The Rules page stores instructions your receptionist can use during calls and SMS conversations. Rules are text entries. They are useful for policies that are not simple facts, such as when to transfer a caller or what to do when a question cannot be answered.
What to put in rules
Good rules are specific and operational:
- “If a caller says there is an emergency, transfer to the default transfer number.”
- “If the caller asks for a human and transfer is unavailable, take a callback message with their name, phone number, and preferred callback time.”
- “If the receptionist is not sure of an answer, say that the team will follow up instead of guessing.”
- “For after-hours callers, take a message and include the caller’s preferred callback window.”
Business hours are part of the backend scheduling model, but the current public dashboard exposes rules as the safest place for operator-written after-hours instructions.
Add a rule
Open Rules
In the dashboard sidebar, go to Receptionist > Rules.
Add a rule
Click Add Rule.
Write the instruction
Add a short title and the full instruction in the content field. Use tags if they help you find the rule later.
Save
Click Save. The rule is available to the receptionist after it is saved and indexed.
Transfers and callbacks
Transfers require a default transfer number in Receptionist > AI settings. If a transfer is not available, the receptionist can create a follow-up task with callback details. Those tasks appear in the dashboard and on call detail pages.
Recording and transcripts
LobbyStack stores call transcripts and can store call recordings from the voice gateway. Operators review recordings from the Calls page when a recording is available.
There is currently no public dashboard toggle for enabling or disabling recording from the Rules page, so do not rely on a rule entry as a recording retention control. 