Phone Numbers
Phone Numbers
Phone numbers are the foundation of your calling operations in AgentTech Dialer. Whether your agents are making outbound calls or receiving inbound ones, every interaction starts with a phone number. This guide covers everything you need to know about searching for, purchasing, assigning, editing, and managing phone numbers for your agency.
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The Phone Numbers Page
To manage your phone numbers, navigate to the Phone Numbers page from the main sidebar. Here's what you'll see:
Page Header
- Agency Selector: If you manage multiple agencies, use the selector at the top to switch between them.
- Phone Number Count Badge: A badge displaying the total number of phone numbers currently assigned to this agency. This gives you a quick at-a-glance count.
- "Purchase Phone Number" button: Click this to start the process of searching for and buying a new phone number. This opens the Purchase Phone Number wizard (details below).
- "Manual Phone Number Entry" button: This button is visible only to superadmins and allows adding a phone number manually without going through the purchase flow.
Filter Toolbar
Below the header, you'll find the filter toolbar to help you locate specific numbers quickly:
- Search Input: A text search field with the placeholder "Search phone numbers, agent names, or descriptions...". Type any part of a phone number, an agent's name, or a description keyword, and the list filters in real time.
- Grid/List View Toggle: Switch between a grid view (cards layout) and a list view (table-style layout) depending on your preference. Grid view is great for visually scanning a smaller number of entries, while list view is better for large inventories.
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Purchasing Phone Numbers
AgentTech Dialer makes it easy to find and purchase phone numbers right from the platform. The process uses a 3-step wizard inside the Purchase Phone Number Modal.
Step 1: Search for Available Numbers
When you click "Purchase Phone Number", the modal opens to Step 1: Search.
You have two search methods:
#### Search by Area Code
- In the Search by dropdown, select "Area Code".
- Enter a 3-digit area code in the Area Code input field (e.g., 212 for New York City, 310 for Los Angeles, 305 for Miami).
- Click the "Search Numbers" button.
#### Search by State
- In the Search by dropdown, select "State".
- Select a state from the State dropdown (e.g., California, Texas, Florida).
- Click the "Search Numbers" button.
The system will search for available phone numbers matching your criteria and display the results in Step 2.
Tip: If you're running a local calling campaign, search for an area code that matches your target area. Prospects are significantly more likely to answer calls from local numbers they recognize.
Step 2: Select a Number
After searching, you'll see a results grid showing all available numbers. Each number card displays:
- Phone Number: The full number in a formatted, easy-to-read display (e.g., (212) 555-1234).
- Location: The rate center and state where the number is registered (e.g., Manhattan, NY).
- Pricing Breakdown:
- Per minute USA: The per-minute rate for calls within the United States (displayed as $/min).
- Per minute Canada: The per-minute rate for calls to Canada (displayed as $/min).
- Setup fee: A one-time fee charged when the number is first purchased (displayed as $).
Browse the available numbers and click on the number you want to select. The selected number will be highlighted, and you'll move to Step 3.
Tip: Compare the pricing across multiple numbers. Monthly costs and per-minute rates can vary depending on the area code and location. Choosing a number with lower per-minute rates can save you money over time, especially for high-volume campaigns.
Step 3: Confirm and Assign
The final step shows your selected number details and lets you configure how the number will be used before purchasing.
#### Selected Number Display
At the top of Step 3, you'll see the number you've chosen along with its full details (location, pricing) so you can confirm it's the right one.
#### Assignment Section
This is where you tell the system how this number should be used:
- Type* dropdown: Choose from four assignment types:
- Team — Assigns the number to a team. All team members can use this number, and it serves as the shared caller ID for the group.
- Queue — Assigns the number to a queue for inbound call routing. When someone calls this number, the call is routed to the assigned queue and distributed to available agents in that queue.
- Agency — Assigns the number as a general agency number. This is useful for a main office line or a number that doesn't belong to a specific agent, team, or queue.
- Select Entity* dropdown: This dropdown is populated based on the Type you selected above:
- If you chose Team, you'll see a list of all teams.
- If you chose Queue, you'll see a list of all queues.
- If you chose Agency, this will reference your agency.
- Description (textarea, 2 rows): An optional text field where you can add notes about this number. For example, "Main inbound line for Medicare queue" or "John's outbound local number for Dallas campaign". Descriptions help you stay organized, especially when you have many numbers.
- Status dropdown: Choose Active or Inactive. Active numbers are available for use immediately. Inactive numbers are reserved but not in active use.
#### Purchase Warning
Before completing the purchase, you'll see a warning reminding you that purchasing the number will incur charges (setup fee and monthly recurring). Make sure you've reviewed the pricing from Step 2.
