Guide4 min readUpdated 2026-05-09
Set Up an AI Receptionist in 1 Minute (Step-by-Step Guide)
Most businesses assume setting up an AI receptionist takes a weekend and an IT person. It doesn't. Here's the exact process — 1 minute start to finish.
Before you start: what you need
• Your business website URL (or a description if you don't have one)
• Your mobile phone (for the demo call)
• Your business phone (to forward calls from)
• 1 minute of uninterrupted time
That's it. No credit card. No developer. No waiting.
Step 1: Enter your website and phone
Go to voicedepot.cloud/try. Enter your website URL and the phone number you want to receive the demo call on.
The AI will read your website, find your business name, hours, and services, and configure itself in about 15 seconds.
If you don't have a website: pick an industry sample (Plumber, Dentist, HVAC, etc.) from the chips below the URL field. This pre-fills a known-good business domain so you hear a realistic demo.
Step 2: Call your demo number
We text you a local AI number. Call it to hear the AI answer as your business.
Test it like a customer would:
• Ask about your hours
• Ask about your prices or services
• Ask to book an appointment
• Ask an edge-case question
The AI answers from what it learned from your website. Most businesses are surprised at how well it handles the first call cold.
Step 3: Answer 4 questions
After the demo, you're shown 4 configuration questions:
1. **Business name** — how the AI should greet callers
2. **Greeting script** — what the AI says when it answers
3. **Your hours** — what to tell callers about availability
4. **Lead handling** — should the AI try to book, just capture contact info, or route to you live?
Most businesses complete this in under 3 minutes.
Step 4: Forward your line with *72
This is the step most people don't know about — and it's the most important one.
From your **business phone** (not your mobile), dial:
```
*72[your new AI number]
```
Then press call. You'll hear a confirmation tone. That's it — all calls to your business number now route to your AI receptionist.
To turn forwarding off: dial **#72** from your business phone.
**Important:** Your existing number stays the same. Your business card, Google Business Profile, website — nothing changes. You're just forwarding incoming calls to the AI.
Step 5: Test it from the outside
Call your **original business number** from another phone. The AI should answer.
If it doesn't:
• Check that call forwarding is enabled (try *72 again)
• Make sure you forwarded from your business line, not your mobile
• Check with your carrier — some business lines use **72#** instead of *72
Once it's working, you'll never miss another call.
You're live. Every call from now on gets answered in your business name, 24/7. Leads get texted to you instantly. You can go on a job.