Phone Numbers

The Phone Numbers page shows all phone numbers assigned to your account. From here you can order new numbers or initiate a port to transfer existing numbers from another carrier.

Viewing Phone Numbers

Navigate to Phone Numbers from the sidebar. The table displays all numbers with their assignment status and associated port order (if applicable).

Use the search box above the table to filter the list as you type. It matches on the phone number, outbound caller ID name, inbound caller ID prefix, carrier, and call-routing target, and applies within the tab you're viewing (Active, In Progress, or Cancelled) — so switch tabs if you don't find what you're looking for.

Two columns on the Active tab cover opposite directions of a call, and neither is a modifier of the other:

• Outbound Caller ID — the name shown to the person you're calling on outbound calls from that number.
• Inbound Caller ID Prefix — the label added in front of an incoming caller's identity on the device that answers, including when the call is forwarded out to an external number. Numbers without one read Not set. Set or change a prefix on the number's detail page, under Inbound.

Fax-enabled numbers show Not applicable under Call Routing: a fax number receives inbound calls as faxes, so it has no call routing to configure — neither inbound nor outbound faxing depends on it.

Adding Phone Numbers

Click the Add Numbers button to see two options:

Order New Numbers

Search available phone numbers and order them for your account. Click Add Numbers → Order New Numbers; see Ordering New Numbers for the full process.

Port Existing Numbers

Transfer phone numbers you already own from another carrier to DialStack.

1. Click Add Numbers → Port Existing Numbers.
2. This launches the port order wizard. See Port Orders for the full process.

Directory Listing

Listing one of your numbers in directory databases and 411 is set up on the Settings page; see Directory Listing.

Phone Number Details

Click any active phone number in the list to open its detail page. From here you can view and manage the number's settings.

Temporary Numbers

If the number is temporary, an informational banner appears at the top of the detail page explaining that the number is not permanently assigned and showing when it will expire. Click Keep this number in the banner to convert it into a permanent number — the expiry is removed and the number behaves like any other on the account.

When a temporary number reaches its expiry, it is automatically released back to the carrier. Released numbers appear under the Cancelled tab on the phone numbers list. From there you can click Recover to attempt to re-acquire the number; recovery may fail if the carrier has already reassigned it elsewhere.

Inbound

The Inbound card controls where incoming calls to this number are directed. Use the routing target picker to route calls to a user, ring group, dial plan, or voice app. The change takes effect immediately.

To deliberately turn a number into a dead end, choose Route to nothing (drop calls) at the top of the picker. You'll be asked to confirm, because incoming calls will then be dropped immediately — the caller hears no ring, no voicemail, and no message. This is distinct from a number with no routing target set, which rings everyone on the account so a new number never silently loses calls. Restore normal handling at any time by picking a routing target again.

• Inbound Caller ID Prefix — an optional label added in front of the incoming caller's identity shown on the device that answers. For example, with a prefix of [Acme] a call from John Smith rings as [Acme] John Smith. When the caller's name isn't known, the prefix is shown with their number instead, as [Acme] +14084806024. This is useful when calls to a number are answered on behalf of a specific brand or business, so whoever answers knows which company the caller is trying to reach. It affects only what the answering party sees; it does not change call history or reporting. Leave the field empty for no prefix.

  The prefix also applies when the call is forwarded out to an external number, such as a staff member's personal cell phone — the forwarded call still shows the original caller, now labelled with the prefix. This makes it possible to tell a business call apart from a personal one on a phone that receives both, and applies however the number is routed — to a user, a ring group, a call queue, or a dial plan. Whether the label reaches an external handset ultimately depends on the receiving mobile carrier, which is outside our control.

Outbound

The Outbound card controls outbound calling settings for the number.

• Outbound Calling — toggle whether users can place outbound calls using this number as their caller ID.
• Outbound Caller ID — the name displayed to the called party on outbound calls (also known as CNAM). Maximum 15 characters; letters, digits, spaces, and & , . ' - ( ) are allowed. Edit the field and confirm the change in the dialog that appears. Only one caller ID change can be pending per phone number at a time — once submitted, no further updates will be accepted for that number until the carrier finishes processing (up to 72 hours). Toll-free numbers don't support an outbound caller ID name, so the field isn't offered for them.

note

Caller ID can only be updated for active phone numbers.

Service Location

The Service Location card sets the site this number is billed to. The location determines the tax jurisdiction and regulatory fees that apply to it.

• Service Location — pick the location, or leave it as Not set. When it is not set, the number follows the location it is the main number for, or the account's main location when it is not the main number for any location.

note

This is a billing setting, not a dispatch address. Emergency calls are dispatched to the location of the device that places the call, whichever number it calls from; see E911 Dispatch Addresses.

Fax

The Fax card controls fax handling for the number.

tip

Use a dedicated number for fax. Because a fax-enabled number stops handling inbound voice and bypasses its routing, turning fax on for a number that's also used for calls — a user's line, a ring group, a dial plan — will take it out of those voice flows. Set aside a separate number for faxing to avoid clashing with your voice setup.

• Fax Enabled — toggle whether this number is set up for faxing. Toggling it asks you to confirm, because while fax is enabled inbound calls to the number are received as faxes instead of voice — it no longer takes inbound voice calls, and its inbound routing target is bypassed (kept, and it resumes when you disable fax).
• Delete fax documents — controls whether a copy of each fax is kept.
  • Off (the default): faxes are stored. A received fax is kept here to view and download, and its notification email links to it.
  • On: faxes aren't stored. A received fax is sent only as an attachment on the notification email and no copy is kept, and a fax you send has its source file deleted once it finishes (delivered or failed).
  • With this on, the email is the only copy of a received fax, so at least one notification recipient is required — the toggle stays off until you add a recipient, and you can't remove the last recipient while it's on.
• Notification Recipients — when fax is enabled, add the email addresses notified when a fax is received on this number. Enter an address and click Add; remove one with the trash icon. Each recipient must be a valid, unique email address, and you can add up to 10. Leave the list empty to receive faxes without email notifications — unless Delete fax documents is on, which needs at least one recipient.

Recipients are configured per phone number, so different fax numbers can notify different people. Account-wide fax volume limits are configured separately on the account Settings page.

Cancelling a Number

To permanently cancel a phone number, open the detail page and click Cancel Number at the bottom. A confirmation dialog will appear before the number is cancelled.

warning

Cancelling a number releases it back to the carrier. The number will stop receiving and making calls. You can attempt to recover it from the Cancelled tab, but this may fail if the carrier has already reassigned it.

Port Order Status

If a phone number has an associated port order, clicking the row navigates you to the port order detail page where you can track the transfer progress.