Everything you need to get Availon set up and running smoothly. Step-by-step guides for every part of the platform.
Pick the path that matches how your business uses its phone today.
Keep your existing business number with your current carrier. Set up call forwarding so missed calls route to Availon. Your customers still call your existing number — they never see Availon's number. Best for: businesses with established phone numbers who don't want to change anything.
Sign up and complete onboarding (~10 minutes).
Wait for SMS approval (5-10 business days).
Activate call forwarding on your existing line — see Call Forwarding Setup below.
We provision a new dedicated business line for you on Availon. You publish it as your business number — Google Business, business cards, website, signage. Customers call it directly. No forwarding needed. Best for: new businesses, or those willing to update their marketing materials.
Sign up and complete onboarding (~10 minutes).
Receive your dedicated Availon number on the activation screen.
After approval (5-10 business days), publish your new number — see Publishing Your New Number below.
Move your existing number into Availon's system permanently. Same number your customers already know, plus all of Availon's features. You cancel your old phone bill after the port completes. Best for: established businesses ready to consolidate.
During onboarding, choose Port and upload a recent invoice from your current carrier (used to verify the number is yours).
We email you a LOA (Letter of Authorization) to e-sign — takes 30 seconds.
We submit the port to your current carrier. They confirm a FOC (Firm Order Confirmation) date — typically 7–14 business days out.
On FOC day, your number transfers to Availon. You receive a confirmation email. Cancel your old phone bill anytime after that.
Not sure which path is right for you? Contact us for a quick chat — we'll help you pick the path that fits your situation.
This sends all your business calls through Availon. Your phone still rings normally — Availon only steps in if you don't answer.
Call forwarding is only needed if you're using the Forwarding path (keeping your existing number with your current carrier). If you chose Fresh Start (a new Availon number) or Porting, skip this section — calls go directly to Availon and there's no forwarding to set up.
You'll need your Availon dedicated number before setting up call forwarding. Find it on your dashboard under 'Your Dedicated Business Number'.
A customer dials your business number.
Your phone rings normally — pick up if you can, like any other call.
If you don't answer in ~20 seconds, your carrier forwards the call to Availon.
Availon texts the customer back automatically and starts the conversation on your behalf.
What the code does: This code tells your carrier: “When I don't answer, send the call to Availon instead of voicemail.” Your phone still rings normally when calls come in.
Pick the card that matches your carrier. The example codes use a sample Availon number — replace it with your actual Availon number from your dashboard.
Have someone call your business number from a different phone.
Don't answer — let it ring.
Within 30 seconds you should hear it forward (the caller hears the Availon greeting).
You'll see the call show up in your dashboard inbox.
Calls aren't forwarding at all? The forwarding code didn't take. Re-dial the activation code from your business phone and listen for the confirmation tone. Sometimes after a phone restart or carrier account change, the rule resets and needs to be redialed.
I'm getting voicemail instead of Availon? Same fix as above — the carrier-side rule isn't active anymore. Redial the activation code from your business phone and listen for the confirmation tone.
Want to pause Availon for the day? Use the Pause Availon button on your dashboard — don't dial *73 to deactivate forwarding, you'll just have to re-set it up when you want Availon back.
Still stuck? Contact us at support@availon.ai or (405) 254-0930.
After activating call forwarding, test it by calling your business number from a different phone and letting it ring without answering. You should receive a text from your Availon number within 30 seconds.
Live Voicemail can stay ON. The carrier's call-forwarding rule fires before Live Voicemail engages, so missed calls still reach Availon.
You may have seen advice online saying to disable Live Voicemail before setting up call forwarding. We tested both states — Live Voicemail does NOT block Availon. Here's why:
**61*<num>**10#) runs at the carrier level — before the call ever touches your phone's software.Bottom line: leave Live Voicemail however you have it. No changes needed for Availon to work.
If your missed calls aren't reaching Availon, the cause is almost always that the carrier-side forwarding code didn't activate (or got reset by a phone restart). Redial the activation code on your business phone and listen for the confirmation tone.
For Fresh Start customers — get your Availon number out into the world so customers can find you.
You picked Fresh Start, which means we provisioned a brand-new dedicated business line for you on Availon. Your customers won't magically know about it — you need to publish it where customers look. Here's the priority order most businesses use:
Update your Google Business Profile phone number — see the next section.
Update the contact page on your website with the new number.
Reorder business cards with the new number.
Update vehicle decals or yard signs (if applicable).
Update your social media profile contact info (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.).
Send an email or text to existing customers letting them know your new number.
Tip: Don't disconnect your old phone line until you've confirmed customers are reaching you on the new one. Keep both active for a couple of weeks during the transition.
Step-by-step phone-number update so your new Availon number shows up in Google search and Maps.
