Before you start
Business verification should be completed (Settings > Trust Center) before provisioning outbound numbers
Know your use case — the setup you need depends on whether you're separating teams, transfers, or channels
When you need multiple numbers
Most accounts start with one phone number. You may add more for:
AI transfer destinations — a dedicated Consio line for transfers adds a number ($9/month). In some cases we may be able to transfer to a number you already have, so ask us before adding one
Team routing — separate numbers for sales and support, each with its own routing
Local presence — a local number for brand identity (e.g., 305 for Miami) plus a toll-free for national coverage
Outbound vs. inbound separation — dedicate a number to campaigns so your main line's reputation stays clean
Multi-country — different numbers for US, Canada, UK, etc.
Adding a number
Go to Phone Numbers > Add Number
Choose Local or Toll-free
Select country (locked to your workspace region)
For local numbers: choose state/province and city. If your preferred area code isn't available, try a nearby city (Twilio inventory varies)
Name your number descriptively
Confirm the price. Your first number is included in the $30 plan. Each additional number is $9/month (540 credits included)
Naming your numbers
Good naming helps your team and shows up in transfer logs, call history, and help desk tickets.
Good names:
"Main Support Line"
"Sales Team Direct"
"AI Transfer — Support"
"Outbound Campaigns — Abandoned Cart"
"Miami Local (786)"
Bad names:
"Number 2"
"New one"
"Test"
Names are internal — customers don't see them. But they show when agents transfer calls, so a clear name like "Sales Team Direct" helps agents route correctly.
Default number
Your workspace has a default number — this is the number used for outbound calls and SMS when no specific number is selected. Set it in your phone numbers page (look for the "Default" badge).
Campaigns can also override the default and use a specific number for their calls.
Per-number routing
Each number has its own independent routing configuration:
When a call comes in — one of the 5 routing modes (Ring agents, AI, Forward, Voicemail, IVR)
If unanswered — fallback action
Business hours routing — different routing for in-hours vs. after-hours
Greeting — optional pre-routing greeting audio
SMS — per-number SMS enable (requires separate registration per number)
This means your main line can ring your whole team while your sales line rings only the sales team, and your after-hours line goes straight to AI.
Common multi-number setups
Setup 1: Main + AI transfer (2 numbers)
Number | Purpose | Routing |
Main line | All inbound calls | Ring agents → AI fallback |
Transfer line | AI-to-human transfers | Ring agents → Voicemail |
Setup 2: Sales + Support (3 numbers)
Number | Purpose | Routing |
Main line | IVR: "Press 1 for sales, 2 for support" | IVR menu |
Sales direct | Sales team calls | Ring sales team → AI fallback |
Support direct | Support team calls | Ring support team → AI fallback |
Setup 3: Inbound + Outbound separated (2 numbers)
Number | Purpose | Routing |
Inbound line | Customer calls in | Ring agents → AI fallback |
Outbound line | Campaigns only | Not configured for inbound |
Why separate? Keeping campaigns on their own number makes inbound and outbound traffic easier to manage and monitor. Registration reduces spam labelling, but it does not guarantee any number avoids it.
Per-number considerations
SMS registration is per number. Each number that needs to send/receive SMS must be registered separately
Carrier spam registration should be done for every outbound number
CNAM (Caller ID Name) is workspace-wide (not per-number) — all numbers share the same Caller ID Name
Billing — your first number is included in the $30 plan, and each additional number is $9/month
Troubleshooting
Calls ringing the wrong team: Check the routing configuration on the specific number receiving the call. Each number has independent routing.
Transfer number not working: Verify the transfer number has agents assigned and routing configured. A number without routing set up won't connect calls.
Default number wrong on outbound: Update the default number in the phone numbers page, or set a specific number per campaign.
How to verify it worked
After adding a new number:
Check the Phone Numbers page — the new number should appear with its name and type
Configure routing and place a test call to the new number
If it's an outbound number, make a test outbound call and verify the correct number shows on the recipient's phone
Related articles
Business verification: complete your Trust Center setup — verify before provisioning outbound numbers
Setting up AI-to-human call transfers — transfer destinations require additional numbers
Porting your phone number to Consio — bringing existing numbers into Consio