How to Manage Agency Phone Numbers

Agency phone numbers are the local, toll-free, and short code numbers your agency uses to send and receive texts and calls in eCourtDate. The number you activate becomes the caller ID your clients see.

### Overview

- **What it is:** The **Agency Phones** page, where you activate new numbers, port numbers you already own, and configure how each number handles inbound calls and texts
- **Why it matters:** Your agency needs at least one active number before it can send texts or place calls, and each number carries its own caller ID, forwarding rules, and business hours
- **Who uses it:** Agency administrators with access to **Admin** > **Settings**
- **Expected outcomes:** Your agency has one or more active numbers, one of them marked **Primary**, with inbound handling configured

### Prerequisites

- Access to **Admin** > **Settings** and the **Agency Phones** tab
- A registered carrier campaign. Until one exists, the **Agency Phones** page shows the warning "A carrier campaign has not been found."
- For **Port**: the number you own and the authority to transfer it
- For **Short Code**: a short code purchased through the US Short Codes registry

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Open the Agency Phones page

1. Go to **Admin** > **Settings**.
2. Click the **Agency Phones** tab.
3. Review the table of existing numbers. It lists **Name**, **Phone Number**, **Type**, **Primary**, **Record Calls**, **Outside Business**, **Campaign**, and **Gateway**.
4. Click **Edit** on a row to open that number.

#### Step 2: Activate a local phone number

Choose this option when you do not have an existing number to transfer.

1. Select **Local** under **Phone Number Type** in the **Create Agency Phone** form.
2. Select a state in **Filter Area Codes by State** to narrow the list.
3. Select an **Area Code**. Choosing an area code runs the search right away.
4. Select a **Carrier Campaign**.
5. Leave **Gateway** on its default, or select a specific gateway.
6. Click **Search**.
7. Review the **Gateway** and **Features** listed under each result.
8. Click **ACTIVATE** next to the number you want.

![Create Agency Phone form for a local number](https://assets.ecourtdate.com/images/articles/phone-numbers-add-agency-phone-local.png)

![Available agency phone number results](https://assets.ecourtdate.com/images/articles/phone-numbers-add-agency-phone--available-phone-numbers.png)

#### Step 3: Activate a toll-free phone number

1. Select **Toll-Free** under **Phone Number Type**.
2. Click **Search**. The state, area code, and carrier campaign fields apply to local numbers only.
3. Click **ACTIVATE** next to the number you want.

![Create Agency Phone form for a toll-free number](https://assets.ecourtdate.com/images/articles/phone-numbers-add-toll-free-phone-number.png)

#### Step 4: Add a short code

Buy new short codes through the [US Short Codes](https://www.usshortcodes.com/find-short-code) registry first. The **Short Code Lookup** button on the edit page opens the same registry.

1. Select **Short Code** under **Phone Number Type**.
2. Enter your code in **Short Code**.
3. Click **Create**. eCourtDate opens the edit page for that short code.
4. Click **Download Authorization Form** in the **Short Code** card.
5. Enter your current aggregator in **Migrate From (Current Aggregator)**.
6. Select a **Migration Date**.
7. Click **Generate Form** to download the transfer form as a PDF.
8. Email the completed forms to help@ecourtdate.com.

![Create Agency Phone form for a short code](https://assets.ecourtdate.com/images/articles/phone-numbers-add-short-code-phone-number.png)

#### Step 5: Port an existing phone number

1. Select **Port** under **Phone Number Type**.
2. Click **Local Area Code LOA**, **Toll-Free LOA**, or **Short Code LOA** to download the letter of authorization that matches your number.
3. Enter the number in **Phone Number**.
4. Click **Create**. eCourtDate opens the edit page.
5. Review the **Portability Checker** card, which runs on its own when the page loads. It shows **PORTABLE** or **NOT PORTABLE**, plus **FAST PORT** and **MESSAGING CAPABLE** badges, the current **Carrier**, and a **Not Portable Reason** when the number cannot move.
6. Click **LOA Form** to download the letter of authorization. This button appears only when the number is portable.
7. Email the completed letter of authorization to help@ecourtdate.com.
8. Track progress in the **Port Status** card on the same page.

