Phone and SMS

Three related namespaces: phone-numbers wires a real phone number to an agent so people can call or text it, and sends texts from it, phone-reminders calls you before calendar events, and sms-consent is the consent record-keeping behind outbound SMS. The first two are fully scriptable; consent records are web-app-only.

Phone numbers

Company-scoped. This is how a voice agent gets a number people can dial.

How to find and purchase a number

# see what's available
autessa phone-numbers search-numbers --areaCode 206 --limit 10

# buy the one you picked
autessa phone-numbers purchase-number --phoneNumber "+12065550142"

search-numbers takes an optional --areaCode, --contains (digits the number should include), and --limit (up to 20). Pass --areaCode alone to purchase-number to take the first available number in that area code, or no arguments to let a US number be selected automatically. Numbers are free to get and use for calls — no card is needed — and the response carries the configId you need for routing. Texting is off until you turn it on for the number, which starts a monthly texting fee; see Turning on texting.

Until you set up routing, a new number still takes messages: callers go to voicemail and texts are saved to the inbox. See Numbers with nothing set up.

Releasing a number is not available from the CLI — it is done from phone number settings in the web app. Purchase deliberately, since you cannot undo it from here.

How to route calls to an agent

autessa phone-numbers configs-list
autessa phone-numbers config-get --configId <id>

configure-routing decides what happens when the number rings:

# straight through to one agent
autessa phone-numbers configure-routing \
  --configId <id> \
  --routingType DIRECT \
  --directResourceType AGENT \
  --directResourceId K2UYSwk3Yy4i

Routing type	Behavior
DIRECT	Every call goes straight to one resource — set directResourceType (AGENT or MANAGER) and directResourceId
PRESS_DIGIT	Callers hear a menu and press a digit to reach different resources — configured via routingConfig

--locallyHostedStt controls whether calls on the number use locally-hosted speech-to-text.

The target agent or manager must be published. Routing to a draft leaves callers hitting a resource that will not run.

How to set up a call flow

A call flow decides who answers: AI agents, people, a keypad menu, voicemail, or a mix, with business hours. See Who answers for what each destination does.

# ring the front desk on weekdays, voicemail when nobody answers or when closed
autessa phone-numbers update-call-flow --configId <id> --callFlow '{
  "greeting": "Thanks for calling Acme Dental.",
  "businessHours": {
    "timezone": "America/Los_Angeles",
    "weekly": [
      { "day": "MONDAY", "open": "09:00", "close": "17:00" },
      { "day": "TUESDAY", "open": "09:00", "close": "17:00" },
      { "day": "WEDNESDAY", "open": "09:00", "close": "17:00" },
      { "day": "THURSDAY", "open": "09:00", "close": "17:00" },
      { "day": "FRIDAY", "open": "09:00", "close": "17:00" }
    ],
    "closedDestination": { "type": "VOICEMAIL", "voicemail": { "greeting": "We are closed. Please leave a message." } }
  },
  "destination": {
    "type": "RING",
    "ring": {
      "targets": [
        { "to": "+14155550100", "label": "Front desk", "ringSeconds": 25 },
        { "to": "client:<identity>", "label": "Dana (browser)" }
      ],
      "strategy": "SIMULTANEOUS",
      "ringSeconds": 20,
      "requireKeyPress": true,
      "whisper": "Call from the main line.",
      "noAnswer": { "type": "VOICEMAIL", "voicemail": { "finishOnKey": "#", "silenceSeconds": 5 } }
    }
  }
}'

# go back to sending every call straight to the agent set with configure-routing
autessa phone-numbers update-call-flow --configId <id> --callFlow null

A destination's type is AI_AGENT, AI_MULTI_AGENT (both take resourceId), RING, MENU, VOICEMAIL, or HANG_UP, and any destination can have a message (or a recorded messageAudio) played first. A MENU takes prompt, promptAudio, options (a map of digit to destination), timeoutSeconds, invalidMessage, noInputMessage, retries, and noInput. A VOICEMAIL takes greeting, greetingAudio, maxSeconds, finishOnKey, silenceSeconds, and transcribe. Each ring target is { "to": ..., "label": ..., "ringSeconds": ... }, where to is a phone number in E.164 format or client:<identity> for a teammate's browser phone (the web app's call flow editor lets you pick teammates instead of typing identities). A ring also takes requireKeyPress, whisper, callerId (BUSINESS_NUMBER or CALLER), waitAudio, and maxTotalSeconds. Add closedDates (for example [{ "date": "2026-12-25", "name": "Christmas" }]) to businessHours for holidays. Every field is described in the call flow object reference, and what each one does for callers is in Who answers. A flow that doesn't make sense, such as a bad time or an agent you can't use, is rejected with a plain-language message.

