Phone numbers

A phone number is the address callers reach your agent at. Numbers belong to the workspace, not to any one agent. You buy and manage them in workspace settings, then assign a number so its calls route to a chosen agent. Every number on the platform is inbound only: your agent answers calls, it never places them.

You do not need a phone number to test an agent. If you just want someone to try it, share a demo link instead (see The no-number way to share).

How numbers work

Three rules describe the whole model:

• Numbers are workspace-owned. A number lives in the workspace's pool. Buying it, releasing it, and moving it between agents are workspace decisions, and the cost is charged to the workspace.
• A number is assigned to one agent. Assigning a number points its incoming calls at that agent. You can reassign it to a different agent later, or unassign it so it routes nowhere.
• Calls reach the agent's published version. When a call comes in, the runtime answers on the agent's published version, never your draft. A number assigned to an agent with no published version is silent dead air. The workspace list flags this with a warning so you can publish before real callers arrive.

You manage all of this in workspace settings → Phone numbers. See Workspace and members for who can reach those settings.

Buying a number

Open workspace settings → Phone numbers and choose Buy a number. The flow is search first, confirm second, so a recurring charge never starts on a single click.

1. Search. By default the platform finds any available Australian landline, which activates immediately. Flip Pick a specific number type to choose a capital-city landline (Sydney 02, Melbourne 03, Brisbane 07, Perth or Adelaide 08) or a local-rate 1300 number.
2. Review the cost. Once a number is found, the dialog shows its monthly rental before you commit. The price is billed every month from activation until you release the number.
3. Confirm. Confirming orders the number through the carrier and adds it to your workspace pool.

A saved card is required before you can buy, because a phone number is a standing monthly cost rather than a one-off. If the workspace has no card on file, buying is blocked until you add one. The monthly rental is charged to the workspace; see Billing and credits for how workspace billing works.

Australian mobile (04) and free-call (1800) numbers are not buyable yet and appear as Coming soon in the type picker.

Limits and requesting more

Each workspace has a phone-number limit. When you reach it, the Buy a number button becomes Request more, which lets you ask the team to raise the cap instead of buying directly.

Assigning a number to an agent

In the Phone numbers list, each number has an Assigned agent column.

1. Pick the target agent from the Assign to agent dropdown on that number's row.
2. Calls to the number now reach that agent's published version.
3. To move the number elsewhere, unassign it (the small X on the row) and pick a different agent. To stop it routing anywhere, just unassign it.

When you assign a number to an agent that has a published version, the workspace is notified that the agent is now reachable on a phone number.

Why the agent's Phone section is read-only

Open an agent and its own Phone section shows the numbers that route to it, but you cannot buy, release, or assign from there. That is deliberate.

The agent Phone section is a status view with a link out: it lists which inbound numbers reach this agent and sends you to workspace settings to change anything. If the workspace has no numbers yet, or none point at this agent, it says so and links you to the buy or assign step.

Bringing an existing number (port-in)

If you already advertise a number with another provider, you can transfer it onto the platform. Porting is a carrier process that completes over a few business days, driven by your losing provider, not an instant switch. You keep using the number with your current provider until the port completes.

From the Phone numbers settings, start Port a number and the wizard walks you through:

1. Enter the numbers to port, one per line in +E.164 format (for example +61291234567).
2. Check portability. The platform checks each number with the carrier and tells you whether it is portable, and whether a fast port is available.
3. Account details. Enter the account holder, authorised person, and service address exactly as they appear on a recent bill from your current provider. A mismatch is the most common reason a port is rejected.
4. Documents. Upload a signed Letter of Authorisation and a recent bill (PDF, PNG, or JPG). Both are required to submit.
5. Porting date. Pick a target date from the windows the network allows. Your current provider confirms the final date.
6. Submit. The request goes in and appears in a Ports in progress list.

The list reflects the carrier's status as the port moves through its stages, and you are emailed when each number goes live. Once a number is ported it drops off the in-progress list and appears in your main Phone numbers list, ready to assign to an agent like any other.

Keeping your number without porting

If you would rather not port, you can keep your number where it is and forward its calls to the platform instead. See Forward your existing number for the three forwarding options and the exact codes to dial.

Forward your existing number

Forwarding keeps your number with your current provider and diverts its calls to your agent. Choose Use my existing number in workspace settings → Phone numbers, enter the number you already advertise, and the platform provisions a destination number for you. You then dial a short code on your own phone, and calls to your advertised number reach your agent while the number itself stays where it is.

You pick when your agent should answer:

• All calls. Every call to your number rings your agent. Pick this when the agent runs the line.
• When unanswered. Your phone rings first; if you don't pick up, your agent does. Pick this to catch calls yourself first and let the agent take the ones you miss.
• When busy. If you're already on a call, your agent answers the new one. Pick this so a second caller never hits an engaged tone.

The codes to dial

Dial these from your business phone, the handset that has the number. <destination> is the VerticalAI number the platform gives you, in its national 0… form; the setup screen fills it in for you.

To switch forwarding on, dial the Turn on code and press call, then wait for the confirmation tone or message before you hang up. To switch it back off later, dial the matching Turn off code the same way. The codes are the same on Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

On a landline or office phone system, dialling codes may not apply. Set call forwarding through your carrier or phone system instead and point it at the same destination number.

Releasing a number

To give a number up, use the release (trash) button on its row and confirm. This is destructive and asks you to confirm first.

Releasing:

• returns the number to the carrier permanently, so it cannot be recovered;
• stops the monthly rental charge to the workspace;
• unassigns it from any agent, so an agent that relied on it goes dark.

If you only want to stop a number reaching a particular agent, unassign it instead of releasing it. Unassigning keeps the number in your pool and keeps the rental running.

The no-number way to share

You do not need to buy a number to let someone try an agent. The agent's Share section mints a public demo link anyone can open in a browser, no number and no sign-in required. It serves the agent's current state, draft or published, which makes it ideal for showing work in progress. The demo is deliberately capped (short calls, a turn limit, and rate limiting). Buy and assign a number when you are ready for real inbound callers. See Sharing a demo link on the Agents page.

Inbound only

Numbers here are inbound addresses for callers to reach you. The agent answers calls; it never dials out. There are no outbound calls, lists, or campaigns.

Related

• Agents: publishing, and sharing a demo link
• Workspace and members: who can manage numbers
• Billing and credits: how the workspace is charged
• Transcripts and analytics: reviewing the calls that come in