> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.compensable.live/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Phone numbers

> Search for and buy numbers, assign them to agents, and release numbers you no longer need.

Numbers live on the **Channels** page in the Command Center. Every number shows its assigned destination, its provider, its capabilities, and its caller ID status, so you can tell at a glance what's connected and what isn't.

## Buy a number

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start the wizard">
    On Channels, select **Add number**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose how it will be used">
    Pick Inbound, Outbound, or both. Most numbers should keep both on: a contact who misses an outbound call and dials the caller ID back reaches an agent instead of dead air.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Search by location">
    Enter a city or a 3-digit area code. A local number lifts answer rates, so pick where your callers are. To search toll-free instead, enter a toll-free prefix such as 800 or 888 in place of an area code.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a number">
    Browse the results. Each one shows its locality, its provider, its features, and its monthly cost.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm and activate">
    Review the number and select **Buy & activate**. This sets up call routing and starts caller ID registration for your firm automatically. Occasionally a carrier asks for more documentation before it activates; if that happens, the number shows as pending until it clears.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  You can release a number at any time after buying it. See [Release a number](#release-a-number) below.
</Note>

## Import or sync a number you already have

If you manage a number outside Compensable, select **Import number** on Channels. Enter it in E.164 format (for example `+14155551234`), choose the provider it's hosted with, optionally assign an agent, and give it a name.

If you've connected your own carrier account (see [Bring your own carrier](/guides/telephony/byo-carrier)), use **Sync from provider** instead. It compares your Compensable inventory against everything currently in that account: numbers it finds but you haven't imported are added automatically, and numbers your inventory still lists but the carrier no longer has are flagged so you can clean them up.

## Assign a number to an agent

Open a number and select **Route calls to an agent**. Choose the agent that should answer, or leave it unassigned. Unassigned numbers show as "No agent" in the list and are counted separately in the summary at the top of the page, so it's easy to spot a number that's live but not going anywhere.

You can also start from the agent side: an agent without a number offers **Find a number** and **Use an existing number** directly from its setup screen. See [Agents overview](/guides/agents/overview).

## Capabilities and caller ID

Each number carries capability badges: Voice, SMS, and either Local or Toll-free. A number that hasn't confirmed a capability yet shows no badge for it rather than a guess.

The Caller ID column shows one of four states: Verified caller ID, Verifying, Action needed, or Not verified. A verified number is registered to your firm with full caller ID attestation, which helps your calls display as trusted instead of "Spam Likely." See [Sender registration and trust](/guides/telephony/registration) for what each state means and what to do about "Action needed."

## Release a number

Open the number, select **Remove number**, and confirm. Calls to a removed number need to be reassigned, so re-route or clear its routing first if you don't want inbound calls going nowhere in the meantime; removal itself can't be undone.

<Note>
  A number that's winding down before release can show a "Cooling off" status for a period first. That's deliberate: it keeps the number reachable a little longer so a caller who dials back doesn't hit a dead line.
</Note>

## Next steps

* Group numbers by area code so campaigns show a local caller ID in [Number pools](/guides/telephony/number-pools).
* Connect your own carrier account or port an existing number in [Bring your own carrier](/guides/telephony/byo-carrier).
* Understand caller ID and messaging registration in [Sender registration and trust](/guides/telephony/registration).