Getting Started
Quickstart: deploy in 15 minutes
This guide walks you from a blank Talknex account to a live AI voice agent answering real calls.
Prerequisites: a Talknex account (free tier works), and optionally a Twilio account if you want to bring your own number.
Create an account and get your API key
Sign up at talknex.ai/sign-up. After verifying your email, navigate to Settings → API Keys and create a new key. Store it securely — it will not be shown again.
Create your first agent
In the dashboard, go to Agents → New Agent. Give it a name, choose a voice from the ElevenLabs library, and paste in a system prompt. A good starting prompt for a receptionist looks like this:
System prompt example
You are Aria, the AI receptionist for Northridge Clinics. You are friendly, professional, and concise. Your job is to greet callers, determine their needs, answer common questions, and book appointments. When booking, always confirm the patient's full name, date of birth, and preferred time slot.
Click Save & Test to run a browser-based test call before attaching a real number.
Attach a phone number
Go to Phone Numbers → Buy Number. Select a country and area code and click Purchase. The number is provisioned via Twilio and linked to your agent in seconds.
Alternatively, if you have an existing number, go to Phone Numbers → Connect Existing and paste your Twilio SID + Auth Token. You can also configure SIP forwarding from any carrier.
Your agent is now live and will answer every call to that number 24/7.
Next steps
Now that your agent is live, here's what to explore: