Outbound calls leave FrontDesk from your own FrontDesk numbers: staff calls from the browser, calls the AI places (an AI Agent Call, voice reminders, campaigns), and your team's returns of callback requests. The caller ID rules are the same for all of them; the minutes they use differ (see below).
Make a call from the browser
- Click the phone button in the top bar (Make a Call).
- Leave Call Myself selected (AI Agent Call has the AI make the call instead).
- Enter the patient's number, or pick them from the Recent, Favorites, Contact, or Tasks tab.
- Pick which of your numbers to dial From (this is what they'll see on caller ID).
- Click Call.
The call rings through your browser using your computer's microphone and speakers. Allow microphone access the first time; if the browser can't place calls, FrontDesk says "Browser calling is not available. Please allow microphone access and reload the page." Use a headset with the computer.
Which minutes a call uses
| Call | Allowance |
|---|---|
| Staff calls (Call Myself, returning a callback) | Staff calling minutes: Pro 500 a month then 5¢ a minute, Elite 1,000 then 4¢, Free 60 with no overage |
| Calls the AI places (AI Agent Call, voice reminders, campaigns) | AI minutes, the same allowance as the AI receptionist's inbound calls |
Both show as separate bars under Settings → Billing. See Understand usage and overages.
What the patient sees
| Field | Shows |
|---|---|
| Number | The FrontDesk number you picked as "from" |
| Name (CNAM) | Your registered CNAM, if set; otherwise nothing or "Wireless Caller" |
| Branded logo | Only if you've enrolled in branded calling (see below) |
Set up branded caller ID (CNAM)
CNAM is the text shown next to the number on the patient's phone (for example, SUNNY DENTAL instead of just 415-555-0100). It is set once for the account.
- Cost: no extra FrontDesk fee, but it needs a paid plan (Free plans and trials can't submit).
- Numbers: needs an active US local number; toll-free numbers aren't supported.
- Name rules: up to 15 characters, starting with a letter; letters, numbers, spaces, periods, and commas only.
- Business verification: carriers need your legal business name, EIN (or that you're a sole proprietor), and address. If your texting registration is already approved, that verification is reused and not asked for again.
- Time to take effect: carriers usually review it in a few days (Check status refreshes it), then the name takes 48–72 hours to propagate.
Settings → Phone & SMS → Caller ID tab → enter the name, fill in the business details if asked, and click Submit for review. If the review fails, the tab says why and offers Resubmit.
Note that CNAM only shows on landlines and some Android devices. Most iPhones don't show CNAM. They show the contact name if the patient has saved you, or the bare number if not.
Branded calling (roadmap)
Branded calling (also called "verified caller" or "rich calling") shows your logo, business name, and call reason on the patient's screen, even if they've never saved your number. It's a separate carrier program and is on the FrontDesk roadmap. Subscribe to product updates to be notified when it's available.
Outbound for AI reminders and callbacks
Automated systems use the same caller ID rules:
- Voice reminders (learn more) dial out from the location's practice number, which is also the caller ID clients see.
- Callback requests. When the AI takes a callback request, it doesn't call back itself: your team gets the request and returns the call, from the number they pick.
- SMS reminders also send from your default number, set per practice.
Rate limits
To prevent runaway loops, calls FrontDesk places for you (an AI Agent Call, for example) are limited to 20 every 15 minutes per team member. Past that you'll see "Too many outbound calls. Please try again later." Campaigns are paced by their own settings instead; see Run an outbound calling campaign.
Compliance notes
- Time-of-day rules. TCPA prohibits non-emergency calls before 8am or after 9pm in the recipient's time zone. FrontDesk auto-suppresses scheduled reminders outside this window. An AI Agent Call you start (including Call with AI on Confirmations) isn't placed outside it either, and you see the patient's local time, for example "It's 9:40pm for this client. AI calls go 8am to 9pm their time." Calls you make yourself aren't limited.
- Opt-out honor. If a patient says "stop calling" on a call or replies STOP to an SMS, they're added to the suppression list for that practice within seconds. Both outbound voice and outbound SMS honor it.
- Recording disclosure. When recording is enabled, the AI announces it at the start of the call. See Recording consent and laws.