel
Add the number as a text channel in Conversations so it sends and receives SMS and can text back missed callers.Open Channels and AIStep 5: Register for business texting
US numbers that text need A2P 10DLC. Fill in your brand and campaign under A2P 10DLC registration, then Submit to carriers.Open A2P registration
How do I choose what happens when someone calls?#
Each number answers one of four ways. Change it any time from the number's row in Numbers.
| How it answers | What the caller gets | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Ring a phone | Your greeting, then your cell or desk phone rings for 5 to 60 seconds (20 by default) | Owner-operators who want to pick up themselves |
| Call flow workflow (IVR) | A press-1 menu built from Call: Say, Call: Menu and Call: Forward workflow steps | Departments, locations, sales vs. service lines |
| Voice AI agent | Your AI receptionist, which books, transfers or takes a message | Every after-hours call, or every call, period |
| Take a voicemail | Your greeting and a beep to leave a message | Lines that only collect messages |
The number you ring under Ring a phone doubles as the fallback when a call flow or agent cannot answer, so no caller hits dead air.
How do I handle business hours and after-hours calls?#
The cleanest after-hours setup is a number on Voice AI agent: it answers 24/7, books from your calendar's open times, and transfers to your cell when a caller asks for a person. For messages, set your open days and times under Open hours and response time in Channels and AI; the After-hours auto-reply workflow then answers texts and chats outside those hours, once per night.
Route the number to Voice AI agent and set Transfer to your cell. The AI fields every call; anyone who wants a person gets put through.
Route the number to Ring a phone with your cell and turn on Text back missed callers for its channel. Anyone you cannot pick up for gets a text within seconds.
Build a workflow on the Inbound call trigger with Call: Say, Call: Menu and Call: Forward steps, deploy it, and route the number to Call flow workflow (IVR).
How do I track which ads and campaigns make my phone ring?#
Create a source under Call tracking with its UTM source, medium and campaign, then give it one dedicated number or a pool. A pool swaps a tracking number onto your site for each visitor (dynamic number insertion) and holds it for 5 to 240 minutes, so every call in Calls shows the campaign that earned it.
Hand calls to the AI receptionist, and work every call and text from one Conversations inbox.