Set up your AI Callbot (phone)

Add an AI voice agent that answers your phone. Pick a voice, set a greeting, forward your business line, and let it answer callers and take bookings.

Written By Melanie Gannone (Super Administrator)

Updated at September 22nd, 2026

The AI Callbot Beta is a voice agent that answers your business phone line, so an inbound call never rolls to voicemail just because your team is busy with guests, out running your activities, or closed for the day. For most operators a missed call is a missed booking. The callbot exists to close that gap: it picks up in a voice and greeting you choose, understands what the caller is asking, and handles the request from start to finish.

It draws on the same sources your team does. For "how does this work" questions it answers from your knowledge base; for "do you have space Saturday morning" it reads your live availability, quotes what's open, and can take the booking right there on the call. You stay in control of the details: the voice, the greeting, and whether it answers every call or only the ones nobody picks up (after-hours and overflow).

This is the phone assistant. If you want the same thing on your website, set up the AI Chatbot instead. They are separate features, but they share the same knowledge base, so content you write once powers both.

The AI Callbot is in beta. To turn it on, go to Setup Beta Features and enable Callbot. You don't need to contact us.
Learn how to enable beta features
Before you begin. Setting up a callbot requires the Manage company profile permission. It comes with the built-in Owner group, or any custom permission group that includes it. If Callbots doesn't appear under Setup, you don't have that permission yet, so ask an account admin to grant it to you.
Learn how to manage permission groups

Before you start, build at least one Knowledge Base so the callbot has your content to answer from.

How the callbot answers your calls

You don't replace your phone number. TripWorks gives the callbot its own dedicated number, and you forward your existing business line to it. Callers still dial your normal number; your carrier passes the call to the callbot. You choose whether to forward all calls or only when no one answers (after-hours / overflow).

Step 1: Create the callbot

  1. Go to Setup → Sell online → Callbots.
  2. Select New Callbot.
  3. In the Create CallBot panel, fill in the Basic Information:
    Field What it's for
    Callbot Name An internal label (e.g. "Annie"). It's also used throughout the rest of the form, so the Greeting field and capability descriptions read "Annie can…" instead of a generic "it can…".
    Language The language the callbot listens and speaks in on calls. Defaults to English.
    AI Model Which AI model powers the callbot's conversation. Defaults to GPT-5.
    Greeting The first thing the callbot says when it answers. TripWorks seeds this with a greeting built from your business name (e.g. "Hi! Thanks for calling Otter Bay Kayak Tours. I can help you check availability or book an experience — how can I help?"), and you can edit it freely.
    Your Business Phone Number Under Phone Number, the line you'll forward from, so the callbot knows which number it's answering for.
    Knowledge Base The knowledge bases the callbot may answer from, on the Knowledge Base tab.
    The Configure CallBot panel's Settings tab showing the Callbot Name, new Language and AI Model dropdowns, and the Greeting field, with the Phone Number, Knowledge Base, Voice, and Info tabs along the top
    Basic Information now includes Language and AI Model, and a new Info tab sits alongside Settings, Phone Number, Knowledge Base, and Voice.
  4. Select Create Callbot. TripWorks provisions the callbot's dedicated phone number and, on creation, automatically attaches every active knowledge base you have — nothing more to select before the callbot can start answering from your content (you can still fine-tune which ones it uses afterward, on the Knowledge Base tab). This can take a moment.

Language and AI Model

Two dropdowns on the Settings tab let you tune how the callbot itself is built, not just what it says:

  • Language sets the language the callbot listens and speaks in — English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, or Hindi. Pick the language your callers actually speak; the Greeting and every live response come back in that language.
  • AI Model sets which AI model reasons through the call — a choice of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google models (for example GPT-5, GPT-5 Mini, Claude Sonnet 4.5, or Gemini 2.5 Flash). GPT-5 is the default and is a strong all-around choice. The lighter "Mini"/"Nano"/"Flash" variants respond faster and suit snappier call handling; the larger models handle more complex, multi-step requests more reliably.

