Phone calling and recording are subject to Element451's usage-based pricing.
Overview
⚠️ When using AI voice capabilities in Element451, your institution is responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws related to phone communication and call recording.
Element451’s phone-calling feature lets staff place and record outbound calls to students. One-off calls can also be placed by Bolt Agents with voice mode enabled.
Inbound calls to your numbers aren’t routed through Element451. Instead, any call to an Element451 number is forwarded to the external number you choose—like your admissions office line—or answered by a Bolt Agent using Advanced Voice Mode. Bolt Agents respond in real time, support students 24/7, and help your team work more efficiently.
Purchased Numbers
You can buy phone numbers directly within Element451 for outbound calling. If your institution already has a purchased number for SMS/MMS, you can use that same number for calling, or buy a separate one if you'd like.
You can also purchase multiple numbers if needed—for example, to assign dedicated lines to different teams or AI agents. Purchased numbers are billed based on usage and remain active through the duration of your contract.
Forwarding Your Number
Forwarding Your Number
Inbound calls to purchased numbers are not routed through Element451. Instead, you must set up call forwarding to either:
An external number (like your admissions office), or
A Bolt Agent (if using Advanced Voice Mode)
To configure call forwarding, edit your phone number's settings, which is explained in the next section.
🧠 Good to Know: If you don't use phone calling, you should still set up a forwarding number for the phone number you use for SMS/MMS. This allows calls to be forwarded to you if someone calls that number.
Phone Call Settings + Number Management
You can access your phone settings, which include management of purchased phone numbers, by navigating to Engagement > Conversations > Settings > Phone. The settings are divided into two sections—phone numbers and phone call settings:
Phone Numbers
Phone Numbers
Engagement > Conversations > Settings > Phone > Phone Numbers
The phone numbers card displays a table of all your phone numbers, their names, numbers, types, and statuses.
Phone numbers with a blue Bolt Agents icon indicate that the number is forwarded to a Bolt Agent.
Phone numbers with a blue phone/arrow icon indicate that the number is forwarded to a phone number.
Editing/Deleting Numbers
To edit or delete a phone number, click the vertical ellipsis (⋮).
Phone Number Settings
Name: The name assigned to identify this phone number internally.
Forward Incoming Calls To: Select where you would like inbound calls forwarded (Element451 does not support handling inbound calls):
Phone Number: Route incoming calls to an external phone number (e.g., admissions office). When call forwarding is enabled, your caller ID will display the caller's/student's number.
Bolt Agent: Forwards the call to a Bolt Agent. When selected, you will assign an agent to that number (the agent must have a voice setting assigned (click here to learn more about this feature).
Buying a Phone Number
To buy a new number, use the button at the bottom of the table. Purchasing a new phone number requires usage credits.
Phone Call Settings
Phone Call Settings
Engagement > Conversations > Settings > Phone > Phone Call Settings
Allow phone call recording: Enables phone call recording
Record phone calls by default: Sets recording as enabled by default
Default phone number: Sets the default number selected when initiating calls
Connected Numbers
In addition to purchasing new numbers, you can connect and verify existing phone numbers—such as your admissions office line—to use as the Caller ID when placing outbound calls from Element451. This allows students to see a familiar number, increasing the chances they’ll answer or call back.
Once verified, a connected number will appear as an option in the From Number dropdown when placing a phone call. Selecting it ensures that the number appears on the student’s caller ID, even though the call is technically placed through Element451.
Important Notes
Connecting a number is optional. You can still place outbound calls using your purchased Element451 number if you prefer.
SMS/MMS cannot be sent from connected numbers—only purchased numbers support messaging.
Caller ID will only reflect your connected number if you explicitly select it during the call setup process.
Verification is required before a connected number can be used. This process is explained below.
