What you get
By the end of this page, a phone number you rent answers calls with your Finn, and you can read the transcript of a real call. Everything here happens in the dashboard. To do the same steps over HTTP, see api-phone-numbers and api-deployments.
Inbound works in three steps: build a Finn, rent a number, then create an inbound deployment that connects the number to the Finn. A number answers calls only while an inbound deployment is running on it.
Before you start
You need:
- A Finn account with credits in your wallet. Renting a number and taking calls both use credits.
- An approved compliance application. You can't rent a number without one. Submit it under Settings → Compliance. See compliance.
- A phone you can call from.
1. Build the Finn
In the sidebar, click Create New Finn, then Start from scratch. Fill in:
| Field | What to put |
|---|---|
| Finn agent name | An internal label, such as Front desk. Callers don't hear it. |
| Voice persona | Pick a voice and play the sample. See agents-voice. |
| Default language | The language your callers speak. See agents-multilingual. |
| Welcome message | The first line callers hear, for example Thanks for calling Acme Dental, how can I help? See agents-welcome. |
| System prompt | What the Finn is for and how it should handle calls. See agents-prompting. |
Click Create Finn. The Finn opens on its builder page with status Draft, which means it isn't deployed and takes no live calls.
If callers will ask about your business, add documents under Agent handbook → Knowledge base before you go live. See agents-knowledge-base.
2. Test it
On the builder page, open Test → Phone call, enter Your phone number and click Place test call. The Finn calls you. A test call is a real call, so your wallet needs credits.
For quick prompt changes, Test → Simulation chat runs a text conversation in the browser. It doesn't exercise speech, so confirm on a phone call before going live. See agents-testing.
3. Rent a number
Go to Settings → Phone numbers and click Rent a number. The dialog has three steps:
- Select country.
- Pick a number from the list. Each row shows its Rent / month.
- Confirm & pay. The rent is deducted from your wallet.
The number appears under Your rented numbers. See phone-numbers.
4. Deploy the Finn on the number
Back on the Finn's builder page, click Deploy. In Deploy your Finn:
- Set Call type to Inbound.
- Under Phone number, choose the number you rented.
- Click Deploy.
A number can serve one live deployment at a time. If it's already in use, the dashboard tells you so.
Once the deployment is running, the Finn's status changes to live and calls to the number reach it. To take the number off the Finn, stop the deployment.
5. Call it
Dial the number from your phone. Talk to the Finn the way a caller would: interrupt it, ask something off-topic, ask for a person.
6. Read what happened
Open Call History in the sidebar to find the call and its transcript. See call-logs.
To pull structured answers out of every call, such as whether an appointment was booked, add questions on the Post-call analysis tab. See post-call-analysis.
Before real callers
- Give callers a way to a person. Transfers need a call flow: attach the Call Transfer tool to the step where escalation happens. A Human handoff number on its own doesn't let the Finn transfer. See tools-transfer.
- Check the knowledge base. Make sure it answers your callers' most common questions.
Next
- inbound-routing: how inbound calls reach a Finn.
- concepts: how Finns, deployments and numbers relate.
- webhooks: send call results to your own systems.