Most operators never need to touch either setting: the defaults (English, GPT-5) work well out of the box. Change the language if you serve a non-English-speaking market, and try a different AI model if you want to compare how it handles your specific call scripts.

Example: A kayak tour operator based in Miami who fields a steady stream of Spanish-speaking callers switches Language to Spanish on a second callbot, forwards after-hours calls to it, and keeps the primary English callbot answering during business hours.

Step 2: Choose what it can do

Under Capabilities, turn on what you want the callbot to do:

  • Send booking payment links via SMS: the callbot texts the caller a payment link when they're ready to book.
  • Check live availability: it looks up real-time availability and pricing for your activities.
  • Create leads in Lead Center: it automatically creates a lead record for callers who don't book, so you can follow up.
The Create CallBot panel's Capabilities section with toggles for SMS payment links, live availability, and lead creation, plus notification options
Pick the callbot's capabilities and where it should send call notifications.

Step 3: Set up notifications

Under How should we notify you?, choose where TripWorks sends call notifications (like a new booking or lead):

  • Text the main business number
  • Text team member(s): pick who
  • Text a custom number

Step 4: Set your Transfer Destination and forward your line

On the Phone Number tab, the Transfer Destination section is where you set the business number the callbot hands off to — during a live transfer to a human, or any time it's outside your hours. This is the same "Your Business Phone Number" field from setup; it's now labeled Transfer Destination because that's what it actually does once the callbot is live.

Once the callbot's number is provisioned, forward your business line to it. The Phone Number tab has a View Forwarding Instructions section with the exact dial codes for major carriers, for example:

  • Verizon: *72 then the forwarding number (all calls), or *71 (when no answer)
  • AT&T: *21* then the number then # (all calls), or *61*…# (when no answer)
  • T-Mobile: **21*…# (all calls), or **61*…# (when no answer)

Use the "forward all calls" codes to route every call to the callbot, or the "no answer" codes to use it only as after-hours / overflow. Check your carrier's own instructions if yours isn't listed.

Business hours

Beyond forwarding, the Hours tab lets you set exactly when the callbot should answer calls itself versus transfer them, plus a manual override to force it on or off right now regardless of the schedule (a holiday closure, or testing). See Set your Callbot's business hours and manual override for the full walkthrough.

Manage your Knowledge Base connections

The Knowledge Base tab lists every knowledge base on your account as a checklist, so you can see at a glance what the callbot can and can't answer from — no more guessing which article covers which topic:

  • Each row shows the knowledge base's name, its word count, and a type tag (e.g. FAQ, Policy, Article).
  • A "Not synced" badge appears on any knowledge base that hasn't finished syncing to the underlying voice AI provider yet. A knowledge base in that state can't be selected — it's grayed out until the sync completes, because an unsynced knowledge base genuinely isn't available to the agent yet, regardless of how the checkbox looks.
  • Checking a box attaches that knowledge base to the callbot; unchecking removes it. Changes take effect the next time you save.

New callbots start with every active, synced knowledge base already attached (see Step 1) — this list is where you narrow that down if you want a particular callbot to stick to a subset of your content (for example, a callbot dedicated to one location that shouldn't quote pricing from a different location's knowledge base).

Step 5: Test it

Call your business number and talk to the callbot as a customer would — ask a question that's in your knowledge base and walk through a booking. Bookings it takes are tagged with the source AI Call Bot, and calls appear in the callbot's history. See Review AI callbot calls & analytics.

For the full booking-and-payment flow and its safeguards, see How AI bookings work.

The Info tab: reference details for support

The Info tab is read-only. There's nothing to configure here. It exists for the moments you need to hand a detail to TripWorks support or double-check when a callbot was set up:

  • Agent ID: the unique identifier for the underlying voice AI agent behind this callbot. A Copy button next to it copies the ID to your clipboard. Have this ready if you contact support about a specific callbot's call quality or behavior; it lets support pull up the exact agent instead of guessing which one you mean.
  • Created: the date and time this callbot was set up.
  • Voice and Knowledge bases: a quick summary of the current voice selection and how many knowledge bases are attached, without switching tabs.