How to use your own recordings

Audio fields (greetingAudio, messageAudio, promptAudio, a voicemail's greetingAudio, and a ring's waitAudio) take an https:// link to a file you host, or a file you upload in three steps:

# 1. get an upload link for an MP3 (or "wav")
autessa phone-numbers audio-upload-link --configId <id> --fileType mp3

# 2. upload the file with the exact contentType from step 1
curl "<uploadUrl>" -X PUT -H "Content-Type: audio/mpeg" --data-binary @greeting.mp3

# 3. save the audioUri from step 1 into the call flow, for example as greetingAudio
autessa phone-numbers update-call-flow --configId <id> --callFlow '{ "greetingAudio": "<audioUri>", "destination": { "type": "AI_AGENT", "resourceId": "<agent id>" } }'

The upload must use the Content-Type that step 1 returned, or it's refused. Upload before the link expires (expiresInSeconds). update-call-flow replaces the whole flow, so send your full flow with the new audio field in it. When an audio field is set, it plays instead of the matching text, and config-get returns a playable link for each uploaded file in audioPreviewUrls.

How to set recording, transcripts, and limits

autessa phone-numbers update-call-settings --configId <id> --callSettings '{
  "speech": { "language": "en-US" },
  "transcript": { "save": true, "retentionDays": 365 },
  "recording": { "save": true, "announcement": "This call may be recorded.", "retentionDays": 90 },
  "redaction": { "enabled": true, "audioRedaction": "TONE" },
  "limits": { "maxDurationMinutes": 30, "maxDurationWarningSeconds": 60, "silenceTimeoutSeconds": 20, "silencePromptRepeats": 2 },
  "callerInfo": { "lookupCallerName": true },
  "screening": { "blockedNumbers": ["+15555550123"], "rejectAnonymous": true },
  "ai": { "interruptionSensitivity": "LOW", "endOfTurn": "PATIENT", "hangUpPhrases": ["Have a great day"] },
  "answeringMachine": { "detection": "WAIT_FOR_BEEP", "timeoutSeconds": 30 }
}'

The settings apply to every call on the number, incoming and outgoing. Sections you leave out use their defaults.

• speech sets the voice (voiceModel, voiceName) and language for everything the number says. autessa phone-numbers voice-options lists the languages and voices you can use.
• retentionDays under transcript or recording deletes those from each call that many days after it.
• redaction turns on Call Redaction, which removes personal info from recordings and transcripts and costs $0.01 per call; leave out redact to remove every kind it supports, or list some of CARD_NUMBER, CARD_EXPIRY, CARD_CVV, SSN, BANK_ACCOUNT, ACCOUNT_NUMBER, DATE_OF_BIRTH, PHONE, EMAIL, ADDRESS.
• screening blocks numbers and anonymous callers; add blockedMessage to say something before hanging up instead of giving a busy signal.
• ai tunes AI calls: interruptions, interruptionSensitivity (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH), endOfTurn (FAST, NORMAL, PATIENT), and hangUpPhrases.
• answeringMachine sets detection on outgoing calls: OFF, ON, or WAIT_FOR_BEEP.

See Settings at a glance for what each setting does, and the call settings object for every field and range.

How to read call history

autessa phone-numbers calls-list --configId <id> --limit 25

Returns the number's calls newest first, from your company's Phone calls table: direction, the other number, caller info, status, length, who handled it, the transcript, and short-lived links to the recording and voicemail. --limit is up to 50 (default 10); pass the previous page's next as --after to continue. tableId in the response is the Phone calls table itself, which you can query with the AutessaDB commands.

How to turn on quick automations

# text back callers you missed (the number must be able to text)
autessa phone-numbers set-automation --configId <id> \
  --automation TEXT_BACK_MISSED_CALLS --enabled true \
  --smsMessage "Sorry we missed your call. We'll call you back shortly."

