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How to Set Up Your Core Automation Account

8 min. readlast update: 07.31.2026

This guide explains how to set up your AnswerStrong Core Automation account.

Core Automation helps your business manage incoming calls, answer common customer questions, capture leads, schedule appointments, route calls, send notifications, and support customer communication.

1. Create Your AnswerStrong Account

After selecting your Core Automation plan, enter the requested account information.

You may be asked to provide:

  • Your full name

  • Business name

  • Email address

  • Contact phone number

  • Billing information

  • A secure password

Use an email address you check regularly. Important account alerts, call summaries, billing notices, and security updates may be sent to this address.

2. Verify Your Email Address

Check your inbox for a verification email from AnswerStrong.

Select the verification link to confirm your email address and activate your account.

If the email does not appear:

  • Check your spam or junk folder

  • Confirm that your email address was entered correctly

  • Request another verification message

3. Sign In to Your Dashboard

Once your email address is verified, sign in to your AnswerStrong dashboard.

Your dashboard allows you to manage:

  • Core Automation settings

  • Business information

  • Phone numbers

  • Call instructions

  • Knowledge base content

  • Call history and recordings

  • Leads and customer information

  • Appointments

  • Notifications

  • Integrations

  • Billing and usage

4. Complete Your Business Profile

Open the Business Profile section and enter accurate information about your company.

This may include:

  • Business name

  • Business address

  • Website

  • Industry

  • Business description

  • Main contact information

  • Service areas

  • Time zone

  • Business hours

  • Holiday hours

This information helps Core Automation understand how your business operates.

5. Confirm Your Core Automation Plan

Review your active subscription and included features.

Depending on your plan, your account may include:

  • Automated call handling

  • Frequently asked question responses

  • Message taking

  • Call routing

  • Appointment scheduling

  • Lead capture

  • Call recordings

  • Call summaries and transcripts

  • Customer follow-ups

  • CRM integrations

  • Custom workflows

  • Multi-location support

Also review your included monthly minutes and applicable overage rates.

6. Set Up Your Business Number

Choose how customers will reach your Core Automation service.

During signup, you will select one of the following options:

If You Already Have a Business Number

If you already have an existing business number, a local AnswerStrong number will be automatically assigned to your account.

You will then forward your existing business number to this AnswerStrong number so Core Automation can handle your calls.

If You Do NOT Have a Business Number

If you do not currently have a business number, you will select a new local number during the signup process.

This number will become your main business line for Core Automation.

You may also be able to:

  • Choose a toll-free number (if available)

  • Add additional numbers for departments or locations

Confirm that your assigned or selected number appears correctly in your dashboard before continuing.

7. Add Your Business Hours

Enter the days and times your business is open.

Include:

  • Regular weekday hours

  • Weekend hours

  • Holiday hours

  • Temporary closures

  • Seasonal schedules

  • After-hours availability

Make sure the correct time zone is selected.

Core Automation may use these hours to determine how calls, transfers, appointments, and messages should be handled.

8. Create Your Business Greeting

Set the greeting customers will hear when they call.

Your greeting should:

  • Clearly identify your business

  • Sound welcoming and professional

  • Avoid being unnecessarily long

  • Match your brand voice

  • Explain what assistance is available

Review the greeting carefully before activating your service.

9. Add Your Products and Services

Provide detailed information about the products or services your business offers.

For each service, consider adding:

  • Service name

  • Description

  • Starting price or pricing guidance

  • Service area

  • Availability

  • Eligibility requirements

  • Estimated completion time

  • Common customer questions

  • Important restrictions

Accurate information helps Core Automation provide stronger and more consistent answers.

10. Build Your Knowledge Base

Your knowledge base contains the approved information Core Automation uses when speaking with customers.

