Quick Start Guide
This walkthrough takes you from zero to a working AI phone agent in about five minutes.
1. Create your account
Head to oncallclerk.com, click Sign Up, enter your email and password, and verify via the confirmation email. Once logged in, choose a plan, Starter is fine to begin with; you can upgrade later.
2. Configure your agent
When you create an account, a default agent is automatically created for you. From the dashboard, click Agent Setup in the sidebar to customize it.
You don't need to create an agent from scratch, your account already has one ready to configure. If you're using the API or SDK, call GET /agents (or client.agents.list()) first to see your existing agent before creating a new one. You can also check your plan limits with GET /usage (or client.usage.get()).
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Agent Name | An internal label like "Reception Assistant", callers won't hear this |
| Voice | Pick from Kevin, Sarah, Lucy, Jake, Dominic, Ava, Elise, Ryan, or Jon |
| Greeting | What the agent says when it picks up, keep it under 15 seconds |
| Business Name | Your company name, exactly as you want it spoken |
| System Prompt | Instructions that define your agent's personality, knowledge, and behavior |
Here's an example to get you started:
Agent Name: Lucy
Voice: Lucy (British Female)
Greeting: "Hello! Thank you for calling ABC Real Estate. This is Lucy, how can I help you today?"
Business Name: ABC Real Estate
System Prompt: "You are a friendly receptionist for ABC Real Estate.
You help callers with property inquiries, schedule showings, and
forward urgent calls to agents. Be professional but warm."
Click Save when you're done.
3. Assign a phone number
Scroll to the Phone Number section. You have two options:
Get a new number, filter by area code or prefix, pick one you like, and click Purchase. The number is assigned instantly.
Forward your existing number, contact your phone provider and set up call forwarding to the number shown in your dashboard. Your agent will answer forwarded calls the same way.
4. Test your agent
Call your new number from your personal phone and run through a few scenarios:
- Ask about business hours or services
- Request an appointment
- Ask to speak with a real person (to test forwarding)
Prefer testing from your browser? The @oncallclerk/sdk includes a dialer you can open locally, no phone call needed:
start node_modules/@oncallclerk/sdk/src/dialer.html
Paste your agent ID, click Call, and talk through your microphone. See Testing Your Agent for the full walkthrough.
If something sounds off, go back to Agent Setup, tweak the greeting or system prompt, save, and call again. Changes take effect on the next call.
5. Go live
Once you're happy with the agent:
- Share the phone number on your website, business listings, and marketing materials
- Set your forwarding number in Agent Setup so urgent calls reach you
- Enable 24/7 Availability if you want round-the-clock coverage
That's it, your agent is now answering calls.
What to explore next
Call Management, Read transcripts to see what callers are asking and how your agent handles them.
Analytics, Track call volume, duration, and lead conversion rates.
Integrations, Connect Google Calendar to let callers book appointments, or Google Sheets to auto-log every call.
Agent Configuration, Fine-tune the system prompt, add FAQs, and adjust call flow as you learn from real conversations.