#### Buttons
- Back: Returns you to the previous step if you want to change your selection.
- Purchase Number: Confirms the purchase. The number is provisioned, the setup fee is applied, and the number becomes available for use according to your assignment settings.
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Purchasing Toll-Free Numbers
In addition to local numbers, you can purchase toll-free numbers for your agency. Toll-free numbers are ideal for nationwide campaigns, customer support lines, and professional branding.
How to Search for Toll-Free Numbers
The toll-free search flow starts in the same Purchase Phone Number wizard but with different search options:
- Click "Purchase Phone Number" to open the wizard.
- In Step 1, you'll see the option to choose a toll-free number type.
- Select a prefix from the available options:
- 888 — A popular alternative with good availability.
- 877 — Widely used and well-recognized.
- 866 — Another common toll-free prefix.
- 855 — A newer prefix with excellent number availability.
- 844 — Newer, with many number combinations available.
- 833 — The newest toll-free prefix, offering the widest selection.
- Optionally, enter a Contains filter to search for numbers that include specific digits (e.g., entering 2500 to find numbers like 1-800-XXX-2500).
- Click Search Numbers.
The results are displayed in the same pricing grid format as local numbers, showing the phone number, monthly cost, per-minute rates, and setup fee. Click a number to select it, then proceed to Step 3 to assign and purchase it.
Tip: Toll-free numbers convey professionalism and trust. They're especially valuable for inbound support lines and marketing campaigns where you want callers to reach you at no cost to them.
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Phone Number Cards
Once you've purchased numbers, they appear on the Phone Numbers page as individual phone number cards (in grid view) or rows (in list view). Each card shows:
- Phone Number: The number in a formatted display (e.g., (305) 555-7890).
- Type Badge: A colored badge indicating the assignment type — Agent, Team, Queue, or Agency.
- Assignment Info: Shows which entity the number is assigned to (e.g., "Agent: John Smith", "Queue: Medicare Inbound", "Agency").
- Status Badge: Shows whether the number is Active or Inactive.
- Description: The description you entered when purchasing or editing the number.
- Edit Button: Opens the Edit Phone Number Modal to modify the number's assignment or settings.
- Delete Button: Releases the number (after confirmation).
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Editing Phone Numbers
Need to reassign a number to a different agent, change its type, or update the description? Use the Edit Phone Number Modal.
How to Edit
- Find the phone number card on the Phone Numbers page.
- Click the Edit button on the card.
- The Edit Phone Number Modal opens with the following fields:
- Phone Number (read-only): The number itself. This cannot be changed.
- Type* dropdown: Change the assignment type (Agent, Team, Queue, or Agency). Changing this type will update the Select Entity dropdown below.
- Assign To* dropdown: Select the assignment target category.
- Select Entity* dropdown: Choose the specific agent, team, queue, or agency to assign the number to.
- Description (textarea): Update the description or add notes.
- Status dropdown: Toggle between Active and Inactive.
- Make your changes and save.
Common Editing Scenarios
- Reassigning an agent's number: An agent leaves and you want to give their number to a new agent. Change the Select Entity dropdown to the new agent.
- Converting a number from Agent to Queue: A number that was used for outbound calling needs to become an inbound queue number. Change the Type to Queue and select the appropriate queue.
- Deactivating a number: Set the Status to Inactive to temporarily take the number out of service without releasing it.
- Adding a description: Forgot to add a description when purchasing? Edit the number and type a description like "Dallas outbound - Medicare campaign Q4".
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Releasing (Deleting) Phone Numbers
If you no longer need a phone number, you can release it to stop incurring monthly charges.
How to Release a Number
- Find the number on the Phone Numbers page.
- Click the Delete button on the number's card.
- A confirmation dialog appears asking you to confirm the release.
- Confirm the action.
What Happens When You Release a Number
- The number is removed from your account and is no longer available for your agents to use.
- Monthly charges stop for that number after the current billing cycle.
- The number may become available for other customers to purchase.
- This action cannot be undone. If you release a number and later want it back, you'll need to search for and purchase it again (and it may no longer be available).
Warning: Before releasing a number, make sure no active campaigns or agents are relying on it. Releasing a number that's currently in use as an outbound caller ID or an inbound queue number will disrupt those operations.
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Manual Phone Number Entry (Superadmin Only)
Superadmins have access to the "Manual Phone Number Entry" button on the Phone Numbers page. This allows adding a phone number directly to the system without going through the standard purchase flow.
When to Use Manual Entry
- Porting a number from another provider that needs to be registered in the system.
- Adding a number that was provisioned outside of the standard purchasing process.
- Testing or development purposes.
