Skip to main content

​
What is an AI Agent?

An AI Agent is your virtual receptionist, sales representative, or customer service agent. Each agent has its own personality, voice, knowledge base, and behavior settings. Agents can handle both inbound calls and make outbound calls through campaigns.

​
Creating an Agent

Navigate to Agents in your dashboard and click Create Agent. The creation wizard guides you through three steps:

​
Step 1: Describe

Tell SmartAlex what your agent should do in natural language: 
"You are a friendly receptionist for ABC Dental.
Answer questions about our services, collect patient
information, and schedule appointments."
The AI uses this to configure your agent’s behavior automatically.

​
Step 2: Customize

Fine-tune your agent’s settings:
SettingDescription
NameYour agent’s name (e.g., “Alex”, “Sarah”)
VoiceChoose from 50+ natural voices across multiple providers
LanguagePrimary language (English, Spanish, French, German, and more)
PersonalityPreset templates for different industries
AI ModelGPT-4o, Claude, or Gemini for conversation intelligence

​
Step 3: Deploy

Review your configuration and create the agent. The agent will be ready to take calls within seconds.

​
Agent Configuration

After creation, you can further customize your agent:

​
Knowledge Base

Upload documents or add text that your agent can reference during calls:
  • Business information
  • Product catalogs
  • FAQ content
  • Service descriptions

​
Custom Instructions

Add specific behavioral rules:
  • How to handle certain questions
  • When to transfer calls
  • Information to always collect
  • Topics to avoid

​
Call Settings

SettingDescription
Call SlotsHow many concurrent calls (2-10+ based on plan)
RecordingEnable/disable call recording
VoicemailWhat to do when agent can’t answer
Transfer NumberNumber to transfer urgent calls to

​
Agent Status

Agents progress through these states:
StatusDescription
DraftStill being configured, not ready for calls
CreatingBeing provisioned by the voice provider
ReadyLive and ready to take calls
ErrorConfiguration issue that needs attention

​
Best Practices

Be specific about what your agent should do:Good example:
You are Alex, a receptionist for Sunrise Dental.

Your responsibilities:
1. Greet callers warmly
2. Answer questions about our services (cleanings, fillings, crowns)
3. Collect: name, phone, reason for visit
4. Schedule appointments (available Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
5. For emergencies, transfer to Dr. Smith at 555-0100
Avoid vague instructions:
Be helpful and answer questions. (Too vague)
Match your voice to your brand:
Business TypeRecommended Voice Style
Professional servicesCalm, authoritative
Retail/hospitalityFriendly, upbeat
HealthcareWarm, reassuring
Tech/startupsModern, energetic
Always use Quick Test before assigning a phone number:
  1. Click the Quick Test button on your agent
  2. Have a sample conversation
  3. Test edge cases (difficult questions, transfers)
  4. Review the transcript
  5. Adjust prompts as needed

​
Concurrent Call Slots

Each plan includes a number of call slots - the maximum concurrent calls your agents can handle:
PlanCall Slots
Professional2
Dental5
Real Estate10
Additional slots can be purchased for $9.60/month each.

​
Agent Modes

SmartAlex agents support four modes to match different workflows and experience levels:
ModeDescriptionBest For
DemoQuick test with preset behaviorEvaluating the platform
StandardFull customization with guided setupMost businesses
AdvancedComplete control over all parametersPower users and developers
VibeDescribe what you want in natural languageFast prototyping

​
Supported AI Models

Choose the AI model that best fits your use case:
ModelProviderStrengths
GPT-4oOpenAIFast, versatile, great for general conversation
GPT-4o-miniOpenAICost-effective, good for simple tasks
ClaudeAnthropicNuanced understanding, excellent instruction following
GeminiGoogleStrong reasoning, multilingual

​
Voice Providers

SmartAlex offers 50+ voices across multiple providers for natural, human-like phone conversations:
  • Cartesia Sonic-3: Emotion control, speed adjustment (0.6-1.5x), volume control
  • ElevenLabs: Ultra-realistic voices, voice cloning
  • OpenAI: Natural speech synthesis
  • Deepgram: Low-latency, high accuracy