dialnote AI agents handle calls and messages when your team can't. They greet callers, answer common questions, book appointments, and transfer complex issues to the right person. Available around the clock, they're never on break.
There are two types of AI agents in dialnote: Voice Agents for phone calls and Message Agents for SMS conversations. Both run on the same AI platform and share knowledge bases.
What AI Agents Do#
Voice Agents#
Voice agents pick up incoming calls and talk to callers naturally. They listen, respond, and take actions based on your instructions.
- Answer calls 24/7 — picks up when your team is busy, after hours, or unavailable
- Speak naturally — conversational language that sounds human, not robotic
- Book appointments — connects to Calendly or Cal.com to schedule meetings on the spot
- Send text messages — texts callers with links, confirmations, or follow-up info
- Transfer to your team — routes calls to specific team members when needed
- Answer questions — pulls from your knowledge base to handle FAQs accurately
Message Agents#
Message agents respond to incoming SMS conversations automatically. They read messages, reply intelligently, and can take actions just like voice agents.
- Reply to texts instantly — no waiting for a team member to respond
- Look up contacts — pulls caller info from your contact list for personalized replies
- Send links — shares URLs for scheduling, payments, or resources
- Transfer to a human — hands off to a team member when the conversation needs a personal touch
- Book meetings — schedules appointments through Calendly or Cal.com via text
When to use each type
Use voice agents for after-hours call coverage, call screening, and appointment booking. Use message agents for quick text-based support, appointment confirmations, and lead qualification. For complex sales conversations or sensitive issues, you'll want human agents handling those directly.
How It Works#
When a call comes in to a phone number with an AI agent assigned, here's what happens:
Message agents follow a similar flow — when an SMS arrives on a number with a message agent assigned, the bot reads the text, generates a reply, and sends it back automatically.
Behind the scenes, your AI agent uses:
- Your instructions — the identity, task steps, and guardrails you define
- Your knowledge base — documents, FAQs, and URLs you upload
- Your tools — actions like booking meetings, sending SMS, or custom webhooks
Key Components#
Agent Instructions#
You define how your AI agent behaves through four sections:
| Section | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Who the agent is and what it represents | "You're Alex, a receptionist at Smith Dental" |
| Task steps | The workflow the agent follows | "1. Greet caller. 2. Ask purpose. 3. Book or transfer" |
| Interaction style | How the agent communicates | "Friendly but professional. Keep responses brief" |
| Guardrails | Topics or actions to avoid | "Don't discuss pricing. Don't make promises" |
Voice Selection (Voice Agents Only)#
You pick a voice from multiple providers — ElevenLabs, OpenAI, Deepgram, and PlayHT. Each voice has different characteristics: male or female, various accents, formal or casual tone.
Language support includes English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and 15+ other languages. Pick a voice that matches your brand and customer expectations.
Knowledge Bases#
Knowledge bases give your agent specific information about your business. You can upload:
- URLs — your website pages, help articles, pricing pages (up to 500 URLs)
- Documents — PDFs, Word docs, text files, spreadsheets (up to 25 files, 50MB each)
- Text snippets — FAQs, scripts, product details (up to 50 snippets)
The agent searches this knowledge to answer questions accurately. URLs can auto-refresh every 12 hours so your agent always has current info.
Shared knowledge bases
Knowledge bases are created separately and can be attached to multiple agents. Update a knowledge base once and every connected agent gets the latest info.
Custom Tools#
Tools let your agent take actions during calls or conversations:
| Tool | Voice | Message | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| End call / End conversation | Yes | Yes | Wraps up with a customizable goodbye message |
| Transfer call | Yes | — | Forwards to an external phone number |
| Transfer to team / human | Yes | Yes | Routes to specific team members |
| Send SMS / Send link | Yes | Yes | Texts the caller with links or confirmations |
| Check availability | Yes | Yes | Looks up open time slots from Calendly/Cal.com |
| Book meeting | Yes | Yes | Schedules appointments directly |
| Custom webhook | Yes | Yes | Calls your own API for any custom action |
Getting Started#
Ready to create your first AI agent? You've got three ways to start:
- AI-Powered Setup (recommended) — describe what you need in plain English and the AI builds your agent configuration automatically
- Browse Templates — pick a pre-built agent for common use cases like customer support, appointment booking, or sales qualification
- Build from Scratch — full manual control over every setting for advanced users
The fastest path:
- Go to AI Agents in your dialnote dashboard
- Click Create Agent and choose Voice Agent or Message Agent
- Pick your setup method (AI-powered, template, or scratch)
- Configure your agent's instructions and tools
- Test your agent with a live simulation
- Assign it to a phone number to go live
For detailed steps, see Creating an AI Agent.
What's Next#
- Create your first agent — step-by-step setup guide
- Configure agent settings — voice, language, and behavior options
- Add knowledge bases — train your agent with business info
- Set up custom tools — booking, SMS, webhooks, and more
- Test before going live — verify your agent works correctly