Why it asks first
A location has no phone number until you get one, and a number is the first thing the Setup Assistant helps with, because the AI receptionist cannot take calls without it. The carrier searches its available numbers by area code or ZIP code, so the assistant needs one of those before it can show you anything.
It asks rather than guessing for two reasons:
- Local numbers get answered. Clients are more likely to pick up a call or read a text from their own area code.
- You may want a specific area. A practice in one city may want the area code its clients already dial, or a second location may want its own area code. The choice is yours, so the assistant is told never to invent one.
What you can answer
- A three-digit area code, such as "817" or "use 415". It must be a real US area code (they never start with 0 or 1).
- A five-digit ZIP code, such as "76102".
- "Toll-free", to search toll-free numbers instead of local ones.
- "Take me to the page", if you would rather pick on the Phone setup page yourself.
The assistant searches by area code or ZIP code. If you give it a city or a state, it asks for an area code or ZIP instead of guessing.
What happens after you answer
The assistant shows a card of about five available numbers. Pick one, and a confirmation card shows the number and its monthly cost before anything is bought. Ask for more options if none of them suit.
Only an owner or admin who belongs to that location can buy a number, and your account email must be verified first. Once bought, the number answers calls within seconds. Texting starts only after texting registration is approved; see Turn on texting. Next, the assistant offers to play your AI's voice and then asks you to place a test call.