Phone Numbers
Buy and manage the phone numbers your team calls.
Phone Numbers
Phone numbers are the inbound channel for phone calls. When someone calls your number, Merlin picks up and asks the caller to enter a PIN via the keypad or by speaking it. After PIN verification, Merlin conducts the conversation with the permissions and template of that PIN user.
Request a number
- Go to Phone Numbers in the dashboard
- Click New number
- Choose the country and number type (local or national)
- Submit the request
Delivery time per country
| Country | Delivery time | Documents required? |
|---|---|---|
| United States | A few minutes | No |
| United Kingdom | A few minutes | No |
| Other countries (NL, DE, FR, BE, etc.) | Approximately 7 business days | Yes |
For most European countries, proof documents are required (e.g. chamber of commerce extract or proof of address). You will be asked to upload these during the request. After provider approval, the number becomes active.
How incoming calls work
A phone number is a global inbound channel: it is not fixed to one specific PIN user. The flow is:
- Caller dials the number
- Merlin picks up and asks the caller to enter a PIN
- The caller enters the PIN via the keypad or speaks it
- Merlin verifies the PIN and starts the conversation with that PIN user's permissions, template and tasks
- Optional: 2FA verification (SMS or TOTP) if enabled for that PIN
This means anyone with a valid PIN can call the same number and still get their own personalized experience.
Link a number to a PIN
Although the number is global, you can set a default PIN user when requesting. This is useful if the number is primarily used by one person. You can always change this later.
Cancel a number
You can cancel a number via the dashboard. The number will be released at the end of the billing period.
Note: A deleted number cannot be recovered. For European numbers, you must request a new number again (another 7 business days delivery time).