Phone & Communication Channels
BusyBook connects with your clients through multiple communication channels — voice calls, iMessage, SMS, email, and web chat. The Phone & Channels settings page shows the status of each channel and lets you configure your AI front desk.
AI Front Desk Number
Section titled “AI Front Desk Number”Your AI receptionist answers phone calls on your behalf — greeting callers, answering questions about your practice, and booking appointments.
To view your AI front desk number:
- Go to Settings > Phone & Channels
- Your assigned forwarding number appears at the top of the page
- Click Copy to copy it to your clipboard
How Call Forwarding Works
Section titled “How Call Forwarding Works”When a client calls your business number, the call is forwarded to your AI receptionist. The receptionist:
- Greets the caller using your practice name
- Answers common questions (hours, services, pricing)
- Books appointments in real time
- Takes messages if needed
Testing Your Receptionist
Section titled “Testing Your Receptionist”Click Test Call to place a test call and hear how your AI receptionist sounds. This helps you verify the greeting and behavior before sharing the number with clients.
Communication Channels
Section titled “Communication Channels”The Channels grid shows the live status of each communication method:
| Channel | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Voice | AI-powered phone answering via your forwarding number |
| iMessage | Two-way messaging with iPhone clients via Apple Messages |
| SMS | Two-way text messaging from your business number |
| Transactional email for confirmations, reminders, and receipts | |
| Web Chat | In-platform chat widget for your website |
Each channel shows a status badge: Connected (green), Not Configured (gray), or Error (red).
Channel Toggles
Section titled “Channel Toggles”Under Channel Settings, you can enable or disable individual channels:
- Phone — toggle AI phone answering on/off
- iMessage — toggle Apple Messages integration on/off
- Email — toggle email notifications on/off
- Web Chat — toggle website chat widget on/off
Changes are saved to your account and take effect immediately.
Call History
Section titled “Call History”Scroll down to view your Call History — a log of recent calls handled by your AI receptionist, including caller number, duration, and outcome (booked, message taken, etc.).
Setting Up Channels
Section titled “Setting Up Channels”Most channels are configured automatically during account setup. If a channel shows “Not Configured”:
- Voice: Contact support to set up call forwarding from your business number
- iMessage: Go to Settings > AI Settings > Apple Messages to add your iMessage number
- SMS: An SMS number is assigned automatically. If missing, check Settings > Automated Messaging > SMS Registration
- Email: Email delivery is platform-managed and active by default
- Web Chat: Enable from the channel toggles above
For more details on your messaging identity across all channels, visit Settings > Communications > Channels & Identity.