Help › Troubleshooting
Calls aren't reaching your receptionist
Work through forwarding, your phone line settings, provider addresses and call screening when calls don't get answered.
If callers aren't reaching your receptionist, the cause is nearly always one of a few things: phone answering isn't on, the line isn't connected, the number points somewhere else, or forwarding isn't set. Work down this list in order.
1. Is phone answering switched on?
Go to Settings. If there's no Phone line tile, phone answering isn't switched on for your business, and your receptionist won't answer calls. Email hello@callscovered.ai.
2. Is the line connected?
Open Phone line. The heading should say Connected to Twilio (or the name of your provider). If it says Not set up yet or Not saved yet, the keys or number are missing. Fill them in and click Save phone line. See Your phone line and number.
If someone clicked Remove Twilio keys (or removed another provider's keys), the line stops answering until new keys are saved.
3. Click Check connection
Check connection asks your provider whether everything matches. What the answer means:
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Connected. Calls to (your number) come here. | The line is fine. Go to step 4. |
| Credentials work, but the number's voice webhook points somewhere else | In your provider's account, paste the calls address from the tile into "A call comes in" for that number. |
| Credentials work. Add the phone number next. | Type your number in full, like +44 131 496 0000, and save. |
| (number) isn't a number on this account. | The number has a typo, or belongs to a different account. |
| (Provider) rejected that... | A key is wrong. Copy it again from your provider and save. |
| Add the public key from Telnyx, or Add the signature secret | These keys check each call really comes from your provider. Without them, every call is refused. |
| (Provider) didn't answer, or Couldn't reach (provider) | Try again in a minute. |
On Telnyx, Vonage and Plivo, a "Connected" message also asks you to make sure your application points at the addresses below it. Check connection can't see those settings for you, so check them by hand. See Phone providers.
4. Check the addresses in your provider's account
Your provider needs to send calls to the addresses shown in Phone line. Use the Copy buttons rather than typing them.
- Twilio: the first address goes in "A call comes in" (HTTP POST), the second in "Call status changes".
- Other providers: the three addresses go in the places described in Phone providers.
On SignalWire, Telnyx, Vonage and Plivo, a wrong signing key, public key or signature secret means calls are refused, not let through. If calls fail on another provider but Check connection looks fine, check those keys and that Vonage's signed webhooks are on.
5. Is forwarding set up?
If callers ring your usual business number, it has to forward to your receptionist's number. The Keep your number step of the setup guide shows the codes. Go to Settings, then Setup guide, then Open the setup guide.
- Forwarding "When I don't answer" waits about 20 seconds. If you or your team pick up, your receptionist doesn't. That's expected.
- Calls while you're on the phone only forward if you've also dialled the "When I'm busy" code.
- BT and Virgin Media landlines need Call Diversion on the line. Ask your provider if the code doesn't work.
- Business phone systems set forwarding in their own settings, not with a code.
- Did someone cancel it? Dialling
##002#on a mobile, or#21#on a landline, switches forwarding off. Dial the code again.
To test forwarding, ring your business number from a different phone and let it ring.
6. Ring the receptionist's number directly
Call your receptionist's own number, the one shown in Phone line and in the setup guide.
- It answers: the line works, and the problem is forwarding (step 5).
- It doesn't answer, or you hear an error: the problem is the line (steps 2 to 4).
7. Is the caller blocked?
With Call screening, numbers on your Blocked numbers list never reach your receptionist. Numbers on your list of callers to put straight through ring the phone you chose instead, and only reach your receptionist if nobody answers. Check both lists.
8. Calls are answered, but end early
- Longest call in Calls ends a call politely at the limit you chose.
- When the line goes quiet, also in Calls, decides how soon your receptionist says goodbye to a silent line.
- After hours changes what your receptionist does while you're closed. It still answers. See After hours.
Every answered call appears in Conversations. If a call is there, it reached your receptionist.
9. Features that need Twilio
On SignalWire, Telnyx, Vonage and Plivo, calls are answered turn by turn. Taking over a call from the dashboard, Put me through and Read-back on calls only work on live calls, which need Twilio. See Phone providers.
Still stuck?
Email hello@callscovered.ai with the number you rang from, roughly when, and what you heard. Please don't send your keys or tokens.
Still stuck? Write to hello@callscovered.ai with your business name and what you were trying to do, and a person will reply.