# Phone numbers


# Phone numbers

Phone numbers are how your agents reach the world: an outbound campaign needs a number to call from, and an inbound agent needs a number for people to call. This is where you see the numbers your organization owns, request new ones, and choose a calling plan. Voice Portal handles the underlying telephony, so you work with numbers, not carrier infrastructure.

Open **Phone** (`/phone`).

## How numbers are used

A number is the bridge between your agents and the phone network, and it works in two directions:

- **Inbound** — people dial your number and an agent answers. Each inbound agent needs a number assigned to it so callers have something to ring.
- **Outbound** — your agent places calls and your number appears as the caller ID. [Campaigns](./campaigns) and the bulk-call action in [Contacts](./contacts) dial from a number you own.

You request numbers here, then point your agents at them on the agent's [Calling & telephony](./agents/calling-telephony) tab.

## My Numbers

![My Numbers](/img/screenshots/portal/my-numbers.png)
*My Numbers: the numbers allocated to your organization, with the KYC gate that must be cleared before requesting a number.*

**My Numbers** (`/phone`) lists the phone numbers your organization owns — each row shows the number, its country, type, capabilities, status and what it's allocated to. A second **Requests** tab tracks the numbers you've asked for and where each request stands. This view is for seeing your inventory; you attach a number to an agent on the agent itself (see [Assign a number to an agent](#assign-a-number-to-an-agent) below).

## Request a number

Getting a number is **request-based**, not a self-service purchase. First, your organization's **KYC verification** must be approved — until it is, a banner here blocks requests. Then:

1. Click **Request Number** and fill in the request — **country**, number **type**, **quantity**, the **purpose** (why you need it), and **urgency**.
2. Submit it. imatic's platform administrators review and fulfil the request; you can follow its status (pending, approved, fulfilled, and so on) on the **Requests** tab.

The **Buy phone** screen (`/phone/buy-phone`) is where you choose the *kind* of number you want — an **Indian** mobile number (which requires **Aadhaar verification**) or an **International** number (provisioned through Twilio). Indian numbers continue into a short verification step.

:::tip

Choose a number local to the people you're calling. Familiar local numbers are answered more often than unknown or out-of-region ones, which lifts your campaign answer rates before the agent even says a word.

:::

## Assign a number to an agent

Owning a number isn't enough on its own — it has to be attached to the agent that should use it:

- For **inbound**, assign the number to the agent you want answering it. When that number rings, that agent picks up.
- For **outbound**, the number is used as the caller ID for the calls an agent or campaign places.

You set inbound and outbound behavior on the agent itself; see [Calling & telephony](./agents/calling-telephony).

## Plans

Calling runs on a **plan**. The **Subscription** view (`/phone/subscription`) is a catalogue of plans you can compare and choose — each tier lists the **minutes included** and a **monthly or yearly** price, with a free tier to start. Pick the plan that matches your calling volume; what you actually use is reflected in [Billing](./billing).

:::note

Keep an active plan, and your numbers in place, for as long as agents or campaigns rely on them. An inbound agent can only answer while its number is live.

:::

:::info[Platform administration]

Number **inventory** and number **requests** are fulfilled by the imatic team, not from your organization's screens. If a number you need isn't available, that's where it's provisioned.

:::

## Next steps

- [Build an agent](./agents/create-agent) and assign it a number for inbound or outbound calls.
- [Configure calling & telephony](./agents/calling-telephony) on the agent — inbound/outbound, transfers and limits.
- [Review billing](./billing) for number and call costs.