Setting up an AI voice agent in DialLink is quick and does not require technical knowledge. This article walks you through the steps to create and configure your AiVA AI agent.
Step 1: Access your AiVA AI agents
All your AI voice agents are available in one place, making it easy to manage and update them.
To access your AI agents:
Go to Settings
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2. Navigate to AI settings
3. Open the AI agents tab
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Step 2: Create your AiVA AI agent
In the AI agents tab:
Click the + icon in the top-right corner
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2. Select a predefined template (for example, receptionist or appointment scheduler) or choose to create a custom agent
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3. Click Save
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Note: If you select a predefined template, the agent’s role, greeting message, and instructions will be pre-filled. You can customize these settings to match your business needs.
If you choose a custom agent, a blank configuration will be created for you to set up from scratch.
4. Enter a clear, recognizable name for your AI agent
5. Select a model used for the agent
To understand the differences between available models, see the article Understanding models behind AiVA AI agents.
Step 3: Set language and voice
Select the language your AI agent will use when interacting with callers. Currently, AiVA supports seven languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Dutch, and Italian.
Next, choose a voice for your AI agent. You can select from a range of male and female voices. To help you decide, you can preview each voice before making your selection.
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Step 4: Set up AiVA AI agent personality
To ensure your AI agent behaves as expected, define its role and provide clear instructions for how it should handle different conversation scenarios.
The Personality section determines how your AI voice agent interacts with callers. It defines the agent’s role (for example, qualifying leads, taking messages, or scheduling appointments) and the logic it follows during conversations.
To provide business-specific information, such as pricing, business hours, or policies, create a Knowledge Base.
Role
In the Role field, describe what the AI agent is responsible for. For best results, keep the description clear and specific.
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Instructions
In the Instructions field, define what the agent should do and how it should behave during calls. Include guidance on tone, flow, and how to handle different scenarios.
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Learn more in the Writing effective instructions for AiVA AI agent article.
Greeting
In the Greeting field, write the script the AI agent will use to start the call.
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Example of greeting:
“Hi, I am Jamie, an AI virtual receptionist for [Company name]. I’m here to help answer your questions or take a message. Please note this call is being recorded. How can I assist you today?”
Temperature
This setting controls how predictable or flexible the agent’s responses are:
Lower values: more direct and consistent responses
Higher values: more conversational and flexible responses
Most teams use values between 0.6 and 0.8 for a balanced experience.
Step 5: Assign a phone number
Select the phone number(s) your AI voice agent will handle. One AI agent can be assigned to multiple phone numbers.
To assign a phone number:
Open the Phone numbers section within the AI agent
Select a phone number from the dropdown menu
Click Add phone number
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Repeat these steps to assign additional phone numbers as needed.
Step 6: Add a business knowledge base
To enable your AI agent to provide accurate, business-specific answers, connect it to a knowledge base. This allows the agent to reference information such as pricing, business hours, and policies during calls.
To learn how to create a knowledge base, see Creating a knowledge base.
To add a knowledge base:
Select a knowledge base from the dropdown list
Click Add knowledge base
Step 7: Enable call transfers to a human for AiVA AI agent (optional)
AiVA can automatically transfer calls to a user or team based on predefined keywords. For example, if a caller mentions “billing,” the agent can route the call to your finance team.
Each keyword can be linked to a specific destination, such as a user, ring group, or auto-receptionist.
To set up call transfers:
Navigate to Call transfers and messages
Click Add trigger
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3. Enter one or more keywords (separated by commas)
4. Select Transfer call in the Action field
5. Choose a destination from the dropdown menu
6. Select a user, auto-receptionist, or ring group
7. Click Save
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To learn more, see Using keywords for call transfers.
Step 8: Enable SMS messages for AiVA AI agent (optional)
AiVA can send SMS messages to callers during a call. This is useful for sharing links, directions, appointment details, or additional information.
To set up SMS messages:
Navigate to Call transfers and messages
Click Add trigger
Enter one or more keywords (separated by commas)
Select Send message in the Action field
Enter the message text
Click Save
Step 9: Connect an AiVA AI agent to other business tools (optional)
AiVA can connect to external business tools such as HubSpot, Cal.com, and Intercom using MCP servers. This allows the AI agent to access additional data and perform actions during calls.
To learn more about MCP servers, what AiVA can do with them, and how to configure them, see MCP servers overview and setup.