# Inbound calls

> Inbound calling lets your AI answer when a customer rings one of the numbers you bought, using your Business Details to quote prices and answer questions.

Source: https://business.mysmartassistant.ai/docs/inbound-calls

## What inbound is

Most of MySA Business is about the AI calling your customers. Inbound is the other direction: a customer rings your business number and the AI picks up. It answers from the Business Details category you choose, in the same way it does on outgoing calls, so it can quote prices, share timings and answer common questions.

You switch inbound on per number, so you can have one number answered by the AI and keep another for your own staff.

## Before you start

- **A number of your own.** The **Inbound** page appears under **Phone system** in the left menu once your workspace holds a number you bought. See [Numbers and caller ID](https://business.mysmartassistant.ai/docs/numbers-and-caller-id).
- **Your Live workspace.** Inbound works in Live only.
- **At least one live Business Details category.** See [Business Details](https://business.mysmartassistant.ai/docs/business-details).
- **Wallet balance.** Inbound calls are charged from your wallet like any other call. If the balance is empty, the call is not answered.

## Switch inbound on for a number

1. Open **Phone system → Inbound**.
2. Click **Set up inbound** on the number you want.
3. Fill in the details:
   - **Business knowledge**: the Business Details category the AI answers from.
   - **AI instructions**: what the AI should do on these calls. You can pick a saved purpose here.
   - **Language**: the language the AI speaks.
   - **Max call length**: caps what one call can cost.
   - **Conversation settings**: whether to **Stick to the chosen language**, and whether to **Call customers back when they ask**.
4. Click **Switch on**. (On a number that is already answering, the same button reads **Save details**.)

If something required is missing, the panel tells you what, next to the button.

_Inbound settings panel: company name, business knowledge and live data_

**On this screen:** the **Inbound settings** panel for one number, here already **Answering**. **Company name** is the name the AI introduces itself with when someone calls (**+ Add** and **Remove** manage the names), **Business knowledge** is the Business Details it answers from, and **Live data (your APIs)** lists your APIs to tick under **APIs on this number**. **Save details** saves the panel.

> **Note:** There is no campaign behind an incoming call, so these settings are the whole brief. Write the AI instructions with that in mind. They accept up to 5,000 characters.

## Conversation settings explained

- **Stick to the chosen language.** Leave this off and the AI follows whichever language the caller uses.
- **Call customers back when they ask.** If a caller asks to be called back, MySA places that call automatically. It is charged as a normal outgoing call. Leave this off and the AI will not promise a call back.

## Live data from your own APIs

If you have registered your own APIs under **Integrations → My APIs**, you can attach them to the number so it can answer questions like today's rate. See [Custom APIs](https://business.mysmartassistant.ai/docs/custom-apis).

## Change or switch off

- **Edit** the details at any time with **Configure**. Saving never interrupts a number that is already answering.
- **Switch off** stops calls being answered on that number, but your settings are kept for next time.

_Inbound calls page with your inbound number_

**On this screen:** **Your inbound numbers** lists each number with its language, whether it is **Answering** and when it last took a call; **Configure** opens its settings and **Switch off** stops it answering. **Manage numbers** at the top right opens your numbers, and **How inbound calls work** sums up the three steps: the customer calls your number, the AI answers, and you get the details.

## Related settings

- **DND** can block inbound calls during your quiet hours. Inbound is not blocked by default. See [DND](https://business.mysmartassistant.ai/docs/dnd).
- **Call transfer** can hand an inbound caller to a person on your team when they ask for one. See [Call transfer](https://business.mysmartassistant.ai/docs/call-transfer).
- Inbound calls appear in **Call Logs** and **Detailed Report** alongside your outbound calls, and you can filter by direction. See [Call logs](https://business.mysmartassistant.ai/docs/call-logs).
- The overview, [AI inbound call answering](https://business.mysmartassistant.ai/features/inbound-calls), shows how inbound fits with appointments, callbacks and transfer.