Call forwarding lets you route calls from your existing business phone number to Live Bots 365 — so your customers can keep calling the same number they already know, while your AI assistant handles the calls behind the scenes. This is the most seamless way to deploy AI calling without changing your public-facing phone number.
There are several forwarding scenarios you can configure: always-on forwarding (all calls go to the AI), conditional forwarding (calls forward only when you do not answer or when lines are busy), and time-based forwarding (calls forward only during specific hours, such as after business hours).
Forwarding Scenarios
Every call to your business number is immediately forwarded to your Live Bots 365 number. Use this when you want the AI to handle all calls without exception.
Calls forward to the AI only if you do not pick up within a set number of rings (typically 3–5 rings). This is ideal for after-hours coverage — your team answers during business hours, and the AI handles calls when no one picks up.
Calls forward to the AI when all your lines are occupied. This prevents callers from getting a busy signal during high-volume periods.
Configure your phone system to forward calls to Live Bots 365 only during specific hours — for example, after 6pm and before 8am on weekdays, or all day on weekends.
How to Set Up Call Forwarding
Call forwarding is configured on your existing phone system or carrier — not within Live Bots 365. The exact steps depend on your phone provider. In general, you will:
Purchase a phone number in Live Bots 365 and assign it to the assistant you want to handle forwarded calls.
Log in to your business phone system, VoIP provider (e.g., RingCentral, Vonage, Google Voice), or contact your mobile carrier.
Set the forwarding destination to your Live Bots 365 phone number. Select the forwarding type (always, no answer, busy, or time-based).
Call your original business number from a test phone and verify that the call is answered by your AI assistant.
Tip: Test Before Going Live
Always test your forwarding setup thoroughly before announcing it to customers. Call your number from multiple devices, test the no-answer scenario by letting it ring through, and verify that the AI assistant handles the calls correctly. A few minutes of testing prevents a poor first impression for real customers.
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