Getting Started with Frontdesk

Frontdesk is an AI-powered receptionist platform that answers your business phone calls, sends text messages, collects customer information, schedules appointments, and more -- all without you needing to pick up the phone.

What Frontdesk Does

When a customer calls your business number, your AI receptionist answers using a greeting you define. It can:

  • Answer questions about your business using knowledge you provide
  • Transfer calls to specific people or departments based on rules you set
  • Send text messages to callers during or after the call (such as links, menus, or confirmations)
  • Collect information from callers using intake forms
  • Schedule appointments by connecting to your calendar
  • Log every call, text, and voicemail for you to review later

You also get an Outbound Suite for running outbound calling campaigns, and a website chatbot you can embed on your site.

How It Works

Frontdesk gives your AI receptionist its own phone number. You forward your business line to that number, or use it directly. When a call comes in, the AI handles the conversation based on the configuration you set up in your dashboard. No coding required.

Everything your receptionist does is logged. You can review call transcripts, listen to recordings, read text message histories, and see voicemails -- all from one place.

Signing Up

When you create your Frontdesk account, you go through a short setup flow:

  1. Enter your email -- Provide your email address and create your login credentials.
  2. Business details -- Tell us your business name and type so the AI can represent you accurately.
  3. Quick setup questions -- Answer a few questions about how you want calls handled.
  4. Receptionist details -- Name your AI receptionist and provide basic configuration.
  5. Email verification -- Confirm your email with a one-time code.

After signing up, you land in your dashboard where you can finish configuring your receptionist, test it, and go live.

What to Expect After Signing Up

Once your account is created, you will have access to:

  • Your AI receptionist with a provisioned phone number
  • A dashboard showing calls answered, texts sent, and estimated business impact
  • A setup checklist (the Configure tab) walking you through each configuration step
  • A Playground to test your receptionist by voice or phone before going live
  • Call, text, and voicemail logs so you never miss a customer interaction

Your next steps should be:

  1. Complete the setup checklist under Receptionist > Configure (see Setting Up Your AI Receptionist)
  2. Test your receptionist in the Playground (see Testing Your Receptionist)
  3. Set up notifications so you are alerted about calls and messages
  4. Forward your business phone number to your Frontdesk number, or share the number directly

Inbound and Outbound Suites

Your Frontdesk account is organized into two suites visible on the Dashboard:

  • Inbound Suite -- Your AI Receptionist, an AI Website Embeddable (chatbot), and an AI Texting Agent. This handles all incoming customer communication.
  • Outbound Suite -- For outbound calling campaigns where the AI initiates calls to contacts on your behalf.

You can subscribe to either or both suites. If you do not have an active subscription, the Dashboard shows options to Subscribe Now or Create Demo Account for each suite.

Key Concepts

  • Agent -- Your AI receptionist instance. Each agent has its own phone number, configuration, and logs. You can have multiple agents under one account.
  • Workflows -- Rules that tell your receptionist what to do during a call (transfer calls, send texts, collect information).
  • Knowledge Base -- The business information your receptionist draws on to answer caller questions.
  • Provisioned Number -- The phone number assigned to your AI receptionist.

Getting Help

A dedicated Customer Success Manager is assigned to your account. You can find their name, email, and a link to book a call with them directly on the Dashboard page. You can also reach support through Get Live Help in the sidebar.

Next Steps