![Agency Phones Portability Checker](https://assets.ecourtdate.com/images/articles/phone-numbers-portability-checker.png)

Letter of authorization forms:

- [Local Area Code LOA](https://assets.ecourtdate.com/files/loa-form.pdf)
- [Toll-Free LOA](https://assets.ecourtdate.com/files/loa-form-toll-free.pdf)
- [Short Code LOA](https://assets.ecourtdate.com/files/shortcode-authorization.pdf)

#### Step 6: Set the primary phone number

1. Open the number you want to use by default.
2. Enter a **Name**. The name is used as the outbound Caller ID name.
3. Check **Primary**.
4. Click **Save**.

**Flows** and **Bulk Actions** each have an **Agency Phone** field that overrides the primary number for that flow or action.

#### Step 7: Set the Agency Phone merge tag

1. Go to **Admin** > **Settings**.
2. Find the **Agency Phone** field in the **Agency Details** section of **General Settings**.
3. Select a number from the dropdown.
4. Click **Save**.

The `[AgencyPhone]` merge tag then resolves to the number you selected.

#### Step 8: Configure inbound calls and texts

1. Open the number you want to configure.
2. Select a **Call Voice** for inbound and outbound calls.
3. Adjust **Voice Speed**. 1.0 is normal, 0.5 is half speed, and 2.0 is double speed.
4. Enter a message in **Inbound Calls Auto Response** under **Inbound Settings**.
5. Click **Play Audio** under **Preview** to hear the synthesized response.
6. Enter a message in **Inbound Texts Auto Response**, which answers any inbound text other than opt-in and opt-out replies.
7. Enter a message in **Enrollment Auto Response** for phone numbers that enroll with an enroll keyword.
8. Enter a message in **Opt-Out Auto Response**.
9. Select a chatbot in **Forward Inbound Texts to Chatbot** if you want a chatbot to answer instead.
10. Enter a destination in **Auto Forward Inbound Calls**.
11. Enter comma-separated phones and emails in **Auto Forward Inbound Texts**.
12. Click role names under **Auto Forward Inbound Texts to Users by Role** to toggle them on.
13. Click group names under **Auto Forward Inbound Texts to Clients by Group** to toggle them on.
14. Check **Forward to Assigned Users** to forward inbound texts from clients to that client's assigned users.
15. Click **Save**.

Select a language from the dropdown next to **Auto Translate**, then click **Auto Translate** to translate **Inbound Calls Auto Response**, **Inbound Texts Auto Response**, and the after-hours **Inbound Calls Response** from your English text. **Auto Translate** stays disabled while the dropdown is set to English.

#### Step 9: Configure business hours handling

1. Open the number.
2. Check **Outside of Business Hours** in the left card. The **Business Hours** fields appear in the same card, and the **Outside of Business Hours** card fills in.
3. Enter a **From Time**. It defaults to the **From Time** in the **Business Hours** section of **General Settings**.
4. Enter a **To Time**. It defaults to the **To Time** in that same section.
5. Select your **Business Days**.
6. Enter after-hours messages in **Inbound Calls Response** and **Inbound Texts Auto Response** in the **Outside of Business Hours** card.
7. Enter destinations in **Auto-Forward Inbound Calls** and **Auto-Forward Inbound Texts**.
8. Click role names under **Auto-Forward Inbound Texts by User Role** to toggle them on.
9. Check **Forward to Assigned Users** in the same card.
10. Click **Save**.

### What to Expect

Local and toll-free numbers activate as soon as you click **ACTIVATE**, and eCourtDate opens the new number's edit page. **Short Code** and **Port** entries create a record right away, then wait on paperwork. The **Short Code** card keeps the transfer form tools, and the **Port Status** card reports the port once it is under way. For a portable number, the **Portability Checker** lists a standard port timeframe of 7 to 10 business days and a fast port timeframe of 2 to 3 business days. Inbound responses, forwarding, and business hours take effect as soon as you click **Save**. The right column of the edit page lists messages sent from and received by that number.

