Apply for real numbers in the console-Voice Service(VS)-阿里云帮助中心

To use the dedicated outbound call mode of Voice Service, you need to apply for a real number. This enhances your corporate image and improves user outreach. This topic describes the key considerations and the application procedure in the Voice Service console.

Costs and key limitations

Before applying for a number, read the following billing rules and key limitations to ensure the service meets your business needs and budget.

Cost components: The cost of a voice number has two components: a monthly number rental fee and call fees.
- Monthly rental fee: After a number is provisioned, a fixed monthly rental fee applies regardless of usage. The monthly rental fee does not include any free call minutes.
- Call fees: The system calculates outbound call fees separately based on the Pricing for domestic Voice Service.
Billing cycle: Numbers are billed on a calendar-month basis. The full monthly rental fee is charged for the month of purchase, and prorating is not available for late-month purchases. The full monthly rental fee is also charged for the month in which a number is canceled. Please plan your purchase time accordingly.
3-month lock-in period: Due to carrier regulations designed to prevent the frequent allocation and release of number resources, you cannot cancel a number within the first three months of service. Before purchasing, confirm your long-term need for the number.
Concurrency limits:
- Mobile numbers: The default concurrency is 3, meaning one mobile number can make up to three simultaneous outbound calls.
- Landline numbers: The default concurrency is 15. The actual limit is subject to the specific number provisioned.
- If you require higher concurrency, specify your needs in the remarks section of your application. The review team will try to accommodate your request based on available resources. You can also contact your account manager to discuss options for increasing the concurrency.
Application uncertainty: Carriers supply number resources, and their inventory changes in real time. Even if your qualification is approved, provisioning may fail due to insufficient resources. If provisioning fails, we recommend resubmitting the application with a broader scope for the number location (for example, select "Nationwide"). The application and provisioning process typically takes 2 to 10 business days, so please allow sufficient time.

Procedure

Step 1: Prepare enterprise qualifications and script templates

To meet carrier compliance requirements, you must first have your enterprise qualification and speech script template approved.

Register an Alibaba Cloud account, complete the enterprise real-name verification, and then activate Voice Service.
Apply for an enterprise qualification and ensure it is approved. For instructions, see Manage enterprise qualifications.
Apply for a speech script template and ensure it is approved. This step files your business scenario for the record; the script content is not used in actual outbound calls. For details, see Add a speech script.

Step 2: Submit an inquiry

Before applying for a number, you can first submit an inquiry with your general requirements to confirm resource availability, which saves unnecessary effort.

Note

Each account is limited to 5 inquiries per day.
If the inquiry shows that resources are available, apply for the number promptly.
For the number location, select a broader scope such as Other cities in the same province or Nationwide. A broader scope increases the probability of finding a matching number.

Steps:

Log on to the Voice Service console. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Voice Numbers > Real Number Application.
Click Inquiry and follow the on-screen instructions to fill in your inquiry information.
Click Submit.

The system provides immediate feedback. If a matching number resource is found, apply for the number as soon as possible. If no matching resources are available, we recommend selecting the option to allow substitutions and broadening the location scope before submitting another inquiry.

Step 3: Submit the number application

Log on to the Voice Service console. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Voice Numbers > Real Number Application.

Click Apply for Number and fill in the application information as prompted on the page.

Parameter	Configuration	Description
Qualification information	Qualification information	Select an approved qualification. Ensure the qualification's use case matches the application's purpose.
	Number purpose	Select the intended use case for the number. Voice Notification Voice Verification Code
	Usage scenario	After selecting a number purpose, choose a specific usage scenario.
	Outbound call script	Select an outbound call script.
Number information	Call type	Select the call type. Inbound-only numbers cannot be used for outbound calls. To make outbound calls, select Outbound or Inbound + Outbound. The call type cannot be changed after provisioning, so choose carefully. Inbound + Outbound Inbound Outbound
	Number type	Select the required number type. The following types are currently supported: Landline Special - 95 Special - 400 Note Number types are provided by the carrier. The options in the drop-down list reflect current availability. 400-series numbers can currently be purchased only on the Real Number Management page. For instructions, see Manage real numbers.
	DTMF keys	DTMF keys simulate keyboard events, such as pressing 1 or 2 to navigate to a service. This feature is not required by default. Enabling it may significantly reduce the chances of finding a matching number, so only enable it if your business scenario requires it. If you do not need this feature, you can ignore this option.
	Number requirement	Add the numbers you want to apply for. Manual import: Click Add Number Requirement to add requirements manually. Batch import: First download the standard list template, fill in the data, and then click Import List to upload the file.
	Order cancellation timeout	Number preparation and provisioning takes time. The system will attempt to apply for and provision the number within the selected timeframe. Important Number resources are scarce. Orders cannot be canceled if the number is provisioned within the specified period.
	Remarks	Add any special requirements or additional information in this field.

Click Submit to file the application, or click Save to save it as a draft.
After a successful submission, the application status changes to preliminary review.
Important
- After you submit the application, Alibaba Cloud staff will review it within 1 business day. If the application passes the preliminary review, staff will process your number application within 2 to 10 business days.
- Due to limited inventory, resources may still be unavailable even after your application passes the preliminary review. The final provisioning outcome is subject to system confirmation.

Related operations

From the number application list, you can view your application information and perform the following actions:

Click Details in the Actions column to view the application details.
Click Copy and Create in the Actions column to duplicate an application.
Click Export Numbers in the Actions column to export the applied-for numbers.
Click Provisioning Details in the Provisioning Status column to view the details of the provisioning process.
Click Failure Reason in the Provisioning Status column to see why provisioning failed.

FAQ

This section lists frequently asked questions about voice numbers and provides troubleshooting suggestions. For more information, see the Voice Number FAQ.

Q: Why are number resources for certain regions (such as Guangzhou, Guizhou, or Shenyang) unavailable or greyed out? When will they become available again?

A: Number resources are dynamically supplied by carriers. If a region option is greyed out or unavailable in the console, it means there are currently no available resources in that region. The exact recovery time is uncertain. We recommend selecting Accept nationwide allocation to increase your chances of a successful application. If you specifically need a number from a particular region, note your requirement in the Remarks field and regularly check the console for resource updates before resubmitting your application.

Q: Why does binding a real number to a service instance fail with a message that the number does not exist or binding failed?

A: The most common cause is a mismatch between the usage scenario of the service instance and the usage scenario of the real number. Make sure the two scenarios match exactly (for example, both set to Voice Notification or General System Notification) and then retry the binding. If the binding still fails after confirming the scenarios match, the issue may be caused by data synchronization delays. Wait a moment and try again.

Q: My Voice Service real number has been flagged as spam or marketing by a third-party app (such as a caller ID app). What should I do?

A: Alibaba Cloud cannot directly appeal to or remove flags from third-party security apps. We recommend applying for a new number (new numbers typically do not carry any existing flags). After the new number is provisioned and in use, cancel the old number. The platform currently does not support customizing caller display names or number flagging features.

Q: After reapplying for a voice number, do I need to update the existing configuration?

A: If the number is associated with a service instance, no changes are required. If you initiate calls through the API, you must use the newly applied number to ensure calls are placed successfully. Also note that Voice Service numbers cannot be used across Alibaba Cloud accounts. Apply for and use numbers under the same account.