Phone numbers & calls
In Vio, a phone number is the bridge between your caller and your agent. Every number can do one or both of two jobs: answer incoming calls (inbound) and place outgoing calls (outbound). You get a number in one of two ways — import a number you own on Twilio, or bring your own carrier over a SIP trunk.
Inbound vs outbound — the one thing to understand
A number in Vio has a direction, and the two directions are independent:
| Direction | What it means | Who talks |
|---|---|---|
| Inbound | Your number answers calls that people make to it. | The assigned agent picks up; if none is assigned, your workspace’s default agent answers. |
| Outbound | Vio places calls from the number — on your behalf. | The agent dials out for a campaign, or a scheduled callback fires. |
| Both | The same number answers and dials. | Most production numbers end up here. |
You do not have to choose one forever. A number can start inbound-only and have outbound switched on later.
No agent assigned? Your default agent answers. Set a workspace default so an unassigned number is never a dead line. You assign a specific agent per number in the Numbers view — see Phone numbers.
Two ways to get a number
- Import a Twilio number — the fastest path. Bring a number you already own on Twilio; inbound reaches your agent immediately, and one click enables outbound through Twilio’s Elastic SIP Trunk. See Phone numbers.
- Bring your own carrier (BYOC) — point your existing carrier or PBX (for example FreePBX) at Vio over a SIP trunk, and keep your own numbers and carrier rates. See SIP trunks (BYOC).
New to this? Start at Connect a number for the guided setup, then come back here for depth.
Explore telephony
Phone numbers
Import a Twilio number, assign the agent that answers it, and switch on outbound per number.
Manage numbersSIP trunks (BYOC)
Connect your own carrier or PBX so calls flow through Vio while you keep your numbers and rates.
Connect a carrierOutbound campaigns
Upload a contacts list and let the dialer call it for you — paced, retried, and analysed by AI.
Launch a campaignCallbacks
Follow-up calls your agent booked itself mid-conversation, auto-dialled at the scheduled time.
See callbacksFrequently asked
Q. Can one number both answer and place calls? Yes. Direction is a property you switch on. A number can be inbound-only, outbound-only, or both. Most businesses run their main line as both so the same identity answers customers and dials them back.
Q. What happens if a call comes in and no agent is assigned to the number? Your workspace’s default agent answers, so the line is never dead. Assign a specific agent to a number when you want a different persona or script for that line — for example a sales line versus a support line.
Q. Do I need Twilio to use Vio? No. Twilio is the quickest way to get live, but you can bring your own carrier over a SIP trunk instead and keep your existing numbers and per-minute rates. See SIP trunks (BYOC).
Next step
Once your number is live, every call it handles lands in the Call logs with a transcript, recording, AI summary, and per-call cost.