The edit page shows a read-only **e911 Status** badge next to **Gateway Status** when your carrier reports one. There is no e911 address field in eCourtDate, so email help@ecourtdate.com with any e911 address request.

### Best Practices

- Enter a **Name** for every number, because it is used as the outbound Caller ID name.
- Mark one number as **Primary** so outbound messages keep a consistent sender.
- Select a **Carrier Campaign** on the **Create Agency Phone** form, or in the **Gateway Settings** card afterward, so the number stays tied to a registered campaign.
- Read the **Portability Checker** card before you send a letter of authorization, so you know whether the number is portable and messaging capable.
- Use the language dropdown and **Auto Translate** in **Inbound Settings** to cover every language your clients use.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Which number sends my outbound messages?**

A: The number with **Primary** checked. **Flows** and **Bulk Actions** each have an **Agency Phone** field that overrides it for that record.

**Q: Can I change a phone number after it is activated?**

A: No. The **Phone Number** field on the edit page is disabled. You can still change **Name**, which sets the outbound Caller ID name.

**Q: Can I edit the e911 address for a number?**

A: No. The edit page shows a read-only **e911 Status** badge and nothing else for e911. Email help@ecourtdate.com with any e911 address request.

**Q: How long does a port take?**

A: When the **Portability Checker** reports the number as portable, it lists a standard port timeframe of 7 to 10 business days and a fast port timeframe of 2 to 3 business days.

**Q: Where do I set separate after-hours responses?**

A: Check **Outside of Business Hours** on the number's edit page. The **Outside of Business Hours** card then shows its own response and forwarding fields.

**Q: How do I record calls on a number?**

A: Check **Record Calls** on the number's edit page and click **Save**. The **Record Calls** column on the **Agency Phones** table shows which numbers have it turned on.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** No numbers appear after a search

**Symptoms:** The results list under the **Create Agency Phone** form stays empty after you click **Search**.

**Solution:**

1. Clear **Area Code** and select a different state in **Filter Area Codes by State**.
2. Set **Gateway** back to its default, or try a different gateway.
3. Select **Toll-Free**, which searches numbers that are not tied to an area code.

**Issue:** A carrier campaign warning appears on the Agency Phones page

**Symptoms:** The page shows "A carrier campaign has not been found."

**Solution:**

1. Click **Check your campaigns here** in the warning to open the **Carriers** page.
2. Register a campaign for your agency.
3. Return to **Agency Phones** and select the campaign in **Carrier Campaign**.

**Issue:** Outbound messages come from the wrong number

**Symptoms:** Clients receive messages from a number you did not expect.

**Solution:**

1. Check the **Primary** column on the **Agency Phones** table.
2. Open the flow or bulk action and check its **Agency Phone** field.
3. Confirm the number you expect is not archived or trashed.

**Issue:** The after-hours fields are missing

**Symptoms:** The lower card on the edit page reads "Outside of Business Hours Disabled".

**Solution:**

1. Open the number.
2. Check **Outside of Business Hours** in the left card. The card fills in as soon as the box is checked.
3. Set your **From Time**, **To Time**, and **Business Days**, then click **Save**.

### Related Articles

- [How to Complete Carrier Registration](/how-to-complete-carrier-registration)
- [How to Configure Inbound Voice and Text Settings](/how-to-configure-inbound-voice-and-text-settings)
- [How to Configure Opt-in and Opt-out Compliance](/how-to-configure-opt-in-and-opt-out-compliance)
- [How to Create a Flow](/how-to-create-a-flow)
- [How to Send a Mass Message using Bulk Actions](/how-to-send-a-mass-message-using-bulk-actions)
- [How to Use Merge Tags](/how-to-use-merge-tags)
- [Texting Campaign Best Practices](/texting-campaign-best-practices)
- [How to Set Up a New Agency](/how-to-set-up-a-new-agency)