Inbound calls & messages
Inbound means someone contacts you — they call or text your agent's phone number, and the agent responds. This is the opposite of outbound, where Chatley reaches out first.
Before you begin
- An agent with a phone number assigned. Inbound handling only works once a number is attached to the agent.
- Your voice and behaviour set up the way you want the agent to answer.
Inbound calls
When a caller dials your agent's number, the agent picks up and handles the conversation using its configured voice and behaviour. While a call is live you can watch it and step in from the live monitor — open the transcript to whisper guidance to the agent or take over the call yourself.
Every inbound call is recorded in the agent's activity so you can review transcripts, recordings, and summaries afterwards.
Inbound messages (SMS)
Your agent can also receive text messages on its number. Connecting inbound SMS is a Twilio configuration step — point Twilio's "A message comes in" webhook at Chatley. Full walkthrough:
Compliance
Inbound is generally lower-risk than outbound, but you should still follow the messaging and calling rules for your region and carrier (for example 10DLC or toll-free verification for SMS). See the compliance notes in Inbound SMS (Twilio).
Next steps
- Outbound — place test calls and run campaigns.
- Talk to Assistant — test how the agent sounds.