What bringing your own number means
Finn can place and receive calls on a number through your own carrier account. You keep the number with your carrier, and give Finn that account's credentials for that number. Finn calls this a custom provider.
Supported carriers:
| Carrier | Credentials |
|---|---|
| Plivo | Auth ID, Auth Token |
| Twilio | Account SID, Auth Token |
| Exotel | API Key, API Token, Account SID. Subdomain is optional and defaults to api.exotel.com. |
| Telnyx | API Key, Connection ID. From Number is optional and defaults to the number being dialed from. API Base URL is optional, for a non-standard Telnyx host. |
Finn does not port numbers and does not connect SIP trunks. A custom provider is the only way to use a carrier account you already have.
1. Get the number into your workspace
A custom provider is set on a number that is already listed in Settings → Phone numbers. The dashboard has no form for importing a number you own. Contact support to have it added to your workspace.
Numbers you rent through Finn are already listed, and you can set a custom provider on them too.
2. Set the custom provider
- Go to Settings → Phone numbers.
- Open the number's row menu and click Set custom provider.
- Choose the Provider and fill in its credentials.
- Click Save.
From then on, calls from this number use these credentials instead of your workspace's. The row menu item changes to Edit custom provider.
Saved secrets are never shown again. When you edit, a masked secret keeps the saved value; type over it to replace it. Changing the provider clears the fields, because each carrier needs different ones.
To go back to your workspace's credentials, open the dialog and click Use organisation credentials.
3. Deploy it
A custom-provider number is deployed like any other:
- To answer calls, create an inbound deployment of a Finn on the number. See inbound-routing.
- To call contacts, select it in an outbound deployment. See outbound-campaigns.
A deployment carries one set of carrier credentials. When you deploy several numbers together, the dashboard only lets you pick numbers on the same carrier. Keep them on the same carrier account too.
SMS and WhatsApp from your own accounts
Senders for sequences are set up separately:
| Channel | Where | Your own account |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Settings → SMS → Manual connection | A number on your Twilio or Plivo account |
| Settings → WhatsApp | Your WhatsApp Business Account through Meta, or an approved WhatsApp sender on your Plivo account |
After the number is set up
- Check capabilities. Voice and SMS support depend on your carrier and the number. See number-capabilities.
- Test before real traffic. Deploy to a small audience, or call the number yourself once its inbound deployment is live.
- Watch its health. Custom-provider numbers get a Health score like any other. See spam-labeling.
What goes wrong
| Symptom | Cause |
|---|---|
| Save is refused | A required credential is blank. The dialog names the missing fields. |
| Calls from the number fail after you set a custom provider | The credentials are wrong, or the number isn't on that carrier account. Check them with your carrier, then edit the custom provider. |
| You can't add the number to a multi-number deployment | It is on a different carrier from the numbers already picked. |
Related
- phone-numbers: renting, configuring and removing numbers
- telephony-overview: carriers and how calls flow
- number-pools: deploying several numbers together