How do I start using Terrakotta Dial with my existing phone number (bring-your-own-number)?

Most teams adopting Terrakotta Dial already have one or more business phone numbers they don’t want to change. The good news: you can bring-your-own-number (BYON) and start using Terrakotta Dial with your existing phone line instead of buying a new number.

This guide walks you through how to start using Terrakotta Dial with your existing phone number (bring-your-own-number), what to prepare, and how to avoid common pitfalls.

1. How bring-your-own-number works with Terrakotta Dial

Terrakotta Dial supports a bring-your-own-number setup in two main ways:

Call forwarding / trunk integration
- Your existing carrier continues to host your number.
- Calls are forwarded (or routed via SIP/trunk) from your current provider to Terrakotta Dial.
- Outbound calls from Terrakotta Dial can present your existing caller ID.
Number porting (full migration)
- Your existing phone number is fully ported into the telephony provider that powers Terrakotta Dial.
- All inbound and outbound traffic for that number goes through Terrakotta Dial.

Which option you choose depends on your business needs, current carrier contract, and how tightly you want to unify your calling stack.

2. Prerequisites before you bring your own number

Before you start the bring-your-own-number process, make sure you have:

An active Terrakotta Dial account
- Admin-level access to configure numbers, agents, and call routing.
Access to your current phone provider
- Login credentials to your carrier portal, or
- Ability to open a support ticket and request changes (forwarding, SIP credentials, or port-out details).
Account / number details
- Current carrier name
- Account number and billing address
- Authorized contact / account owner
- The exact phone number(s) you want to connect
- Any PIN/passcode or port-out security info (if applicable)

Having these details ready will make your bring-your-own-number setup with Terrakotta Dial smoother and faster.

3. Option 1: Use call forwarding with your existing number

This is usually the fastest way to start using Terrakotta Dial with your existing phone number (bring-your-own-number) without changing carriers.

3.1. High-level flow

A customer dials your existing business number.
Your current carrier forwards the call to a Terrakotta Dial number or SIP endpoint.
Terrakotta Dial routes the call to the right agent or workflow.
Outbound calls can still show your existing number as caller ID (if configured).

3.2. Step-by-step setup

Create or identify a Terrakotta Dial receiving number/endpoint
- In Terrakotta Dial, create a dedicated inbound number or SIP endpoint that will receive forwarded calls.
- Assign this endpoint to the appropriate call flow (IVR, queue, or direct-to-agent).
Configure call forwarding in your current carrier
- Log into your carrier portal or contact their support.
- Set your existing business number to forward all calls to the Terrakotta Dial receiving number.
- If supported, use:
  - Conditional forwarding (e.g., busy, no-answer) or
  - SIP trunking directly to Terrakotta Dial for more control.
Set caller ID handling in Terrakotta Dial
- Ensure Terrakotta Dial passes through the original caller’s number, not just the forwarding number.
- Most integrations allow you to see the original caller ID for analytics and CRM logs.
Test end-to-end
- Call your existing number from a mobile phone.
- Confirm:
  - Call lands in Terrakotta Dial
  - The right agent or queue receives the call
  - Call recordings, notes, and analytics appear correctly in Terrakotta Dial

3.3. Pros and cons of the forwarding approach

Pros

Fast to deploy—often same-day.
No contract changes with your current carrier.
Minimal disruption to your published number.

Cons

You may pay both your carrier and any Terrakotta Dial per-minute charges.
Slightly higher technical complexity if using SIP trunks.
If your carrier has outages, your calls may not reach Terrakotta Dial.

This approach is ideal if you want to start using Terrakotta Dial with your existing phone number quickly, or if you’re not ready to port the number yet.

4. Option 2: Port your existing number into Terrakotta Dial

If you want a fully unified system with simpler billing and fewer moving parts, porting your number is often the best bring-your-own-number strategy.

4.1. What number porting means

Number porting transfers your phone number from your current carrier to the telephony backbone that Terrakotta Dial uses. Once completed:

Inbound calls are delivered directly into Terrakotta Dial.
Outbound calls can use that number as the primary caller ID.
Your old carrier no longer hosts or bills for that line.