How-To Connect + Verify Calling Phone Number
How-To Connect + Verify Calling Phone Number
Element451 allows you to connect and verify additional phone numbers, which can be used as your Caller ID when making outbound calls through the in-app calling feature. This helps ensure that students see a familiar number—such as your main admissions office line—when you call from Element451. Read more about connected phone numbers above.
Adding a Phone Number + Verification Process:
Click + Connect a Calling Phone Number to begin.
Enter a Phone Number, Name (for identification purposes), and the Phone Number you want to connect.
Click Verify in the top-right corner.
Important: You must have access to the phone you are setting up to complete the verification process.
The system will automatically call the phone number you entered and request a verification code.
The verification code will be displayed in the Status column as: “Waiting for Verification (######)”
Answer the call and enter the verification code on your phone’s keypad.
Once entered correctly, your phone number will be verified and ready for use.
Making a Phone Call
You can place outbound phone calls in Element451 from the Conversations module, a contact’s profile, or the People listing. This feature is designed for staff members to call students directly, but it also supports one-time Bolt Agent-initiated calls if you’ve configured Bolt Agents for voice.
✨ Pro Tip: Looking for AI-powered phone outreach that runs on its own? Learn how to automate voice-driven calls with Bolt Agents Jobs.
The most common way to initiate a call is from the All Conversations page, where you can configure all call details before dialing.
☎️ Staff-Initiated Call
☎️ Staff-Initiated Call
Navigate to Engagement > Conversations > All Conversations.
Click the + New Conversation button in the header.
Configure the conversation:
Channel: Select Phone Call
Private: Mark the conversation as private
Who is making the call: Choose you
From Number: Select the number you will be calling from (if your campus has purchased multiple numbers
Recipient: Select the contact you wish to call.
To Number: Select the contact's phone number you wish to call. You also have the ability to select 'other phone number' and manually type a number.
Record: Use the toggle to enable call recording. Once you enable call recording, transcription occurs automatically. Also, note that recording regulations differ by location. It's up to your institution to announce recordings as required and ensure compliance with local laws.
Once the settings have been configured, click "Confirm" in the top right corner.
Review the configurations for accuracy.
Click "Call" to initiate the call.
🤖 Agent-Initiated Call
🤖 Agent-Initiated Call
You can also place a one-time outbound call using a Bolt Agent with an assigned voice. Follow the same steps above for a staff-initiated call, but in Step 3:
Select Bolt Agent under Who is making the call
Choose a voice-enabled agent
Define the Goal for the call—this tells the agent what to accomplish
Add any instructions for how the agent should respond
Set a Transfer Number in case the student asks to speak with a human
📣 For guidance on assigning voices to Bolt Agents, view our Advanced Voice Mode for Bolt Agents article.
Other Places to Initiate a Phone Call
You can also initiate calls from other locations for quick calls in Element451, depending on your workflow.
People Listing
People Listing
On the People listing (Contacts > People), you can click the phone icon next to the contact's cell phone number.
📌 Note: If the cell phone number is not visible, you must use the configure table columns button at the top to add the Cell Phone column.
Contact Profile
Contact Profile
A call-to-action button can be added to the student profile. Element451 administrators can edit the People Template Header in Settings > Profile Templates. If you want more information on profile templates, click here.
Call History, Recording, Transcription, + Notes
You can access call history in your Conversations Inbox (Engagement > Conversations > All Conversations).
Thread Identification: Phone calls marked with 📞 icon.
Individual Threads: Each call creates a separate conversation.
Transcription + Recording: Transcripts and recordings for each call (when enabled) can be accessed from the thread.
Call recording is a premium feature and is subject to usage-based pricing.
Transcription is provided by speaking segment (message bubble), making it easier to follow who is speaking and review conversations.
Transcription is also provided for calls handled by a Bolt Agent.
For inbound calls answered by Bolt Agents, only transcripts are available. Voice recordings are not available at this time.
Private Call: You can mark individual phone calls as private, keeping information secure and confidential. For more information on private conversations, read our help article here.
Call Notes: Add private notes following a call.