Log into Google Business Profile at business.google.com (use the Google account that owns your business listing).
Pick your business if you manage more than one.
Click Edit Profile → Contact.
Update the phone number to your new Availon number.
Click Save.
Wait 24-48 hours for changes to appear in search results and Google Maps.
Google sometimes asks you to re-verify your business after a phone-number change. If it does, follow the in-app prompts — postcard or phone-call verification typically takes 5-7 days.
One-tap access to your dashboard — no app store needed
Availon doesn't require a download from the App Store or Google Play. Instead, you can add it directly to your phone's home screen for instant one-tap access, just like a native app.
Open Safari on your iPhone and go to myavailon.com.
Tap the Share button at the bottom of the screen — it looks like a box with an arrow pointing up.
Scroll down in the share menu and tap 'Add to Home Screen'.
The name will show as 'Availon' — tap 'Add' in the top right corner.
The Availon icon will now appear on your home screen.
Make sure to use Safari — this feature does not work in Chrome or other browsers on iPhone.
Open Chrome on your Android phone and go to myavailon.com.
Tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner of Chrome.
Tap 'Add to Home Screen'.
Confirm the name as 'Availon' and tap 'Add'.
The Availon icon will appear on your home screen.
Create a free Google account and get your calendar ready
If you don't currently use a digital calendar, Google Calendar is free and works perfectly with Availon. Follow these steps to create your account and get set up — it takes about 5 minutes.
You only need to do this once. After your Google account is created, Availon will connect to it and keep your calendar updated automatically going forward.
Go to accounts.google.com/signup in your browser (or tap the link from your onboarding page).
Enter your first and last name.
Choose a Gmail address — this becomes your login. Example: smithplumbing.okc@gmail.com
Create a strong password and confirm it.
Add your phone number for account recovery (optional but recommended).
Accept Google's terms and click 'Create Account'.
Write down your Gmail address and password and keep it somewhere safe. You'll need it to connect Google Calendar to Availon.
Go to calendar.google.com in your browser, or download the Google Calendar app from the App Store or Google Play.
Sign in with the Google account you just created.
You'll see a blank calendar — that's normal. Availon will start adding appointments here automatically once connected.
Google Calendar works by showing you events (appointments) on a calendar grid. Each event has a date, time, and title. When Availon books an appointment for you, it creates an event in your calendar automatically — you don't have to do anything.
Events appear as colored blocks on the calendar grid.
Tap any event to see the customer's name, phone number, and service type.
You can edit or delete events directly in Google Calendar if needed.
When Availon checks your availability, it reads your calendar to avoid scheduling conflicts.
Once your Google account is created, go back to your onboarding page or your Availon dashboard and click Connect Google Calendar. Sign in with your new Google account and click Allow.
That's it — Availon is now connected. Every appointment your AI books will appear in your Google Calendar automatically.
Open calendar.google.com or the Google Calendar app to see your schedule.
Tap any day to see what's scheduled.
Tap + to manually add an event (like a job you booked over the phone).
Set a reminder on any event so your phone alerts you before the appointment.
Need more help with Google Calendar? Google's own help center has video guides at support.google.com/calendar.
Block time so Availon doesn't double-book you
If you already have jobs booked on a paper calendar, whiteboard, or in your head — you'll want to add those to Google Calendar so Availon knows when you're busy. This prevents it from booking a customer during a time you're already committed.
You don't need to enter your entire history — just the next 2 to 4 weeks of existing commitments. Availon only books new appointments going forward.
Open Google Calendar at calendar.google.com or in the Google Calendar app on your phone.
Tap the day you have an existing job booked.
Tap the + button (or tap directly on the time slot) to create a new event.
Enter a title — it can be simple like 'Plumbing job — Jones' or just 'Busy'.
Set the start time and end time of the job.
Tap Save. That time slot is now blocked.
Repeat for each existing commitment over the next 2–4 weeks.
Availon won't book customers during any time slots that have an event in your calendar. Even a simple 'Busy' event is enough to block that time.
If you work set hours every day (e.g. 8am–5pm), you don't need to block individual jobs — just know that Availon will only offer appointment slots within your business hours setting.
For recurring jobs (same customer, same time every week), create a 'Repeating event' in Google Calendar so you only have to enter it once.
If you're fully booked for a day, tap the day → Create event → All day → Save. Availon won't offer any slots on that day.
On iPhone, you can use Siri: 'Hey Siri, add a calendar event called Roofing job on Tuesday from 9am to 3pm.'
Many trade business owners have used paper calendars for years — and that's fine. The simplest transition is to keep using your paper calendar for reference, but also add new appointments to Google Calendar as they come in. Within a week or two, Google Calendar will become your primary schedule and you won't need the paper anymore.
You don't have to transfer years of history. Just start fresh from today.
