Help center

Set up the AI receptionist, inbox, routing, and human takeover workflow.

Use these guides to launch a brand, connect channels, keep conversations organized, and know when the AI should escalate to a person.

Getting started

  • Create or select a brand before connecting channels.
  • Add a public scheduling URL for HubSpot, Google Calendar, or Microsoft Bookings.
  • Connect each phone number, mailbox, and widget to the correct brand.
  • Test web chat, SMS, voice, and email before retiring an old bot.

Inbox and contacts

  • Use Active, Archived, and All views to keep the queue clean.
  • Filter by brand, channel, owner, status, or search text.
  • Shift-select or select all visible conversations when archiving in bulk.
  • Merge duplicate contacts when one person appears by phone and email.

Agents and knowledge

  • Use one agent per brand when greetings, policies, or knowledge differ.
  • Store the Twilio Assistant ID on the agent when using Twilio AI Assistants.
  • Crawl approved brand websites into the knowledge base before launch.
  • Keep emergency and support instructions explicit in the agent prompt.

Voice and softphone

  • Grant microphone permission in Chrome before using the browser phone.
  • Go available before expecting inbound browser-routed calls.
  • Use contact autocomplete to dial known contacts quickly.
  • Use takeover or conference join when a live AI-handled call needs a human.

Routing and escalations

  • Map every number, mailbox, and widget to a brand.
  • Define escalation paths for sales, support, billing, and emergencies.
  • Claim an escalation when a human owns it, then resolve it when handled.
  • Pause AI before replying manually if the customer should not receive automated responses.

Billing and usage

  • Platform pricing covers the application workspace and configured features.
  • Carrier, phone number, AI, and email sending costs are usage-sensitive.
  • High-volume teams should review usage before choosing the Operator plan.
  • Keep one test brand active for validating changes before production cutovers.

FAQ

Common setup questions

Can I use one account for multiple brands?

Yes. Brands are a core routing object. Each brand can have different phone numbers, inboxes, widgets, agents, knowledge sources, scheduling URLs, and escalation paths.

Do I need deep calendar API access to start booking meetings?

No. The simplest launch path is to use public booking links from HubSpot, Google Calendar appointment schedules, or Microsoft Bookings. Deeper API booking can be added later when you need in-chat slot selection or automatic rescheduling.

What happens when a customer asks for a human?

The conversation should become a human-owned escalation. The team can claim it, pause AI, respond from the inbox, and resolve or archive the thread when finished.

Can agents take phone calls in the browser?

The softphone is designed for outbound calls, availability, mute, hang up, and live call takeover. Live production behavior still depends on Twilio voice configuration and browser microphone permissions.