Channels
Channels overview
The ways customers reach Airhug (phone, text, email, website chat), what each needs from you, how long it takes, and what is available today.
Each channel is set up separately and independently. The AI uses the same knowledge, persona and rules on all of them, and all of them land in one inbox.
What each channel needs#
| Channel | You provide | Airhug provides | Typical time to live | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phone calls | A number choice; recording consent | The AI voice and the phone number (new numbers) | New number: about a minute. Forwarding: minutes. Moving a number: 1 to 4 weeks. | Phone numbers, call forwarding |
| Text messages | Business details (legal name, address, EIN) and, for toll-free, a screenshot of your opt-in | The texting number and carrier registration | Toll-free: a few business days. Local number: weeks. | Texting |
| DNS access at your domain host; one forwarding rule in your mailbox | The mailbox address reception@yourdomain.com, sending, and a forwarding address | Minutes to a few hours, after DNS propagates | Email domain | |
| Website chat | One script tag on your site; your site address | The chat widget, hosted by Airhug | Minutes | Website chat |
| Slack, Teams | An owner or admin to connect | The @airhug staff assistant | Minutes | Slack and Teams |
Which phone path should I choose?#
| Situation | Choose |
|---|---|
| New business, or you want a separate line for Airhug | Get a new number |
| You want to keep your number and carrier, and let Airhug catch unanswered calls | Forward my existing number |
| You want Airhug to be your carrier for a number you already advertise | Move my number here (also called porting) |
| You want texting live this week | A toll-free number. See texting. |
| You want a local area code that customers recognize | A local number, and expect weeks for texting approval |
Availability#
| Channel | Standard workspace | HIPAA workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Phone calls | Available | Limited availability. See HIPAA phone calls. |
| Text messages | Available. Sending replies needs carrier registration. | Limited availability. Texting for healthcare workspaces moves to AWS messaging under AWS's BAA, and registration takes 1 to 4 weeks. Confirm with support. |
| Available | Available | |
| Website chat | Available | Available |
| Slack and Teams | Available | Available. You accept a BAA warning each time you connect. |
See feature status for the current, complete list.
Tokens#
Every reply the AI sends on any channel spends AI tokens. A voice minute costs 10 tokens. A text, email or chat reply costs 2. See AI tokens.