Going forward, Availon books new appointments directly to Google Calendar — so you'll naturally start working from it as your schedule fills up with AI-booked jobs.
Let Availon book appointments automatically
Connecting your Google Calendar allows your AI receptionist to check your availability and book appointments directly to your calendar when customers request them via text.
Log in to your Availon dashboard at myavailon.com/dashboard.
Scroll to the bottom of the dashboard and find the Calendar section.
Click 'Connect Calendar'.
You'll be redirected to Google. Sign in with the Google account that has your business calendar.
Google will ask permission to access your calendar — click 'Allow'.
You'll be redirected back to Availon. Your dashboard will now show 'Google Calendar connected'.
Use the Google account that contains your primary business calendar. Once connected, Availon will book appointments to your 'primary' calendar automatically.
Don't have a Google Calendar yet? See the 'Setting Up Google Calendar' guide above — it only takes 5 minutes to create a free account.
Appointments booked by Availon will appear in Google Calendar with the customer's name, phone number, and service type.
Microsoft Outlook / Office 365 integration
Connect your Microsoft Outlook or Office 365 calendar directly from your Availon dashboard.
Log in to your Availon dashboard at myavailon.com/dashboard.
Scroll to the Calendar section and click 'Connect Calendar'.
Click 'Connect Outlook Calendar'.
You'll be redirected to Microsoft. Sign in with your Microsoft or Office 365 account.
Microsoft will ask permission to access your calendar — click 'Accept'.
You'll be redirected back to Availon. Your dashboard will now show 'Outlook Calendar connected'.
Personal Microsoft accounts (Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live) and work accounts (Office 365) are both supported.
Appointments booked by Availon will appear in your Outlook calendar just like any other event.
Connect Apple Calendar through Google or Outlook
Availon doesn't connect directly to Apple Calendar (iCloud Calendar), but you can still have all your appointments appear in Apple Calendar by connecting through Google Calendar or Outlook.
Apple Calendar on iPhone and Mac syncs automatically with Google Calendar and Outlook. Once you connect either of those to Availon, your bookings will appear in Apple Calendar too.
On your iPhone, go to Settings → Calendar → Accounts → Add Account.
Tap 'Google' and sign in with your Google account.
Make sure 'Calendars' is toggled on and tap Save.
Your Google Calendar events — including Availon bookings — will now appear in your Apple Calendar app automatically.
Connect Google Calendar to Availon from your dashboard.
On your iPhone, go to Settings → Calendar → Accounts → Add Account.
Tap 'Microsoft Exchange' or 'Outlook' and sign in.
Make sure 'Calendars' is toggled on and tap Save.
Your Outlook calendar events will appear in Apple Calendar automatically.
Connect Outlook Calendar to Availon from your dashboard.
On Mac, you can add Google or Outlook accounts in System Settings → Internet Accounts.
Control when your AI responds to customers
Business hours control the tone of the AI's reply, not whether it sends. Your missed-call text-back fires 24/7 — outside your set hours, customers receive a polite after-hours message; inside your hours, they get the standard greeting. The AI engages with them and books for the next available daytime slot regardless of when they texted.
Common misconception: business hours do NOT block texts after 9 PM. They only change the message wording. Your customers always get a response — the AI just acknowledges 'we're closed' when they reach out late.
The 8 AM–9 PM time restriction in TCPA (federal) + Oklahoma's Telephone Solicitation Act applies to outbound marketing / solicitation messages — cold-list campaigns, promotional blasts, etc. Responding to a customer who just called you is a transactional response, which is permitted 24/7 under both laws. Your Availon text-back is a transactional response.
Bottom line: customer calls at 11 PM → text-back fires immediately. Fully compliant.
Log in to your dashboard at myavailon.com/dashboard.
Open the Business Hours page from the sidebar.
Use the per-day grid to set your open / close times.
Select your timezone (default is Central Time).
Toggle 'Enabled' on. With it ON, the AI uses the after-hours greeting outside your set window. With it OFF, the AI uses the standard greeting 24/7.
Click 'Save Hours' to apply your settings.
"Hi, this is Smith Plumbing. Sorry we missed your call — we're closed right now, but I can still get you on the schedule. What can we help with?"
The AI then qualifies the request and offers slots from the next business day forward.
Available on Pro and Elite plans. When the AI detects a life-safety situation (water flooding, smoke, gas leak, electrical sparks, severe injury) at any hour, it overrides the after-hours flow and:
This runs regardless of business hours. A customer with a burst pipe at 2 AM gets safety guidance immediately AND your phone rings. You decide whether to take the call live or let the AI handle the booking for first thing in the morning.
How to manage and respond to conversations
Your Availon inbox stores every conversation your AI has had with your customers. You can read full conversations, reply manually, and manage escalations — all from one place.
