# Business phone numbers and caller identity

One number. A deliberate answer.

Customer calls

A number your workspace holds

Number routing

Deliver to your SIP trunk

Your team answers

Your PBX or calling application

## What is the difference between a Voice number and a caller ID?

A number held in your Bird workspace can receive calls when its capabilities allow it. A number verified as a caller ID proves control for an outbound identity; its current carrier still handles incoming calls. Verifying a caller ID does not move the number or change where customers reach you.

## Choose the number around the customer journey.

### A number for your phone system

Connect an inbound-capable number to a trunk with delivery gateways. The number chooses the route; your PBX or application decides which person, queue or workflow answers.

### A forwarding destination

Send the call onward to a verified number when that is the right answer for your team. Check the caller identity presented on the forwarded leg and account for both legs in the cost.

### An existing business number

Inventory the number, country, type and current provider before planning a migration. Confirm eligibility and the porting process with Bird, then coordinate the number move with your application cutover.

## Test the number as a customer would.

Call from the networks and locations that matter to your customers. Confirm that the intended team answers, the unanswered path is useful and the recorded route matches the configuration. A successful test from one phone is evidence about that path, not every network.

Review the current catalogue for the number type and market. Capability, registration requirements and price can differ by number.

Configure an answer before sharing the number. Keep a record of the previous route so a change can be reversed deliberately.

Use the eligible identity for the call and verify how it appears on representative receiving phones. Presentation depends on the receiving network too.

## Questions before you connect

### Can I buy any local or toll-free number?

Availability depends on the current catalogue, country, number type and required registration. Review the specific number and requirements before purchasing; the same capabilities do not apply to every market.

### Does caller ID verification receive calls in Bird?

No. Verification establishes control of a number for caller identity. Incoming calls stay with the carrier that holds it unless you separately arrange a supported number move.

### Can I keep my number during migration?

Confirm portability for the specific number, country and provider before scheduling a change. Prepare the new call route and a continuity plan while the current service remains available.

## Build the rest of the calling path

[Voice overview](/voice-api) Choose the calling path for your customer journey.

[Inbound routing](/voice-api/features/inbound-routing) Connect each number to your phone system, forwarding target or call sequence.

[Outbound calling](/voice-api/features/outbound-calls) Prepare the identity and connection for calls you place.

[Contact center connections](/voice-api/features/contact-center) Plan number continuity with your PBX and application migration.

[Voice pricing](/pricing/voice) Review the current destination rates and call components.

## Scale without  losing control.

Organize teams in workspaces, control API access, and trace changes through audit logs.

Harbor Organization
Workspaces Production Sandbox

### Delivery agent

API key · Customer operations team
Active
Permissions Access
Email Read & write
SMS Read & write
WhatsApp Read Read & write
AL Alex Lee Admin  Permissions updated

### Audit log

Production
 API key updated Alex Lee · 09:42:18 UTC

Workspace
Production

Resource
Delivery agent

WhatsApp
Read Read & write

Succeeded

 [Workspaces](/docs/guides/workspaces)[Team roles](/docs/guides/users-teams-roles)[API authentication](/docs/guides/authentication)
[Explore Enterprise](/enterprise)

## Start with Voice. Build across channels with Bird.

[Get started](/dashboard/signup?returnTo=%2Fdashboard%2Fw%2Fvoice%2Fonboarding) · [Contact Sales](/demo?product=voice)

[Email](/email-api) · [SMS](/sms-api) · [WhatsApp](/whatsapp-api) · [Apple Messages](/apple-messages-api) · [Voice](/voice-api)



## Related resources

- [Voice overview](/docs/guides/voice/overview) (docs)
- [What is a voice API?](/explained/voice/what-is-a-voice-api) (answer)

[Get an implementation brief](/learn/workspace?topic=voice)