# Communication services

> Buy phone numbers for making calls and sending SMS from Clockwork CRM.

Source: https://help.clockworkcrm.com/admin/communication-services
Last updated: 2026-09-28

**Administrator Tools → Communication Services** opens **Phone and Messaging**, where you manage the
phone numbers used for calls and SMS in Clockwork CRM. Only administrators can use it.

Once a number is in place, calls and text messages appear in the call log and on contact records, and
SMS stages can be used in email sequences.

## Before you start

To buy a phone number you need:

- a payment method on your Clockwork CRM account. See [Subscription information](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/admin/subscription).
- a paid subscription. During a trial you cannot buy numbers or create regulatory bundles.
- at least one approved regulatory bundle for the type of number you want.

Until these are in place, **Buy Phone Number** is greyed out.

## Regulatory bundles

A regulatory bundle is the business information that regulations require before a phone number can be
used. You need a separate bundle for each type of number: one for landline numbers and one for mobile
numbers.

When you have no approved bundle, **Phone and Messaging** shows "You must have at least one approved
regulatory bundle in place to start using the Clockwork CRM Telephony services." Select **Click here to
get started** to open **Regulatory Bundles**.

**Regulatory Bundles** lists your bundles with their **Name**, status, **Type** (the number type, and
whether it is for an individual or a business) and **Last Modified** date. **Search for your
regulatory bundles** filters the list.

| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| **Draft** | The bundle has not been submitted |
| **Pending Review** | The bundle has been submitted and is waiting to be reviewed |
| **In Review** | The bundle is being reviewed |
| **Approved** | The bundle is approved. You can buy numbers of its type |
| **Rejected** | The bundle was not approved |

To remove a bundle, open the actions on its row and select **Archive**, then confirm.

### Creating a regulatory bundle

Select **Create Regulatory Bundle**. The form has six steps. **Next** moves on once the step is complete,
and **Go back** returns to the step before.

1. **Friendly Name**: a name for the bundle, up to 50 characters, such as "My mobile bundle". Choose the
   **Phone Type**, **Landline** or **Mobile**. Under who is going to use the number, select **It will be
   used by a Business**. Bundles for individuals are not available.
2. Read the eligibility and requirements. You must be a registered business with a business registration
   number, and you need your business address, an emergency address, your business website and the
   details of an authorised representative. A business not registered with UK Companies House also needs
   an excerpt from its commercial register. Tick **I understand the above and I have express authority to
   act on behalf of the company I represent.**
3. **Authorized representative**: **First Name**, **Last Name**, **Phone Number** and **E-mail**.
4. **Business Details**: **Company Name**, **Business Registration Number** and **Business Website**.
   Then the **Business Address**: **Address Line 1**, **Address Line 2** (optional), **City**,
   **County** and **Postcode**. **Country** is set to the United Kingdom. Tick **Additionally, use this
   address as the emergency address?** to use the same address in step 5, which is then skipped.
5. **Physical Emergency Address**: the physical address where emergency services can send help, with
   the same fields as the business address.
6. Check the details, then select **Confirm Details**.

The bundle is submitted for review with the status **Pending Review**. Its status on **Regulatory
Bundles** changes as the review goes on.

## Buying a phone number

1. On **Phone and Messaging**, select **Buy Phone Number**.
2. Choose **Landline Phone Numbers** or **Mobile Phone Numbers**. Each is available only when you have an
   approved bundle of that type. **Country** is set to (+44) United Kingdom.
3. Type in **Filter** to search for an area code or part of a number.
4. Select a number in the list. The **Voice** and **SMS** columns show what each number supports.
5. Choose the **Associated Bundle**, and enter a **Friendly Name** for the number. Both are required.
6. Select **Purchase**, then confirm.

The dialog shows the usage pricing and any charges for leasing a number, calls and SMS messages are added to your monthly Clockwork CRM bill at these rates.

## Your phone numbers

**Phone and Messaging** lists your numbers. **Name** shows the number's friendly name, with its region
and number underneath, and an icon for a mobile or a landline number. **Date Created** shows when it was
bought. **Search for your phone numbers** filters the list.

![The Phone and Messaging list with two numbers, a mobile and a landline](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/admin/admin-phone-numbers.png?v=458294ce)

### Phone number settings

Open the actions on a number's row and select **Settings**.

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Name** | The number's friendly name. Required |
| **Number** | The phone number. It cannot be changed |
| **Greeting** | A message read out to callers when they call this number |
| **Forward to** | A phone number that incoming calls are forwarded to |
| **Enable Automatic AI Call Transcription** | Transcribes the recordings of calls to this number |

When someone calls the number, they hear the greeting, if there is one. Then:

- with a **Forward to** number, they are told that calls are recorded, and the call is forwarded to
  that number and recorded.
- without one, they are asked to leave a message after the beep, and the message is recorded.

Recordings appear in the call log.

### Releasing a number

Open the actions on a number's row and select **Delete**, then confirm. The number is released and
removed from the list.

## Related

- [Call logs](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/contacts/call-logs)
- [Email sequencing](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/marketing/sequences)
- [Subscription information](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/admin/subscription), payment methods and your monthly bill