AI Voice agent
AI Voice agents answer inbound calls, capture caller details, route calls when needed, and log conversations automatically in Distance.
Introduction
AI Voice agents allow your business to handle incoming phone calls automatically while maintaining a consistent and professional caller experience. Using configured scripts, voice models, call transfer rules, and Knowledge Base access, the agent can greet callers, collect information, route calls to the right destination, and log conversations for review.
Proper configuration ensures calls are handled smoothly from greeting to completion while keeping accurate records of customer interactions.
Where to manage AI Voice agents
Go to Agents → AI Voice, then click Edit on the agent you want to configure.
AI Voice agents include five configuration tabs:
Agent settings - Set agent name, description, languages, and first message.
Voice - Choose a voice model optimized for natural conversation.
Call transfers - Choose a voice model optimized for natural conversation.
Script - Select an industry template, view or edit the active script, and restore backups.
Capabilities - Enable access to the Knowledge base, booking functionality, and contact info capture via Caller ID or AI Capture.
Agent settings tab
The Agent settings tab defines the agent’s identity and language behavior during calls.
Available settings:
Agent’s name - The name the AI uses when introducing itself at the beginning of a call.
Description (optional) - An internal description of what the agent is responsible for, such as "After-hours support" or "Daytime surge".
Agent language - The default language the agent uses when answering incoming calls.
The conversation will begin in this language unless the caller speaks in another supported language.
Additional languages - Enables the agent to speak and understand additional supported languages during the same call.
If the agent detects that the caller is speaking in one of the enabled additional languages:
The conversation will continue in that language
The flow will continue naturally without interruption
Even if the conversation occurs in another language, the generated ticket and internal summary will still be recorded in English. This ensures standardized reporting and consistent internal documentation across your team.
First message - The opening line the agent says when answering calls. You can customize this to match your preferred tone and branding.
Voice tab
The Voice tab controls how the agent sounds during phone conversations.
Choose the voice model used during phone calls. Available voices are optimized for natural, real-time conversations and include attributes such as gender, accent, and tone.
Recommended voices
These voices are recommended for the most natural pacing and clarity during customer calls.
Male voices
The Great Conversationalist
Justin
Mark
Female voices
Cindy
Elise
Fiona
Hope
Call transfers tab
The Call transfers tab controls when and how calls are routed to a human or external number.
To create a transfer rule:
Go to Agents → AI Voice → Call transfers.
Click Add condition.
Configure the following sections:
When should we transfer the call? - Enter a phrase, keyword, or script action that triggers the transfer
Collect info before the transfer starts (Optional) - Select the following information to gather before routing the call:
Caller name
Callback number
Other – Enter any additional information you need.
Transfer configuration
Single number - Transfers the call to one phone number
Pool of numbers - Routes calls across multiple numbers
Proxy number* - Only required when configuring a Pool of numbers transfer.
*When calls are distributed across multiple destination numbers, the system uses a proxy number to properly route and manage the transfer.
The proxy number ensures:
Calls are routed correctly across multiple team members
Distribution rules such as All or Round robin function properly
Call handling remains stable during multi-number routing
Important configuration notes:
The proxy number is provided by the Distance support team.
Contact support@distance.so to obtain your assigned proxy number before configuring a Pool of numbers.
Do not modify or replace the proxy number.
Changing or removing the proxy number may cause:
Transfers to fail
Calls not to ring properly
Distribution rules to stop working as expected
Routing type (for pools)
All - All numbers ring at the same time. The first person to answer receives the call.
Round robin - Calls are assigned one at a time in the order they appear in the list*.
*Round robin goes through the list of numbers only once per transfer attempt. It does not automatically restart from the first number after reaching the last number in the list.
If you want the routing pattern to repeat, you must manually add the numbers again in the same order within the list. Example below.
If your list is:
Number A
Number B
Number C
The system will attempt A → B → C. It will not automatically return to A.
If you want the pattern to repeat, structure the list like this:
Number A
Number B
Number C
Number A
Number B
Number C
This gives you controlled routing behavior based on your team’s availability.
Round robin is best when you want calls handled in a specific sequence rather than ringing everyone at once.
Destination phone number(s)
Once saved, the AI detects caller intent and transfers the call automatically.
Script tab
The Script tab defines how the voice agent conducts conversations.
This section contains two parts:
Choose your template - Select your industry from the dropdown. A preconfigured script tailored to your business’s use cases is set up during onboarding, so you typically don’t need to adjust this setting. This ensures your AI Voice agent starts with a conversation flow designed specifically for your industry and operations.
Your script - Displays the active script. Buttons below:
Edit script - Modify the conversation flow.
Restore from backups - Restore a previous version if needed.
Clear scripts help the AI guide callers, ask qualifying questions, and route calls accurately.
Capabilities tab
The Capabilities tab controls what the voice agent can access and perform during calls.
Available sections:
Knowledge - Uses all information from the Knowledge base.
Booking - Enables appointment booking during calls.
Contact info - When a call reaches Distance, the AI determines how to identify the caller and create or update their contact record using either Caller ID or AI Capture.
Caller ID - Uses the incoming phone number and label to match or create a contact record automatically.
AI Capture - Captures caller details spoken during the call*.
*If a caller’s information matches an existing contact, the AI will check for differences. If the caller provides new information (for example, a different name, phone number, or email address), AI Capture will automatically create a new contact record with the new details.
These settings determine how contacts are created and updated in Distance.
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