How to Set Up Call Forwarding into Alivo
Find your Alivo number, pick the right forwarding type, and point your phone system at it.
Call forwarding into Alivo means your existing phone line sends unanswered or overflow calls to an Alivo phone number, where your AI voice agent can pick up. It is how most contractors get inbound phone leads into Alivo without replacing their whole phone system on day one. This guide shows you where to find that Alivo number, which type of forwarding to choose on your carrier or VoIP platform, and how to tell that apart from call forwarding settings inside Alivo itself.
1. Find Your Alivo Forwarding Number
Before you touch your phone company or VoIP dashboard, you need the Alivo number to forward calls to. That number is tied to a specific agent, not to your account as a whole. If you have Lilly set up as your phone agent, you want her number.
Open the Agent in Alivo
In Alivo, click Agents in the left sidebar. You will see a list of your agents. Click the one configured for phone answering, usually Lilly or whichever agent handles inbound calls.
Copy the Number from the Agent Page
On the agent page, look at the left sidebar under the agent's name. You should see a phone number displayed there with a copy icon next to it. Click the copy icon to copy the full number. That is the destination you will paste into your carrier or VoIP forwarding settings.
You can also see each agent's number on the main Agents list in the Number column, before you open the agent.
Good to know: Every agent has its own Alivo number. Forward your main business line to the agent you want answering those calls. If you are not sure which agent handles phone leads, check with whoever set up your account or look for the agent with voice calling turned on.
If You Do Not See a Number
If no number appears on the agent, one may not be assigned yet. Go to Settings → Phone numbers to see the numbers on your account. When you create or edit an agent, you can assign an available number to it. Numbers already tied to a call flow or another agent will not show as available. If you are stuck, reach out to support and they can help you get a number assigned.
2. Choose the Right Type of Forwarding
The forwarding type is set on your outside phone system, not inside Alivo. This is the part that trips people up, because "call forwarding" can mean a few different things depending on when the call actually gets sent somewhere else.
For most contractors backing up their office with an AI phone agent, conditional forwarding (also called no-answer forwarding) is the right choice. Your office phone rings first. If nobody picks up after a few rings, the call forwards to Alivo. Your team stays first in line, and the AI catches what they miss.
Immediate forwarding sends every call to Alivo right away, before your office phone ever rings. That is useful when you are fully closed or want every call to go straight to the agent, but it is usually not what you want during business hours.
Your carrier or VoIP platform may also offer busy forwarding, unreachable forwarding, or time-based after-hours rules. What you can actually set up depends on your phone plan. A basic cell carrier often gives you fewer options than a business VoIP system, which is just phone service that runs over the internet and usually has a settings dashboard.
Keep in mind: For a full breakdown of every forwarding type, what your carrier can and cannot do, and when to use each one, read Understanding Call Forwarding for Your Business.
| Forwarding Type | What It Does | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Conditional (no-answer) | Your phone rings first. Forwards only if nobody picks up. | Backing up your team with an AI agent during and after hours |
| Immediate | Every call goes straight to the forward number. Your phone never rings. | After-hours-only lines, vacation coverage, or a dedicated overflow line |
| Busy | Forwards only when you are already on another call. | Catching a second caller when the line is tied up |
| Time-based | Forwards based on the clock, like after 5 p.m. | After-hours routing without changing settings every day |
3. Set Up Forwarding on Your Phone System
Once you have your Alivo number copied and you know which forwarding type you want, the actual setup happens in your carrier account or VoIP dashboard. Alivo does not control this part. You are telling your existing phone system where to send calls when the condition you picked is met.
On a Cell Carrier or Basic Business Line
Most carriers let you turn on call forwarding from the phone itself using star codes (for example, dial a code, then the Alivo number, then another code to activate). Some carriers also have an online account portal where you can set forwarding without dialing codes. Check your carrier's help docs for "conditional call forwarding" or "no answer call forwarding" and enter the Alivo number you copied from the agent page.
On a VoIP or Business Phone Platform
If you use a VoIP provider or a business phone platform (RingCentral, Nextiva, Google Voice for business, your ISP's business phone, and similar), log into the admin dashboard and look for call routing, call handling, or forwarding rules. Create a rule that forwards to your Alivo number under the condition you chose. VoIP systems usually make this easier than a bare carrier plan, and many let you build after-hours schedules right in the dashboard.
Test It
After you save the forwarding rule, call your business line from a different phone and let it ring without answering. The call should reach Alivo and your voice agent should pick up. If it does not, double-check that you entered the full number from the agent page (including area code) and that you set up the right type of forwarding. Immediate and conditional forwarding behave very differently, so it is worth confirming which one is active.
Heads up: Call forwarding sends calls into Alivo from your outside phone system. That is different from the Call Forwarding tab on the agent page inside Alivo, which controls when the AI agent hands a live call out to someone on your team. Both use the word "forwarding," but they point in opposite directions.
4. When You Do Not Need Outside Forwarding
If Alivo is already your business phone system, you may not need to set up carrier-level forwarding at all. Alivo has a visual call flow builder where you can ring your team first, send overflow to an AI agent step, and branch by business hours, all inside the platform. In that setup, your main number lives on Alivo and the routing rules handle who answers and when.
Outside call forwarding is mainly for contractors who are keeping their existing phone line or VoIP provider and want Alivo to catch the calls their current system does not get to.
Common Questions
Where Exactly Is the Number I Forward To?
Open Agents, click your phone agent, and look in the left sidebar under the agent's name. The number is shown there with a copy button. You can also see it in the Number column on the Agents list.
Should I Use Immediate or Conditional Forwarding?
For most setups where your team should answer first and the AI backs them up, use conditional (no-answer) forwarding. Use immediate forwarding only when you want every call to go straight to Alivo without ringing your office. See Understanding Call Forwarding for Your Business for the full comparison.
Is the Call Forwarding Tab Inside Alivo the Same Thing?
No. The Call Forwarding section on the agent page controls when Lilly hands a call off to your team during a live conversation. Setting up forwarding on your carrier or VoIP platform is what sends inbound calls into Alivo in the first place.
What Happens After a Forwarded Call Reaches Alivo?
Alivo creates a lead from the caller's phone number automatically. Lilly can answer, qualify the caller, and book an inspection based on how your agent is configured. The lead shows up in your pipeline with a source tied to that phone number. For a broader look at every way leads enter Alivo, see your overview article on how leads get into the platform.
The setup boils down to three steps: copy the Alivo number from your phone agent, pick conditional forwarding on your outside phone system unless you have a reason to send every call straight through, and paste that number into your carrier or VoIP forwarding settings. Your team keeps first crack at the phone, and Alivo catches what slips through.
Still have a question this didn't answer? Reach out to our support team support@alivo.ai and we'll be glad to help.