> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://dialnexa.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Create your first DialNexa AI phone agent, buy a phone number, and make a live test call in under 15 minutes.

This guide walks you through the fastest path to a working DialNexa Voice AI agent: create the agent, configure its stack, write a prompt, publish a version, buy a phone number, assign it, and place a test call.

By the end you will have a real phone number that connects callers to your AI agent.

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

* A DialNexa account with access to the dashboard
* A funded wallet (phone number purchase and call minutes are billed from your wallet balance)

<Note>
  If your wallet balance is zero, phone number provisioning will fail and test calls will not complete. Add funds at **Settings > Billing** before continuing.
</Note>

## Create Your First Agent

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Agents tab">
    In the left sidebar, click **Agents**. If this is a new workspace, the list is empty.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a new agent">
    Click **Create agent** in the top right. Choose **Single Prompt Agent** to start. Single prompt agents are the fastest to configure and best for focused tasks like appointment reminders or lead qualification.

    Give the agent a name that describes its purpose, for example `Appointment Reminder Bot`. The name is internal and visible only to your team.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the conversation stack">
    The builder opens on the **Stack** tab. Set the following:

    | Setting        | Recommended for first agent                                           |
    | -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | Language       | English (or your primary language)                                    |
    | Voice Provider | ElevenLabs                                                            |
    | Voice          | Pick any voice from the dropdown and click the play button to preview |
    | LLM            | OpenAI GPT-4o Mini (fast, cost-effective for simple tasks)            |
    | Transcriber    | Deepgram Nova 3 (multilingual default)                                |

    Leave Speed, Stability, and Temperature at their defaults for now.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write the system prompt">
    Click the **Prompt** tab. The prompt is the agent's full operating instruction.

    Paste the following starter prompt, then edit it for your use case:

    ```
    You are a friendly appointment reminder assistant for Acme Clinic. Your job is to remind patients about their upcoming appointments.

    When the call connects:
    1. Greet the caller by name if you have it.
    2. Confirm they received the reminder for their appointment on {{appointment_date}} at {{appointment_time}}.
    3. Ask if they can make it or need to reschedule.
    4. If they confirm, thank them and end the call politely.
    5. If they want to reschedule, let them know the front desk will call back and end the call.

    Keep responses short. Do not discuss anything unrelated to the appointment. End the call after the confirmation.
    ```

    Notice the `{{appointment_date}}` and `{{appointment_time}}` placeholders. These are dynamic variables you can pass per-call. For a test call you can supply fixed values.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish the agent">
    Click **Publish** in the top right. Enter a version title like `v1 - initial` and confirm. The agent now has a published version that can receive live traffic.

    <Warning>
      Drafts are not served to callers. You must publish before assigning to a phone number or placing a test call from the Agents list.
    </Warning>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Buy a Phone Number

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Phone Numbers">
    In the left sidebar, click **Phone Numbers** (under Calls or the top-level menu, depending on your plan).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Search for a number">
    Click **Buy Number**. Choose your country, select a number type (local or toll-free), and search. A list of available numbers appears with their monthly cost.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Purchase the number">
    Click **Buy** next to the number you want. The cost is deducted from your wallet. The number appears in your Phone Numbers list within a few seconds.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Assign the Agent to the Phone Number

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the phone number settings">
    In the Phone Numbers list, click the number you just bought or click the row action menu and select **Edit**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the inbound agent">
    Under **Inbound Configuration**, select your agent from the dropdown. Select the published version (the one you just published, not Draft).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Save**. The number is now live. Any inbound call to that number will be handled by your agent.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Make a Test Call

<Steps>
  <Step title="Call the number">
    Dial the phone number from any mobile or landline. The call should connect within a few seconds and you will hear your agent's welcome message.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the agent responds correctly">
    Speak naturally. Confirm the agent responds according to your prompt. If you used the sample prompt above, the agent will attempt to confirm an appointment.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the call record">
    After hanging up, open **Call History** in the left sidebar. The call should appear with a transcript, duration, status, and post-call summary if configured.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What to Check if the Call Does Not Work

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Call goes to voicemail or dead air">
    The phone number may not be fully provisioned yet. Wait 60 seconds and try again. If the problem persists, confirm the number status in Phone Numbers shows Active.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Agent does not respond or response is wrong">
    Open the agent in the builder and confirm a published version exists. Drafts are not served. If the version is published, check that the phone number is assigned to that version, not an older one.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Call fails immediately with an error">
    Check your wallet balance. A zero or negative balance will cause calls to fail at connection. Add funds and retry.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Dynamic variables appear literally in speech (e.g. 'double brace appointment date')">
    For test calls, enter variable values in the test call modal or set fallback defaults in **Agent Settings > Fallback Settings**. Variables without a value are passed as-is, which the agent will speak literally.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Outbound Calls" icon="phone-outgoing" href="/calls/outbound-calls">
    Place a single outbound call and review the result.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Types Of Agents" icon="bot" href="/agents/types-of-agents">
    Choose the right agent type before configuring the stack.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Prompts And Welcome Messages" icon="pencil" href="/agents/prompts-and-welcome-messages">
    Write prompts that produce consistent, on-brand conversations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Provider Selection Guide" icon="layers" href="/voice-ai/provider-selection-guide">
    Choose the right voice, LLM, and transcriber for your use case.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>