Phone numbers and routing

When you want missed calls answered, questions handled, and bookings taken around the clock without forwarding anything by hand, you get a dedicated line here and point your AI receptionist at it. This is also where you switch the AI on or off per number, clear any identity check your country requires, and stop callers you've blocked from getting through.

Open in app: Phone Numbers

A few things to know before you start. Each dedicated number costs $49 per number per month (the exact monthly rate for each available number is shown in the selection step when you add a number), and the calls and texts it carries draw down your credit balance — so watch credits if your call volume is high. The receptionist's actual behaviour — its greeting, what it answers, when it hands off — lives in AI agent configuration; this page is only about the lines themselves and whether the AI picks up on each one.

Port your existing business number

If you already have a business number your clients know, you can bring it to Seglo instead of buying a new one. Your clients keep calling and texting the same number, and the AI receptionist and staff SMS threads pick it up from there.

Click Bring your own number (beside the Add Phone Number button on the Phone Numbers page) to open the port form.

What you'll need before you start:

• The phone number in full international format (e.g. +61 412 345 678)
• Your carrier account number — find it on a recent bill or in your carrier's online portal
• A PIN or account passcode (same place)
• The name the account is registered under

When you submit, Seglo checks the number with the carrier before anything is submitted. You'll see one of three results:

• Voice + SMS available — the carrier supports both voice and SMS on this number, so it will work for calls, AI receptionist, and staff SMS conversations once the port completes.
• Voice only — the carrier won't port SMS on this number. You can still port for voice and AI calls, but the SMS channel won't be available on this line. No option to change this — it's the carrier's decision.
• Cannot be ported — the number can't leave the current carrier (e.g. it's a fixed landline or held by a carrier that blocks outbound porting). The form won't submit; you'll need to buy a new number instead.

If the check passes, submit the form. Seglo lodges the port order with the carrier immediately.

What happens while porting is in progress

Porting takes days, not minutes — the carrier controls the timeline. The number row shows a Port pending chip, then Porting once the carrier picks it up. During this time the number stays live at your current carrier so clients can still reach you.

When the port completes, the chip flips to Voice + SMS active (or Voice active for voice-only ports). The AI receptionist and, for Voice+SMS numbers, the staff SMS inbox both become available without any extra setup.

If the port fails for any reason, the chip shows Port failed and a Retry button appears. Clicking Retry reopens the form prefilled with your number — correct the details and resubmit.

Porting timeline

Australian mobile numbers typically complete within 2–5 business days. Landlines and numbers from some carriers can take longer. There's no action required from you once the form is submitted; Seglo sends you an email when the status changes (see Email notifications below).

What changes when the number arrives

Once the port is complete:

• The Enable AI toggle on that row activates the AI receptionist on the ported number.
• For Voice+SMS numbers, staff can send and receive SMS via the seglo-phone app using that number — exactly like any other message thread.
• Your old carrier line is released as part of the porting process; your clients' calls and texts now route through Seglo.

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Get your first number answering calls

Open Phone Numbers in the left navigation. With no numbers yet you'll see "No phone numbers configured yet" and an Add Phone Number button; if you already have one, use Add Another Number at the bottom of the list. You need a permission level that includes settings access, and a business location set up first — numbers are matched to your location's city and state so customers see a local-looking number.

The setup panel walks four steps down the left: Select Number → Verification → AI Setup → Complete. Seglo finds an available number for you and pre-selects one; tap Pick a different number to expand the full list and choose another. Each number shows its monthly cost so you can compare before committing. Click Continue, clear verification if your country asks for it, and the panel then connects the number to your AI receptionist on its own. Tap Done and the number appears in your list within a few seconds.

SMS is automatic for SMS-capable numbers. If the number you buy supports SMS, Seglo assigns the messaging profile for you at purchase — or at verification-complete for Australian numbers. No extra step required; the SMS capability chip on the number's row confirms it's ready.

Clear the identity check your country requires

Some regions won't let a line go live until you prove who you are — Australian numbers are the main case. When verification is required, the Verification step asks for a proof-of-address document, your business name and registration number (or your own name if you're registering as an individual), and a full address; for mobile numbers, a separate identity-verification link (ID + selfie) is generated afterwards for the end user to complete. You submit this in the same flow, before the number activates.

The number is purchased the moment you submit verification, not after approval — so a verified line shows as Pending while the check runs, then flips to Active once approved. If the documents fail to submit for any reason, the number is still reserved for you and Seglo's team is notified to finish the process by email; you can also reach them at [email protected]. While a region-wide check is under review, a banner at the top of the page tells you you can't buy more of that number type until it's approved.

Switch the AI on or off for each number

Every active number carries its own Enable AI toggle. Switch it on and the row shows an AI Active badge — the receptionist now handles every call to that line. Switch it off and the number rings through to your team instead. This is per-number, so you can let the AI cover one location while another rings straight to staff.

If the toggle shows an Error badge instead of on/off, the connection to the receptionist couldn't be confirmed — hover for the reason and click Retry to reconnect. This is the first thing to check when you expect the AI to pick up but calls keep reaching your team: confirm the toggle is on and reads AI Active, not Error.

Read what each number's row is telling you

A row shows the formatted number, small icons for what it supports, when it was added, and a status badge. The icons mean the line carries voice calls, SMS, and/or MMS picture messages — hover any icon to confirm. The badge is one of three states: Active (live and usable), Pending (purchased, waiting on verification — with a Complete Verification button if it still needs your details), or In Review (your documents are in and being checked).

Finish a number that's stuck on Pending

If a number sits on Pending with a Complete Verification button, the identity step was never finished — click it to reopen the verification form and submit your documents. A number reading In Review needs nothing from you; it's waiting on approval. This is the usual reason a newly bought number never goes Active: the documents are still sitting unsubmitted behind that button.