The Manual Phone Number Entry Modal
- Phone Number* (tel input): Enter the full phone number with country code (placeholder: +1234567890).
- Type*: Select the assignment type (Agent, Team, Queue, or Agency).
- Assign To*: Select the assignment target.
- Select Entity*: Choose the specific entity.
- Description: Optional notes about the number.
- Status: Active or Inactive.
This feature is restricted to superadmins to prevent unauthorized number additions.
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Outbound Caller ID
One of the key benefits of assigning phone numbers to agents is outbound caller ID control. When an agent has a phone number assigned to them (Type: Agent), that number is displayed as the caller ID on all outbound calls they make.
Why Outbound Caller ID Matters
- Local presence: Assigning a number with a local area code to your agents means the people they call see a local number on their phone. This dramatically improves answer rates — people are far more likely to pick up a call from a familiar area code than an unknown or out-of-state number.
- Consistency: Agents who call the same prospects repeatedly build familiarity when the same number appears each time.
- Professionalism: A dedicated number per agent (or per team) creates a more polished image for your agency.
Tip: If you're targeting prospects in multiple regions, consider purchasing local numbers for each area code you're calling into. Assign them to the appropriate agents or teams based on their territory.
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Managing DID Details
For agencies that need deeper visibility into their phone number usage, the platform provides detailed DID (Direct Inward Dialing) management through the management page. Here you can see extended information about each phone number:
SMS/MMS Status
Each DID displays its current SMS/MMS status, which can be one of the following:
- Not Available — SMS/MMS is not supported for this number.
- Disabled — SMS/MMS is supported but currently turned off.
- External — SMS/MMS is handled by an external service.
- Enabled — SMS/MMS is active. A toggle switch allows you to enable or disable it, and the current webhook status is displayed.
Usage Statistics (30 Days)
For each DID, you can view usage stats covering the last 30 days:
- Calls: Total number of calls made or received on this number.
- Minutes: Total minutes of call time.
- SMS Out: Number of outbound text messages sent.
- SMS In: Number of inbound text messages received.
These stats help you understand which numbers are being actively used and which might be candidates for release.
Pricing Information
Each DID card also displays its pricing details:
- DID Monthly: The recurring monthly cost for the number.
- Inbound $/min: The per-minute rate for incoming calls.
- Outbound $/min: The per-minute rate for outgoing calls.
Important Dates
- Order Date: When the number was originally purchased.
- Next Billing Date: When the next monthly charge will be applied.
Description and Location
Each DID shows its description (if one was added) and the location information (rate center and state) so you know exactly where the number is registered.
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Tips for Managing Phone Numbers
Here are best practices to help you get the most out of your phone number inventory:
- Use local area codes to boost answer rates. Research shows that calls from local numbers are answered at significantly higher rates than calls from toll-free or out-of-area numbers. If you're targeting a specific region, purchase numbers with matching area codes.
- Use toll-free numbers for nationwide campaigns. When your audience spans multiple states or regions, a toll-free number provides a professional, recognizable presence without favoring any specific area.
- Assign inbound numbers to queues. For inbound call routing, assign numbers to queues so that incoming calls are automatically distributed to available agents. This ensures callers reach someone quickly without manual intervention.
- Release unused numbers. Regularly review your phone number inventory. If a number hasn't been used in weeks or months, consider releasing it to stop paying the monthly fee. Check the Usage Statistics to identify inactive numbers.
- Organize numbers with descriptions. When you have dozens (or hundreds) of numbers, descriptions become invaluable. Add clear, descriptive labels like "Inbound - ACA Q1 Campaign" or "Outbound - Agent Maria - Houston TX" so anyone on your team can quickly understand what each number is for.
- Use the search bar to find numbers fast. The search input on the Phone Numbers page accepts phone numbers, agent names, and descriptions. Instead of scrolling through a long list, just type what you're looking for.
- Check DID usage stats regularly. The 30-day usage statistics help you identify which numbers are your workhorses and which are sitting idle. This information is valuable for both cost optimization and campaign planning.
- Plan number assignments before purchasing. Before buying a new number, decide whether it will be for an agent (outbound caller ID), a team (shared number), a queue (inbound routing), or general agency use. This ensures the number is configured correctly from the start.
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Summary
Phone numbers are a core part of your AgentTech Dialer setup. From purchasing local and toll-free numbers to assigning them to agents, teams, and queues, the platform gives you full control over your number inventory. Use the tips in this guide to build a well-organized phone number strategy that maximizes answer rates, supports inbound routing, and keeps costs under control. If you ever need to make changes, the Edit and Delete options make it easy to keep your number assignments up to date.
Last updated: February 24, 2026