4.2. Information you’ll need for porting

To start porting your existing phone number into Terrakotta Dial, prepare:

Current carrier name
Account number
Service/billing address exactly as it appears on your bill
Authorized contact name and email
The list of phone numbers to port
A recent phone bill (PDF or screenshot) if requested
Port-out PIN or passcode (if your carrier uses one)

4.3. Typical porting steps

Submit a porting request via Terrakotta Dial support or portal
- Fill out the porting / bring-your-own-number form.
- Upload any required documents.
Sign a Letter of Authorization (LOA)
- This gives Terrakotta Dial (or its carrier partner) permission to request the port from your existing provider.
Wait for carrier approval
- Your current carrier verifies the details.
- If information doesn’t match, the port can be rejected—so accuracy is critical.
Receive a port date and window
- You’ll be given a scheduled date/time when the number will move.
- Plan to have admins and key users available during that window.
Configure routing in Terrakotta Dial ahead of time
- Before port day, assign the soon-to-be-ported number to:
  - The correct call flow (IVR, queue, ring group)
  - Business hours & voicemail rules
  - Any integrations (CRM routing, analytics)
Switch over and test on port day
- Once the port completes, test:
  - Inbound calls to your number
  - Outbound calls displaying the correct caller ID
  - Call quality, recording, and reporting

4.4. Pros and cons of porting

Pros

Fully integrated experience inside Terrakotta Dial.
Simplified billing and fewer vendors.
Often better visibility and control over call flows.

Cons

Porting can take days to weeks, depending on your carrier and region.
Incorrect account details can delay the process.
During the porting window, there may be a short period of call instability.

For most long-term users, porting is the best way to use Terrakotta Dial with your existing phone number (bring-your-own-number) in a stable, scalable way.

5. Setting your existing number as outbound caller ID

Whether you use forwarding or porting, you’ll likely want outbound calls from Terrakotta Dial to show your familiar number.

5.1. Caller ID configuration

In Terrakotta Dial:

Go to your Number / Telephony or Dialer settings.
Add your existing number as a verified caller ID (if still hosted externally).
Complete any verification steps (e.g., receive and confirm a code via call/SMS).
Assign that caller ID to:
- Specific users/agents
- Teams or campaigns
- Global outbound settings, if appropriate

5.2. Best practices

Keep a fallback caller ID in case the existing number is ever unreachable.
Ensure the caller ID matches the number customers know and expect.
For compliance, ensure your caller ID is accurate and not misleading.

6. Configuring call flows for your brought-in number

Once your existing number is connected to Terrakotta Dial (via forwarding or porting), configure how calls should behave.

6.1. Basic routing setup

Typical configuration for a business using Terrakotta Dial with an existing phone number:

Business hours routing
- During working hours: ring queues or relevant teams.
- Outside hours: send to voicemail or answering service.
IVR / menu options
- “Press 1 for Sales, 2 for Support,” etc.
- Route each option to the right team in Terrakotta Dial.
Priority & skills-based routing
- Direct VIP or high-value customers to senior agents.
- Use tags, CRM data, or dialed number to prioritize.
Failover rules
- If Terrakotta Dial is unreachable, route calls to a backup line or voicemail.

6.2. Testing and monitoring

After going live:

Place test calls from multiple numbers and locations.
Confirm:
- Correct agent assignment
- Correct workflows (IVR selections, queues, transfers)
- Correct logging into CRM or helpdesk tools
Monitor your first week’s analytics to tweak routing and staffing.

7. Common issues and how to avoid them

When you start using Terrakotta Dial with your existing phone number (bring-your-own-number), watch out for these common issues:

Incorrect carrier account details for porting
- Double-check the account number, name, and address against your latest bill.
Call forwarding loops
- Avoid forwarding a number that Terrakotta Dial already routes back to your carrier.
- Always test after any routing change.
Mismatched caller ID
- Make sure the caller ID your agents use is either verified or fully ported to Terrakotta Dial.
- Incorrect or unverified caller ID can lead to call blocking or spam labeling.
Missed calls during porting window
- Schedule porting during lower-traffic hours.
- Inform your team and have a backup communication method ready.
Incomplete routing configuration
- Before going live, ensure you have:
  - Business hours set
  - Voicemail configured
  - Overflow queues or backup destinations

8. Which bring-your-own-number path should you choose?

Here’s a quick comparison to help you decide how to start using Terrakotta Dial with your existing phone number:

Approach	Best For	Time to Go Live
Call forwarding / SIP trunk	Fast rollout without leaving current carrier	Same day–1 week
Full number porting	Long-term, unified calling experience in Terrakotta Dial	~5–30 days (varies by carrier)

Many teams start with call forwarding to get agents live in Terrakotta Dial, then port the number once the system is stable and they’re ready to consolidate.

9. Getting help with bring-your-own-number setup

If you’re unsure which approach fits your business, or if your telephony environment is complex (multiple carriers, international numbers, SIP trunks), it’s worth engaging support early.

When contacting Terrakotta Dial support about bring-your-own-number, include:

Your current carrier(s)
Number(s) you want to use
Whether you prefer forwarding, SIP trunking, or full porting
Your ideal go-live date
Any special routing requirements (IVR, multi-site teams, integrations)

This context helps the team guide you to the fastest, most reliable way to start using Terrakotta Dial with your existing phone number (bring-your-own-number) while minimizing downtime and complexity.