Quick start: your first answered call

What you'll do

By the end of this guide you'll have a live Milo receptionist with a real phone number attached. If you already have a business number you want to keep, you can forward it to Milo afterward — the process takes about two extra minutes.

1. Sign up

Head to dialmilo.com/signup and create your account with your email address or Google login. No credit card is required to sign up.

2. Walk through onboarding

The first screen asks what brings you to Milo. Pick Answer my calls for a receptionist. (If you want Milo to call lists of customers or players, see running an outbound campaign instead.)

1. 1

   Tell Milo about your business

   Paste your website address and Milo reads it: your services, hours and the questions people ask. No website? Describe the business in a couple of sentences instead.

2. 2

   Meet Milo

   Milo drafts a receptionist for you: a name, a voice, a greeting and what it knows. Check the basics, change anything, and try the free 60-second browser demo to hear it.

3. 3

   Go live, or look around first

   Pick a number for Milo, or keep yours and forward it. Want to explore first? Choose Look around first; you can go live any time from the checklist on your home page.

3. Get a phone number

On the Go live step (or later from Add a number on your home checklist), choose a new number or forwarding. A number costs $3 to set up and $3 a month in the US, and needs a top-up of at least $10 the first time. It's assigned to your receptionist automatically.

4. Test it

Call the number you just bought. Milo will answer, greet you, and respond to what you say. Listen for anything that sounds off — names mispronounced, a greeting that's too formal, anything you'd want to tweak.

5. Forward your real number (optional)

If you already have a printed business number (on your website, business cards, Google listing), you don't need to abandon it. Set up call forwarding from your carrier so calls to your existing number ring through to Milo. See the forwarding article for carrier-specific steps.