Your first call, end to end

This page provides an end-to-end setup path, from an empty account to a working call. Follow the steps in order, and see the links in each step for detailed instructions. The complete workflow is collected here because it is not available on a single portal page.

The portal also offers a quick setup wizard that performs some of these steps for you, although it covers only the most common configurations.

1. Sign in and set up an account

Start by signing in to Live Hub. The first time you sign in, Live Hub prompts you to create your first account.

Create additional accounts only if you need them.

There are three account types: standalone, parent, and subaccount. The account type you choose depends on whether you run voice services for your organization or provide voice services to your customers. See Account types and Create an account.

2. Set up credit and API access

Your first account starts on the Trial plan and includes complimentary credit, which is enough to complete the steps on this page at no cost. For details about what the trial includes and its limitations, see Account plans.

1. If you need to place outbound calls to the public telephone network, add credit to your account. Adding credit upgrades your account from the Trial plan to the Essential plan. The Trial plan does not support routing outbound calls through AudioCodes-supplied numbers. Before you add credit, enter your billing address because Live Hub requires it. For more information, see Account settings and Billing models.

   Adding credit alone does not enable outbound calling through AudioCodes-supplied numbers. You must also contact AudioCodes to enable this capability. Submit the request now instead of waiting until step 6 to avoid delaying the rest of the setup process. For more information, see Outbound calling.

2. If you plan to use the REST API or outbound calling, create an API client and assign it to a user group. See API clients.

3. Create a bot connection

There are two methods for providing a bot. After you choose a method, the remaining steps are the same.

• Build an agent in Live Hub. Create the agent in AI Agents, and then enable Speech and Telephony. When you enable these features, the system automatically creates the agent's bot connection. On the same tab, select the speech-to-text and text-to-speech services. Because you configure these settings during agent creation, the steps below do not apply.

• Connect an existing bot. Connect a bot that you already run in Microsoft Copilot Studio, Google Dialogflow, Rasa, or another framework:

  1. Prepare the bot in the vendor's platform and collect the required credentials. The credentials vary by framework. For more information, see Connect a bot.
  2. Create the bot connection for your framework and select the speech-to-text and text-to-speech services. When you complete the setup, the bot is "ready for voice interactions" / "ready to handle voice interactions". To update these services later, go to the bot connection's Settings tab.

Before you begin, add your Microsoft, Google, or other speech subscription as a speech provider if you plan to use it instead of a subscription that Live Hub provides. After you add the provider, it becomes available when you select the speech-to-text and text-to-speech services.

4. Add a voice channel

A voice channel handles inbound and outbound calls. Choose the channel type that matches your deployment. You can configure multiple voice channels in the same account:

• Buy a phone number from AudioCodes
• Create a SIP connection to your own trunk or platform
• Connect a WhatsApp number
• Connect a Microsoft Teams tenant

5. Create a routing rule

A routing rule connects a voice channel to a bot connection. Create a routing rule that matches calls from the voice channel and routes them to the bot connection. For outbound calls, configure the routing rule in the opposite direction. The system does not handle calls until you create a routing rule. Missing this step is a common issue during initial setup.

6. Test the chain and enable call features

Before you continue, test the complete call flow to confirm that the voice channel, routing rule, and bot connection work together as expected.

1. Test the bot connection, and then test the channel — SIP, Teams or Click-to-call.
2. Enable the call features you want: transcript, recording, call transfer, failover.
3. If you need Live Hub to place calls instead of receiving them, set up outbound calling.

7. Monitor the service

Live Hub provides several ways to monitor active and completed calls:

• Use Call history and live calls to view completed and active calls.
• Use Dashboard, statistics and metrics to track all call activity and performance.
• Configure Alarms, and thresholds to detect issues and receive notifications when problems occur.