# email new voicemails to up to 5 people
autessa phone-numbers set-automation --configId <id> \
  --automation EMAIL_VOICEMAILS --enabled true \
  --emails '["frontdesk@example.com"]'

Each automation is a regular trigger on the Phone calls table. --enabled false turns it off without deleting it. See Quick automations.

update-call-flow, update-call-settings, calls-list, set-automation, audio-upload-link, and voice-options ship with the phone call controls release. If autessa phone-numbers --help doesn't list them yet, run autessa login again to refresh your command list.

How to send a text

autessa phone-numbers sms-send \
  --configId <id> \
  --to "+14155550100" \
  --body "Hi Sam, your order has shipped. Reply STOP to opt out."

The text reaches a real person, so it's checked first: your company needs a finished Text Messaging registration (or the number comes from your own connected Twilio account), and the recipient needs an approved consent record or a text to you within the last year. People who replied STOP are never texted. When a text is refused, success is false, errorCode says why, and errorMessage explains what to do — the codes are listed under the Send SMS tool.

How to read text history

autessa phone-numbers sms-messages-list --configId <id> --pageSize 25

Returns the number's texts newest first — incoming texts, replies, and sends that were refused, with the reason. Pass the previous page's nextCursor as --cursor to continue. Company owners can omit --configId to list every number.

How to decide who answers texts

# your team answers texts from the inbox, with an auto-reply and a keyword reply;
# an AI agent answers outside the call flow's business hours
autessa phone-numbers update-text-flow --configId <id> --textFlow '{
  "keywordReplies": [ { "keyword": "HOURS", "reply": "We are open Monday to Friday, 9 to 5." } ],
  "useCallFlowHours": true,
  "open": {
    "type": "NO_AI",
    "autoReply": { "message": "Thanks for your message. We will text you back shortly.", "onceEveryHours": 24 }
  },
  "closed": { "type": "AI_AGENT", "resourceId": "<agent id>" }
}'

# go back to the default
autessa phone-numbers update-text-flow --configId <id> --textFlow null

open and closed each take type (AI_AGENT or NO_AI), resourceId for AI_AGENT (leave it out to use the agent the number sends calls to), and autoReply for NO_AI. onceEveryHours sends the auto-reply to the same person at most once in that many hours (default 24, 0 for every text, up to 720). Give texts their own hours with businessHours (the same shape as a call flow's), or set useCallFlowHours to share the call flow's. Leave out closed to handle texts the same way at all hours. STOP, START, and HELP are always handled first and can't be changed.

By default, with no text flow, texts are answered by the agent the number sends calls to directly; if calls don't go straight to one agent, texts get no reply and wait in the inbox. Every field is in the text flow object reference, and what each setting does is in Texts.

How to read and reply to the inbox

# threads, most recent first
autessa phone-numbers sms-threads-list --configId <id> --limit 20

# one conversation, newest first
autessa phone-numbers sms-thread-get --configId <id> --otherNumber "+14155550100" --limit 50

# reply as the business number
autessa phone-numbers sms-send --configId <id> --to "+14155550100" --body "Yes, 10 to 2 on Saturdays."

sms-threads-list takes --limit up to 50 (default 20); pass the previous page's next as --after. sms-thread-get takes --limit up to 200 (default 50); pass next as --before for older messages. Each message's handledBy says who answered it: the agent's name, Auto-reply, Keyword reply, Staff: and a teammate's name, or Automation. Replies sent with sms-send show up as Staff: and your name, and are checked like any text (see How to send a text).

How to forward texts

# send every incoming text on to up to 5 phones
autessa phone-numbers set-automation --configId <id> \
  --automation FORWARD_TEXTS_SMS --enabled true \
  --phones '["+14155550100"]'

# email every incoming text to up to 5 people
autessa phone-numbers set-automation --configId <id> \
  --automation FORWARD_TEXTS_EMAIL --enabled true \
  --emails '["frontdesk@example.com"]'

Forwarded texts arrive as "From +14155550199: " followed by the message, sent from the business number, so the number must be able to text and each phone must be allowed to receive texts from it (texting the number once from each phone is enough). Texts from those phones are never forwarded. Both are regular triggers on your company's Text messages table, whose id is textLogTableId in config-get.

update-text-flow, sms-threads-list, sms-thread-get, and the FORWARD_TEXTS_SMS and FORWARD_TEXTS_EMAIL automations ship with the texting-without-AI release. If autessa phone-numbers --help doesn't list them yet, run autessa login again to refresh your command list.

