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This quick start guide will walk you through creating your first voice agent from scratch. By the end, you’ll have a fully-functional voice agent that can answer calls and interact with customers—in under 15 minutes, no coding required.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:
  • ✅ A Thoughtly account (sign up free)
  • ✅ A clear use case in mind (e.g., receptionist, appointment booking)
  • ✅ Basic information about your business

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Step 1: Create Your First Agent

1

Navigate to Agent Builder

Log into your Thoughtly dashboard and click “Create Agent” from the main navigation.
2

Choose Your Template

Select a template that matches your use case, or start from scratch with a blank agent. Popular templates include:
  • Receptionist - Answer and route calls
  • Appointment Scheduler - Book meetings automatically
  • Customer Service - Handle support inquiries
3

Configure Basic Settings

Set up your agent’s basic information:
  • Name: Give your agent a descriptive name
  • Voice: Choose from thousands of AI voices in the Voice Selector
  • Language: Select your primary language
  • Personality: Adjust tone (friendly, professional, assertive)

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Step 2: Design the Conversation Flow

1

Add Your First Node

Every conversation starts with a greeting. Type in your opening message in “Start node”. Then click “Add Node” to select “Message Node” to create your first message.Example greeting:
"Hi! Thanks for calling [Your Business]. My name is [Agent Name]. How can I help you today?"
2

Add Response Logic

Add decision nodes to handle different customer responses:
  • Question nodes to gather information
  • Decision nodes to branch conversations
  • Action nodes to perform tasks (book appointments, transfer calls)
3

Configure Outcomes

Set up call outcomes to track performance:
  • Appointment booked
  • Question answered
  • Transferred to human
  • Call back requested

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Step 3: Add Knowledge with Genius

1

Create a Genius Knowledge Base

Navigate to Tools → Genius in the primary navigation and click “Create New Genius”. This is where you’ll store information your agent needs to know.
2

Add Your First Data Source

Click “Add Data Source” and choose a source type:
  • Text: Paste FAQs, policies, or product info
  • URL: Scrape information from your website
  • PDF: Upload product catalogs or manuals
  • Audio: Upload call recordings for training
3

Connect Genius to Your Agent

Return to your agent in the Agent Builder. In the Settings panel, open the Genius tab and select your knowledge base from the dropdown to assign it to this agent.

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Step 4: Get a Phone Number

1

Open Phone Numbers

Navigate to Settings → Phone Numbers in the platform navigation and click Add a Number.
2

Purchase or Import

Choose one of the available options:
  • Purchase from Thoughtly — search by country and area code, then buy a number directly
  • Import from your carrier — connect your Twilio or Telnyx account to bring existing numbers into Thoughtly
For a full walkthrough, see BYOC.
3

Assign to Your Agent

After the number is provisioned, open your agent in the Agent Builder. In the Settings panel, assign the new number so it can receive and place calls.

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Step 5: Test Your Agent

1

Make a Test Call

Call your Thoughtly phone number to test your agent. Listen for:
  • Clear audio quality
  • Natural conversation flow
  • Accurate responses from Genius
  • Proper call routing
2

Review the Call

After your test call, go to History in the primary navigation to:
  • Listen to the recording
  • Read the transcript
  • Check which outcome was logged
  • Review response times
3

Iterate and Improve

Based on your test:
  • Adjust conversation flow
  • Add more knowledge to Genius
  • Refine voice settings
  • Update personality settings

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Next Steps

Congratulations! You’ve built your first voice agent. Now enhance it:

Add Integrations

Connect your CRM, calendar, and other tools

Set Up Automations

Trigger calls and automate workflows

Clone Your Voice

Create a custom voice that sounds like you

Explore Use Cases

See detailed implementation examples

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Common Issues & Solutions

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Agent isn’t answering calls

  • ✅ Verify phone number is connected in Agent Settings
  • ✅ Ensure agent has a greeting Start node configured
  • ✅ Test by calling from a different phone

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Agent gives incorrect information

  • ✅ Review and update your Genius knowledge base
  • ✅ Remove outdated or conflicting information
  • ✅ Use Q&A format for better accuracy
  • ✅ Verify Genius is connected to your agent

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Voice quality issues

  • ✅ Try a different voice from the Voice Selector
  • ✅ Check your microphone during test calls
  • ✅ Verify network connection is stable
  • ✅ Adjust presence settings
Common Mistake: Skipping the testing step. Always use Test Agent before making real calls. This catches conversation flow issues, missing variables, and broken outcomes before they affect customers.

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Need Help?

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See also