What is an ExoPhone (Virtual Number)?

An ExoPhone is a virtual phone number provided by Exotel that serves as your business phone number. Customers dial this number to reach your business, and you use it as the caller ID for outbound calls. ExoPhones are not tied to any physical phone line or SIM card -- they exist entirely in the cloud.

Why Use ExoPhones?

• Professional business identity -- Present a consistent business number to all customers regardless of which agent handles the call.
• Privacy protection -- Agents never need to share their personal phone numbers with customers.
• Centralized routing -- All calls to the ExoPhone are routed through your configured call flow, ensuring consistent customer experience.
• Portability -- Since the number lives in the cloud, your team can handle calls from any location or device.
• Multiple numbers -- Use different ExoPhones for different departments, campaigns, or regions.

Types of ExoPhones

Type	Description	Best For
Landline	Standard landline numbers (e.g., 080-XXXXXXX)	Professional business identity, local presence
Mobile	Mobile phone numbers (e.g., 9XXXXXXXXX)	Outbound calls where mobile caller ID improves answer rates
Toll-Free	Numbers where the called party (your business) pays for the call (e.g., 1800-XXX-XXXX)	Customer support lines, sales hotlines

How ExoPhones Work

Customer dials ExoPhone (e.g., 080-4712XXXX)
        |
        v
  Exotel receives the call
        |
        v
  Mapped call flow is triggered
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        v
  Greeting → IVR → Connect to Agent

Each ExoPhone is mapped to a call flow (also called an App). When a customer dials the ExoPhone, Exotel triggers the mapped call flow to handle the call.

Setting Up an ExoPhone

Step 1: Purchase a Number

1. Log in to the Exotel Dashboard.
2. Navigate to ExoPhones from the left sidebar.
3. Click Buy New ExoPhone.
4. Select the number type (Landline, Mobile, or Toll-Free).
5. Choose your preferred region or circle.
6. Select a number from the available options.
7. Complete the purchase.

tip

You can also purchase ExoPhones programmatically using the ExoPhones API.

Step 2: Assign to a Call Flow

1. Go to ExoPhones in the dashboard.
2. Click on the ExoPhone you want to configure.
3. Under Incoming Call Flow, select the call flow to handle incoming calls.
4. Under Incoming SMS Flow, optionally configure SMS handling.
5. Click Save.

Step 3: Test

Dial your ExoPhone from any phone to verify the call flow works as expected.

Managing ExoPhones

Via Dashboard

• View all numbers -- Go to ExoPhones in the left sidebar to see all your numbers, their types, and assigned flows.
• Change call flow -- Click on any ExoPhone to update its incoming call flow or SMS flow assignment.
• View call logs -- See all calls received on a specific ExoPhone.

Via API

Use the ExoPhones API to programmatically:

• List available numbers
• Purchase a number
• Assign to a flow
• List your numbers
• View number details
• Release a number

ExoPhone Capabilities

Each ExoPhone has specific capabilities depending on its type:

Capability	Landline	Mobile	Toll-Free
Receive incoming calls	Yes	Yes	Yes
Make outbound calls	Yes	Yes	Limited
Receive SMS	Yes	Yes	No
Send SMS	Yes	Yes	No
Use as caller ID	Yes	Yes	Yes

Best Practices

• Use separate ExoPhones for different purposes -- For example, one for sales and one for support. This helps with call routing and analytics.
• Choose toll-free for support -- Customers are more likely to call when they do not have to pay.
• Use mobile numbers for outbound campaigns -- Mobile caller IDs generally have higher answer rates than landline numbers.
• Set up fallback flows -- Configure what happens when agents are unavailable (voicemail, callback, etc.).

Next Steps

• Services Provided by Exotel
• Getting Started with Exotel
• Setting Up a Call Flow