How to check your texting registration

autessa phone-numbers sms-registration-get

Read-only: shows where your company's Text Messaging registration stands and what the carriers are waiting on. Submitting or changing the registration is done in the web app, on Company → Text Messaging.

The texting commands (search-numbers, sms-send, sms-messages-list, sms-registration-get) ship with the Text Messaging release. If autessa phone-numbers --help doesn't list them yet, run autessa login again to refresh your command list.

5 commands4 runnable1 in the web app

Command	What it does
autessa phone-numbers config-get	Fetch one phone number configuration by id, along with your access level on it.
autessa phone-numbers configs-list	List all phone number configurations in your company.
autessa phone-numbers configure-routing	Configure how inbound calls to a phone number are routed — send them straight to an agent or manager (DIRECT) or offer a press-a-digit menu (PRESS_DIGIT).
autessa phone-numbers purchase-number	Purchase a new phone number for your company — a US number is selected automatically — and create its configuration.
autessa phone-numbers release	Web appPhone numbers are released from phone number settings in the web app.

Phone reminders

Personal, not company-scoped. Autessa scans your connected calendars and calls you before your events. Only the owner can read or change their own setups — there is no sharing model here, and a teammate cannot see yours.

How to create a setup

autessa phone-reminders create \
  --displayName "Work meetings" \
  --reminderPhoneNumber "+15551234567" \
  --leadTimeMinutes 10 \
  --quietHoursEnabled true \
  --quietHoursStart "22:00" \
  --quietHoursEnd "07:00" \
  --quietHoursTimezone "America/Los_Angeles" \
  --calendarConnectorIds '["<calendar connector id>"]'

Times are HH:mm in the setup's own timezone. The calendar connectors come from Connectors — autessa connectors google-calendar all or connectors outlook-calendar all gives you the ids.

How to manage one

autessa phone-reminders list
autessa phone-reminders get --configId <id>

# change settings without touching the calendar set
autessa phone-reminders update-settings --configId <id> --leadTimeMinutes 15 --isEnabled true

# replace which calendars it scans
autessa phone-reminders update-calendars --configId <id> --json '{...}'

# don't wait for the next scheduled scan
autessa phone-reminders scan-now --configId <id>

scan-now is the web app's "Refresh" action — useful right after you add a calendar and want to confirm events are picked up rather than waiting for the next cycle.

Resetting a setup — which re-provisions it and changes the Autessa phone number that calls you — is web-app-only. update-settings and update-calendars cover everything else.

7 commands7 runnable

Command	What it does
autessa phone-reminders create	Create a phone-reminder setup.
autessa phone-reminders delete	Delete one of your phone-reminder setups and its backing resources.
autessa phone-reminders get	Fetch one of your phone-reminder setups by id.
autessa phone-reminders list	List your phone-reminder setups.
autessa phone-reminders scan-now	Run the calendar scan for a setup immediately (the web app's "Refresh" action), rather than waiting for the next scheduled scan.
autessa phone-reminders update-calendars	Replace the set of calendar connectors a setup scans for events.
autessa phone-reminders update-settings	Update a setup's settings — reminder phone number, lead time, quiet hours, and enabled state.

SMS consent

Consent records for your company's phone numbers. Both commands are web-app-only — recording and searching consent happen on the SMS consent page in the browser, because consent capture is a compliance flow that needs a human in it.

autessa sms-consent create

SMS consent records are created from your company's SMS consent page in the web app.

The commands remain in the help tree so discovery tells you the capability exists and where it lives. See SMS consent.

2 commands2 in the web app

Command	What it does
autessa sms-consent create	Web appSMS consent records are created from your company's SMS consent page in the web app.
autessa sms-consent search	Web appSMS consent status is looked up from your company's SMS consent page in the web app.

Related

• Agents — the agent a number routes to
• Connectors — the calendars reminders scan
• Phone numbers in the builder
• Meeting reminders
• Text Messaging setup
• Phone and SMS tool types