Get a phone number

Your AI agent can answer calls on a phone number you own. PepoChat doesn't sell phone numbers, and neither does ElevenLabs, the voice partner behind PepoChat calls. You get a number from Twilio, or from any carrier that offers SIP trunking, and connect it on Voice & phone. Calls to it then reach the same agent that answers your chat, with the same knowledge base, actions and inbox.

Which option to pick

If customers already call a business number, you don't have to replace it. See Keep the number you already have.

Get a Twilio number

1. Create a Twilio account

   Sign up at twilio.com. A new account starts as a free trial, which is enough for a test call, with two limits. A trial number only accepts calls from phone numbers you have verified in Twilio, up to five. Callers also hear a short Twilio trial message before your agent answers. Upgrade before you share the number: in the Twilio Console, click the trial banner or Upgrade your account and add a payment method. Upgrading removes both limits.

2. Buy a number that supports voice

   In the Twilio Console, open Phone Numbers, then Manage, then Buy a number. Pick the country, make sure Voice is among the capabilities, and buy the number. Twilio charges a monthly fee for the number plus a per-minute rate for incoming calls. Both depend on the country and the type of number, and Twilio's voice pricing page lists them.

   Some countries require proof of address or business documents before a number is issued. Twilio calls this a regulatory bundle and shows what is needed when you pick the country. Approval can take a few days. If a country doesn't appear in the search at all, Twilio doesn't sell those numbers directly; use a local carrier with a SIP trunk instead.

3. Get your credentials

   PepoChat needs a SID and a secret from your Twilio account so the number can be set up for you. Use either of these:

   An API key (recommended). In the Twilio Console, open your account settings and go to API keys & auth tokens, then click Create API key. Name it something like "PepoChat", choose the Standard key type and create it. Copy the key's SID, which starts with SK, and its Secret. Twilio shows the secret only while you create the key, so copy it before you close the page; if you lose it, create a new key. You can revoke an API key at any time without touching the rest of your account, which makes it safer than the account SID and auth token.

   Your Account SID and auth token. On the Twilio Console home page, copy the Account SID, which starts with AC, and the Auth Token. Together they give full access to your Twilio account, so use an API key instead when you can.

   Twilio sometimes renames its menus. If a menu name here doesn't match, type "API keys" or "Buy a number" into the search bar at the top of the Twilio Console.

4. Connect the number in PepoChat

   On Voice & phone, click Connect a Twilio number. Enter the number in international format, with the + and the country code (for example +14155552671). Add an optional label such as "Main support line", then the Account SID or API key SID and the Auth token or API key secret, and click Connect. The number's call routing is set up in your Twilio account automatically, so there is nothing to change in Twilio. PepoChat passes the credentials on and never stores them.

5. Call it

   The page confirms "Number connected. Calls to it now reach your agent." and the number appears in the list as Active. Call it from your phone to hear the spoken greeting. On a trial account, call from a number you verified in Twilio.

Use a SIP trunk

A SIP trunk carries calls over the internet between your carrier and your agent. Choose it when you already have a carrier or an office phone system, or when Twilio doesn't offer numbers in your country. Many carriers sell numbers with SIP trunking, and many business phone systems can route a call to a SIP address.

1. Get a number from your carrier

   Buy a number from a carrier that offers SIP trunking, or use a number already on your phone system. Write down the IP addresses your carrier sends calls from if it publishes them. If your carrier uses a SIP username and password (digest authentication), note those too.

2. Add the number in PepoChat

   On Voice & phone, click Connect a SIP trunk. Enter the number in international format and an optional label. If you have them, add the Allowed source addresses (IPs or CIDR blocks, one per line; leave empty to allow any) and the Digest username and Digest password.

3. Point the number at your agent

   In your carrier's portal or your phone system, send calls for the number to sip.rtc.elevenlabs.io, on TLS port 5061 (recommended) or TCP port 5060, with the full number, including the +, before the @. For example: sip:[email protected]:5061;transport=tls. The numbers list on Voice & phone shows the exact address for each number.

Keep the number you already have

Customers already know your business number, and you don't have to give it up.

• Forward calls to the new number. Get a Twilio number as above, then turn on call forwarding from your current number to it. Most carriers and phone systems support forwarding, either all calls or only the ones you miss. This is the quickest option, and you can switch it off at any time.
• Move the number to Twilio. Twilio can take over your existing number from your current carrier (this is called porting). Porting usually takes days to weeks, and your current carrier keeps the number working until it completes. Once the number is in your Twilio account, connect it as in Get a Twilio number.
• Keep your carrier and use SIP. If your carrier or phone system supports SIP, point the number at your agent as in Use a SIP trunk.

When a caller asks for a person, the agent can transfer the call to your team. Set Transfer phone calls to on Voice & phone. If you forward your main number to the agent, transfer to a different number, such as a direct line or a mobile, or the call loops back to the agent.

Troubleshooting

• The connect buttons are greyed out: voice is off, or setup hasn't finished. Switch on Voice calls in the widget, save, and wait for Ready.
• "Check the Twilio SID (starts with AC or SK) and token": the SID is not a Twilio account SID or API key SID. Copy it again, without spaces.
• Another error when connecting a Twilio number: the message comes from the voice service. Usually the number isn't in the Twilio account those credentials belong to, the number is typed differently from Twilio's listing, or the secret was copied wrongly.
• Callers hear a Twilio trial message, or calls from some phones fail: the Twilio account is still a trial. Upgrade it.
• A SIP call never reaches the agent: check that the carrier sends calls to the address shown in the numbers list, with the + before the number. If you set allowed source addresses or digest credentials, check that they match your carrier's.
• Callers hear "Sorry, we can't take your call right now." and the call ends: every simultaneous call your settings allow is in use, today's call limit is reached, or voice is switched off. Check the Status card on Voice & phone, and raise Calls at the same time or Calls per day if you need to, up to your plan's limits.