Phone Numbers & Calling

Buy a number, port an existing one, register for A2P, and route calls the way you want.

• Forwarding vs. buying a new numberIf you want zero change for your patients, buy a FrontDesk number and conditionally forward your existing line to it (busy / no-answer / always). If you want patients dialing the FrontDesk number directly, port your existing number to FrontDesk so you keep it permanently. Forwarding is fastest to set up; porting is the long-term clean answer. This article helps you pick.
  3 min
• Purchase a phone numberPick an area code (or toll-free prefix), search for available numbers, and provision one in seconds. New numbers cost the same regardless of area code, and you can release them anytime.
  1 min
• Why is the assistant asking for an area code?To search for available phone numbers, we need a 3-digit US area code (like 817 for Fort Worth or 415 for San Francisco). We ask first instead of guessing because patients are far more likely to answer a call or trust a number from their own region. You can also tell the assistant a city name or ZIP code and it will pick the area code for you.
  1 min
• A2P 10DLC registrationUS carriers require A2P 10DLC registration for any local long-code number that sends application-to-person SMS. Submit your brand and campaign info from Settings → Phone Numbers → A2P. Approval usually takes 1–3 business days.
  2 min
• Port your existing phone numberPorting moves your existing number from Verizon, AT&T, RingCentral, or any other carrier into FrontDesk so your AI can answer it. The process takes 2–4 weeks end-to-end, requires a signed Letter of Authorization, and we'll loan you a temporary number to use in the meantime.
  2 min
• Toll-free verificationToll-free numbers can send SMS immediately, but until you complete verification, T-Mobile and a few other carriers heavily filter (or drop) messages. Verification takes 3–5 business days, costs nothing, and requires proof of opt-in plus sample messages.
  3 min
• Manage multiple phone numbersThere's no limit on how many numbers you can own. Most practices keep one main number per location plus extras for marketing, paid ads, and call tracking. Each number can be assigned to one location and labeled for internal use.
  2 min
• Caller ID and outbound callingWhen you call out from FrontDesk, the patient sees your FrontDesk number (not your personal cell). You can dial directly from the browser using any number on your account. CNAM (the name shown on caller ID) requires a separate registration and takes weeks to propagate.
  3 min