### Answer For Retell AI chatbots (SMS/text agents) , you need an SMS-enabled phone number. [(1) ]() Key points: - Phone numbers are purchased through Retell AI at $2/month per number - To use SMS chatbot functionality, you need to enable the *SMS advanced addon (~$20/month) * on your number [(2) ]() - Currently, Retell AI supports US-based numbers only — you can specify an area code during purchase [(1) ]() To manage phone numbers via API: List all your phone numbers: [(3) ]()

javascript
import Retell from 'retell-sdk';
const client = new Retell({
  apiKey: 'YOUR_RETELL_API_KEY',
}) ;
const phoneNumberResponses = await client.phoneNumber.list() ;
console.log(phoneNumberResponses) ;

To initiate an outbound SMS chat, use the Create Outbound SMS endpoint after your number is SMS-enabled. [(4) ]() Setup steps: [(1) ]() 1. Sign up on Retell AI 2. Add a payment method in the "Billing" tab 3. Purchase a phone number (specify area code if needed) 4. Enable SMS addon for chatbot functionality 5. Assign an agent to the number

​ To learn more, see the sources I considered: [[1] AI Phone Numbers: How to Buy & Set Up | Retell AI](https://www.retellai.com/blog/how-to-buy-an-ai-phone-number-a-guide-on-your-options-and-providers) [[2] Creating an SMS chatbot from an form submission](https://discord.com/channels/1186424376300679209/1399735172525588521) [[3] List Phone Numbers](https://docs.retellai.com/api-references/list-phone-numbers) [[4] Create Outbound SMS](https://docs.retellai.com/api-references/create-sms-chat) ​

Feel free to tag @AI Evy with additional questions. I also appreciate feedback, it helps me improve.