Log in to your dashboard at myavailon.com/dashboard.
Click 'Inbox' in the top navigation bar, or click 'View all' in the Recent Conversations section.
You'll see a list of all conversations, sorted by most recent.
Click any conversation in the left sidebar to open it.
Messages from your AI show on the left (teal). Customer messages show on the right (gray).
An AI Summary appears at the top of each conversation so you can see at a glance what happened.
Open a conversation from the inbox.
Type your message in the text box at the bottom.
Press Enter or click Send. Your message will be sent as a text to the customer.
When you reply manually, your message goes out from your Availon dedicated number — the customer sees a seamless conversation.
Find escalated conversations by looking for the 🚨 red indicator in your inbox.
Open the conversation and read what happened.
Reply manually to take over the conversation.
Click 'Mark Resolved' in the conversation header to clear the escalation flag.
Use the search bar at the top of the inbox sidebar to find a conversation by phone number.
Click 'Needs Attention' to filter to only escalated conversations.
Click 'Clear' to reset filters and see all conversations.
How Availon handles bookings outside your business hours
After-hours booking is part of every Availon plan — Core, Pro, and Elite. When a customer calls after-hours and you miss the call, the AI texts them back the same way it does during business hours. It can:
The AI never books a customer at 2am — it always offers slots within the business hours you've configured on the dashboard. Customers asking for an after-hours appointment get a polite redirect to the next available daytime slot.
Texts that come in after-hours are handled instantly. The AI doesn't wait until morning — it replies right away, qualifies the customer, and offers next-day slots. Your customers feel taken care of even though you're asleep. You see the full conversation in your inbox the next morning.
What Pro+ adds: emergency triage. If a customer texts something like 'pipe burst, water everywhere' after hours, Pro and Elite plans page YOU (the owner) directly by text + auto-call so you can take it personally. Core plans handle the booking but won't page you.
Some owners want the AI fully off outside business hours. You can configure this on the Business Hours page — turn off auto-response after hours and the AI will only send a brief "we're closed; we'll follow up in the morning" reply instead of trying to book.
Get customers texting you directly — not just on missed calls
Availon's default flow is missed-call text-back, but customers can also text your Availon number directly — same AI, same booking flow. Some of your customers will prefer texting over calling, especially after-hours.
Your Availon number works for both calls and texts. Add "Call or text us" wherever your phone number appears:
Owners who promote their text line typically see customers texting first within 30 days — and texting customers convert to bookings 2-3x faster than voicemail callers because they're already in a conversation channel.
Customers who call you have implicit opt-in to receive your missed-call text-back. Customers who text you first are also opted in by the act of texting. You don't need a separate opt-in form. The first reply from Availon always includes "Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help" to meet carrier requirements.
What you cannot do: import a customer list and text them all cold. That requires explicit prior opt-in (e.g., a checkbox at booking time). Availon's SMS use case is conversational + transactional — not promotional bulk sends.
Common issues and how to fix them
Check that your Availon account is active and your subscription is current.
Verify call forwarding is set up correctly on your phone — this is the most common cause.
Check your business hours settings — if it's outside your set hours, the AI won't respond until business hours.
Make sure the customer hasn't previously texted STOP (opted out). Check their conversation in your inbox.
Check if Availon is paused — look for the Pause/Resume toggle at the top of your dashboard.
If none of the above, contact support at support@availon.ai.
For Google: make sure you're signing in with the correct Google account that has your business calendar.
For Outlook: make sure you're signing in with the correct Microsoft account.
Try disconnecting and reconnecting from your dashboard.
Make sure you clicked 'Allow' or 'Accept' when asked for calendar permissions.
If you see any error, contact support — we can usually resolve calendar issues in minutes.
Verify your calendar is connected — dashboard shows 'Google Calendar connected' or 'Outlook Calendar connected'.
Check that the AI actually completed a booking — look in your inbox for a conversation that ended with a confirmed appointment.
For Google: check your 'primary' calendar — Availon books to the default calendar.
Allow up to 60 seconds for the event to appear after booking.
Check that your business phone number is saved correctly in your account settings.
Make sure your phone can receive texts from unknown numbers.
Check if Do Not Disturb is enabled on your phone — it may be blocking alerts.
Contact support if alerts are still not arriving.
Check your Availon inbox to confirm the message was sent.
The customer's carrier may have filtered the message as spam — ask them to check their filtered messages.
Make sure call forwarding was active when the call came in.
If this happens repeatedly, contact support — it may be a carrier delivery issue.
See the 'Adding Your Existing Appointments' guide above for step-by-step instructions.
In short: open Google Calendar, tap the day, tap +, enter the appointment title and time, save.
You only need to add the next 2–4 weeks of existing commitments.
Availon only books new appointments — it won't affect anything already on your calendar.