> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.brilo.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Ways people can reach your agent

> The four ways customers can reach a Brilo agent: phone calls, text messages, email, and a call button on your website.

People can reach your agent four ways: by phone, by text, by email, and by pressing a button on your
website. One agent can handle all four, so this is about which ones you switch on rather than how many
agents you need.

## The four ways in

| Way in                                                    | What you need                                  | Good for                                                |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Phone calls](/calls/how-a-call-works)                    | A number, bought or your own                   | The default. Most customers still ring                  |
| [Text messages](/channels/text-messages)                  | A texting enabled number, registered in the US | Confirmations, links, short questions                   |
| [Email](/channels/email)                                  | Pro plan or above                              | Longer questions, and anything with a document attached |
| [A call button on your website](/channels/website-widget) | A snippet pasted into your site                | Visitors who will not pick up the phone                 |

## What each one is good for

**Phone** is where the urgency is. Someone ringing wants an answer now, which is why an unanswered
phone costs more than an unanswered email.

**Text** is the quiet workhorse. It is where a payment link, a booking confirmation, or a "we tried to
reach you" belongs, and it is often the follow up that closes the loop after a call.

**Email** suits questions that need more than a sentence, and it is the only route where your customer
can send you a document. It starts at Pro.

**Your website** catches people who are already looking at your prices and have a question. The call
happens in their browser, so there is nothing to dial and nothing to install.

## Do you need a separate agent for each

No. One agent handles all four, and using one keeps your answers consistent, since it is the same
instructions and the same knowledge whichever way the customer arrived.

There is one useful exception. Calls and texts on the same number can go to different agents, which
suits businesses that want a brisk, short style for texts and a warmer one on the phone.

## What else you can do here

* [Turn on texting](/channels/text-messages) for a number you already have.
* [Set up email](/channels/email) so your agent answers your inbox.
* [Put a call button on your website](/channels/website-widget).
* [Let visitors call you from your site](/channels/calls-from-your-website) without a phone number.
* [Work out why messages are not sending](/channels/my-messages-arent-sending).

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can Brilo answer texts as well as calls?">
    Yes. Switch texting on for a number and your agent answers messages sent to it, using the same
    instructions and knowledge it uses on calls. US numbers must be registered before they can text. See
    [Text messages](/channels/text-messages).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can my agent reply to emails?">
    Yes, on Pro and above. Your agent reads and replies to email, and can send from your own domain
    rather than ours. See [Email](/channels/email).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can people talk to my agent from my website?">
    Yes. Paste a snippet into your site and visitors get a call button that connects them to your agent
    in their browser, with nothing to install and no phone call needed. See
    [Website widget](/channels/website-widget).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need a separate agent for each of these?">
    No. One agent covers phone, text, email, and your website, which also keeps its answers consistent.
    The one thing you can split is calls and texts on the same number going to different agents.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does a text conversation cost the same as a call?">
    No. Calls use your plan's call minutes, emails count against your plan's email allowance, and each
    is counted separately. See [Limits](/supported/limits).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can my agent start a text conversation, or only reply?">
    Both. Your agent can reply to incoming texts, send one during a call, for example a payment link or
    a confirmation, and text a list of contacts as part of a campaign. See
    [What is a campaign](/campaigns/what-is-a-campaign).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which one should I switch on first?">
    Phone, then text. Phone is where the urgency and the missed business are, and text is what finishes
    the job after a call. Email and the website button are worth adding once the phone is working
    properly.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

* [How a call works](/calls/how-a-call-works) for what happens on a phone call
* [Text messages](/channels/text-messages) to switch texting on
* [Email](/channels/email) for your agent answering your inbox
* [Website widget](/channels/website-widget) for a call button on your site
* [Buy a phone number](/phone-numbers/buy-a-phone-number) since phone comes first