Recover when AI setup didn't finish

Buying the number and wiring up the AI are two separate things, and the AI step can stumble while the line itself is fine. If setup doesn't complete, the panel says the number is reserved and offers Retry AI Setup or Configure Later. Choosing later doesn't lose the number — you can switch the AI on any time from its Enable AI toggle, or finish wiring from AI agent configuration. Once it's live, forward your existing business number to this AI line or share the AI number with customers directly.

Block the callers you don't want

With at least one active number, a Call Blocking panel appears lower on the page. Turn on Block calls from blocked clients so anyone you've marked as blocked in their client profile hears a busy signal instead of reaching you or the AI. This setting doesn't save on its own — a Save Changes button floats at the bottom right; click it (or Reset to undo) to apply the change.

Stop paying for a line you no longer use

The trash icon on a row opens a Release Phone Number? confirmation. Releasing hands the number back to the carrier and stops the monthly charge — but it cannot be undone, and the number may later go to someone else, so only release a line you're truly done with. Every active number is a recurring monthly cost, so release idle ones rather than leaving them on your bill.

Email notifications for buy and port

Seglo emails the business owner at each stage of a buy or port. The page itself doesn't update automatically — refresh it manually to see the latest status.

When you buy a number:

Situation	Email you receive
Instant purchase (e.g. US numbers)	Number active — your number is ready to use
Australian number (requires verification)	Order submitted at purchase, then Number active once verification passes

When you port a number:

Stage	Email you receive
Port submitted	Port request received — confirms Seglo lodged the order
Port complete	Number ported successfully — the number is live in Seglo
Port failed	Port failed — includes a reason and a prompt to retry

All emails go to the owner's registered address. There are no in-app alerts or push notifications for these events in the current version.

Tips

• A verified number is charged from the moment you submit documents, not when it's approved — it shows Pending in the meantime, but the $49/month has started.
• Releasing is permanent. The number goes back to the carrier and can be reassigned; there's no getting it back.
• AI on the wrong line? The Enable AI toggle is per-number — an Active number with the toggle off rings your team, not the AI.
• Numbers are matched to your location, so set up a business location first or the search comes up empty.
• To see who's been calling, open Recent calls in the Front Desk menu, not this page.
• Porting takes days. Your number stays live at the current carrier the whole time — clients can still reach you. The port chip on the row updates automatically.
• Voice only vs Voice + SMS is the carrier's decision, not a Seglo setting. If you need SMS and the port check shows Voice only, the only path is a different number (buy a new one or try a different existing number).
• Port failed? Use the Retry button — the form opens prefilled. Double-check the account number and PIN from your carrier bill before resubmitting.
• SMS on a bought number is automatic. If the number supports SMS, Seglo sets it up for you — no manual step. Australian numbers become SMS-ready after verification completes.
• Status emails are the source of truth. The page doesn't refresh automatically — if you're waiting on a port or verification, check the email Seglo sent or manually reload the page.

Two-way SMS with customers

When a Voice+SMS number is active, customers can text that number directly and your staff reply from the seglo-phone app. Each customer gets their own thread — inbound messages push to the app in real time as a notification.

Automated texts use your number too, when you have one

It's not just staff replies — some automated messages send from your business number as well. For drop-off services (grooming, detailing, repairs), the "ready for pickup" text sends from your location's own SMS-capable number when it has one, instead of Seglo's shared number. Same two-way behaviour applies: if the customer replies, it lands in the same thread as any other message from them. If your location doesn't have an SMS-capable number yet, the pickup text still sends — just from Seglo's shared number, one-way as before. There's nothing to turn on; this happens automatically per location.

Send a photo to a customer

In the seglo-phone app, attach a photo to a message the same way you would any file — tap the attachment icon in the conversation and choose an image from your camera roll. The customer receives a standard SMS containing a link (seglo.ai/m/…) they can tap to view the full photo in their browser.

How it works: Australian mobile numbers cannot receive MMS, so Seglo sends photos as a link instead of an inline image. Your staff see the photo directly in the conversation thread. The customer taps the link and sees a full-screen viewer — no app download needed. The link is valid for approximately one year.

What's not supported:

• Photos sent the other way (inbound photos from customers are not yet supported in this app).
• MMS — Seglo uses the SMS-link method on all Australian numbers; MMS is not available on AU carrier numbers.

What STOP, HELP, and START do

These are carrier-level compliance keywords. Any customer can text them at any time:

• STOP (also: UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL) — the customer opts out of SMS from your business. Outbound replies to that contact are blocked immediately. The thread in the app shows an Opted out marker so staff know not to try sending manually.
• HELP (also: INFO) — the customer gets an automatic reply with your business name and a short opt-out reminder. No staff action needed.
• START (also: UNSTOP) — the customer reverses a previous STOP. Outbound replies are unblocked.

These keywords are processed automatically; no staff action is required or possible. Opt-out is per customer per business number.

What the "opted out" marker means

When a thread shows Opted out, any attempt by staff to send a reply is blocked. This is a legal requirement under carrier regulations — it cannot be overridden from the app. If a customer re-texts START, the block lifts automatically and the marker clears.

Tips

• Staff don't need to do anything when a customer texts STOP. The system handles it.
• Opted-out threads are still visible. Staff can read the history but cannot reply until the customer sends START.
• The AI receptionist handles voice calls only. It does not read or reply to SMS — all SMS replies come from staff in the seglo-phone app.

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Related

• AI agent configuration — set the greeting, what the AI answers, and when it hands off to your team.
• Recent calls — the call history for the numbers you add here.
• Credits — the balance that call and text usage draws from.