Upgrade Now: keeping your callbot's template current

TripWorks periodically improves the underlying prompt template that powers callbots — better call-handling logic, more reliable tool use, sharper responses. Existing callbots don't pick up those improvements automatically, since your saved Greeting, capabilities, and other customizations live on top of that template and an automatic overwrite could clobber them.

When a newer template is available for a callbot you've already created, you'll see an "A newer version of this callbot is available" banner at the top of the Settings tab with an Upgrade Now button. Selecting it pulls the latest prompt template onto your existing callbot in place — your name, greeting, voice, capabilities, knowledge bases, and phone number are untouched; only the underlying template logic updates.

There's no way to preview what a template upgrade changes before applying it, and no undo afterward. If you've heavily customized behavior beyond what the setup form exposes (not common, but possible via support), consider mentioning that to your TripWorks contact before upgrading.

Example: You set up a callbot six months ago. TripWorks ships an improved template with more natural call-transfer handling. The next time you open that callbot's Settings tab, you see the Upgrade Now banner, select it, and the callbot immediately starts using the improved logic — no re-entering your greeting or capabilities.

Frequently asked questions

What language should I pick if my callers speak more than one language?

Pick the language most of your callers actually speak, since that's the single language the callbot listens and responds in for a given callbot. If you regularly get calls in two languages, set up a second callbot in the other language and route calls to it separately (for example, a dedicated number you advertise for Spanish-speaking customers, or an after-hours callbot in a different language than your primary one).

Which AI Model should I choose?

GPT-5 (the default) is a strong general-purpose choice and is what we recommend starting with. The lighter "Mini"/"Nano"/"Flash" options across OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google respond a bit faster and work well for straightforward booking and FAQ calls. If your callbot needs to handle more complex, multi-step conversations, a full-size model (GPT-5, Claude Sonnet 4.5) tends to reason through them more reliably. There's no cost difference to you either way — feel free to try a different model and compare how it handles your real call patterns.

Can I change the language or AI Model after the callbot is already live?

Yes. Open the callbot's Configure panel, change Language or AI Model on the Settings tab, and save. The change applies to calls going forward; it doesn't affect anything about calls already completed.

What is the Agent ID on the Info tab, and do I need it?

The Agent ID identifies the specific voice AI agent behind this callbot. Most operators never need it day-to-day; it exists for support conversations. If you contact TripWorks support about an issue with one particular callbot, copying and sharing its Agent ID lets support find the exact agent immediately instead of asking you to describe which callbot you mean.

What does "Upgrade Now" actually change on my callbot?

It updates the underlying prompt template that governs how the callbot's AI reasons and uses its tools — the improvements TripWorks ships over time. It does not touch anything you configured yourself: name, greeting, voice, capabilities, knowledge bases, phone number, and hours all stay exactly as you set them.

Do I have to upgrade when I see the banner?

No. The banner is informational, and the callbot keeps working normally on its current template if you leave it. There's no deadline. Upgrade whenever it's convenient. That said, since upgrades are template-only and don't touch your customizations, there's usually little reason to wait.

Why is a knowledge base grayed out with a "Not synced" badge on the Knowledge Base tab?

That knowledge base hasn't finished syncing to the voice AI provider yet, so it isn't actually available for a callbot to draw from — the checklist disables it rather than let you select something that wouldn't work. This usually resolves on its own shortly after the knowledge base is created or edited. If a knowledge base stays "Not synced" for an extended period, contact support.

Do new callbots automatically get my knowledge bases, or do I have to attach them myself?

New callbots automatically start with every active, synced knowledge base already attached, so a brand-new callbot can answer from your content the moment it's created. You can then narrow that down on the Knowledge Base tab if you want a particular callbot limited to a subset of your knowledge bases.

What greeting does a new callbot start with?

TripWorks seeds a greeting built from your business name — something like "Hi! Thanks for calling [Your Business Name]. I can help you check availability or book an experience — how can I help?" You can edit it to anything you like before or after creating the callbot; it's just a starting point.

Is the AI Callbot available to every account?

The AI Callbot is currently in beta and needs to be turned on under Setup → Beta Features before it appears. See how to enable beta features.

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