You may be able to add information by:

  • Creating help articles

  • Adding frequently asked questions

  • Uploading documents

  • Importing website content

  • Organizing information into categories

  • Adding business policies

  • Updating outdated information

Useful knowledge base topics include:

  • Products and services

  • Pricing

  • Business hours

  • Service areas

  • Appointment policies

  • Cancellation policies

  • Return and refund policies

  • Shipping information

  • Frequently asked questions

  • Contact information

Do not upload passwords, payment information, private employee records, or confidential internal documents.

11. Create Call-Handling Instructions

Tell Core Automation how different types of calls should be handled.

Instructions may include:

  • Which questions can be answered automatically

  • When a message should be taken

  • When a caller should be transferred

  • Which team member handles each call type

  • What information should be collected

  • Which situations require escalation

  • What should happen after business hours

  • What should never be promised to a caller

Use clear instructions and avoid conflicting rules.

12. Set Up Call Routing

Add the phone numbers of team members or departments who may receive transferred calls.

You may create routing rules for:

  • Sales

  • Customer service

  • Billing

  • Appointments

  • Existing customers

  • New leads

  • Specific locations

  • Urgent calls

  • After-hours calls

Confirm that every routing number is correct and active.

13. Create Lead-Capture Questions

Choose what information Core Automation should collect from potential customers.

Lead information may include:

  • Full name

  • Phone number

  • Email address

  • Requested service

  • Location

  • Budget

  • Preferred appointment time

  • Urgency

  • How the caller heard about your business

Only collect information that your business actually needs.

14. Connect Your Calendar

Connect your calendar if your plan includes appointment scheduling.

Configure:

  • Appointment types

  • Available days and times

  • Appointment duration

  • Breaks between appointments

  • Required advance notice

  • Maximum booking window

  • Rescheduling rules

  • Cancellation policies

  • Team-member availability

  • Time zone

Test the calendar connection to prevent missed appointments or double bookings.

15. Set Up Messages and Notifications

Choose who should receive updates when customer activity occurs.

Notifications may include:

  • New leads

  • Missed calls

  • Customer messages

  • Appointment bookings

  • Appointment cancellations

  • Call summaries

  • Voicemail

  • Escalated calls

  • Failed transfers

  • Usage alerts

Add the correct email addresses and phone numbers for each team member.

16. Connect Your Business Tools

Depending on your plan, you may be able to connect Core Automation to other systems.

These may include:

  • Google Calendar

  • Microsoft Outlook

  • Customer relationship management systems

  • Website forms

  • Email platforms

  • Scheduling software

  • Business workflow tools

After connecting an integration, complete a test to confirm that information transfers correctly.

17. Review Call Recording Settings

If call recording is enabled, review the applicable settings and legal requirements for your business.

Call-recording laws vary by location. Your business is responsible for determining whether notification or consent is required.

Make sure your greeting and call flow include any necessary disclosures.

18. Test Core Automation

Before activating your service, make several test calls.

Test common situations, including:

  • Asking about business hours

  • Asking about a service

  • Requesting pricing information

  • Booking an appointment

  • Leaving a message

  • Requesting a live transfer

  • Calling after business hours

  • Asking an unusual question

  • Providing lead information

Confirm that:

  • The greeting is correct

  • Answers are accurate

  • Information is collected properly

  • Calls route to the correct person

  • Appointments appear on your calendar

  • Notifications are delivered

  • Call summaries appear in your dashboard

19. Correct Any Problems

Review your test calls and update any unclear or inaccurate settings.

You may need to adjust:

  • Knowledge base information

  • Call-handling instructions

  • Transfer rules

  • Appointment availability

  • Lead-capture questions

  • Business hours

  • Notification recipients

  • Escalation rules

Test again after making changes.

20. Activate Core Automation

Once your test calls are successful, activate Core Automation from your dashboard.

Monitor your first customer calls closely and make updates when your:

  • Business hours change

  • Pricing changes

  • Services change

  • Team members change

  • Policies change

  • Service areas expand

  • Appointment availability changes

Core Automation works best when your business information remains current.

Core Automation Setup Checklist

Before going live, confirm that you have:

  • Verified your email address

  • Completed your business profile

  • Confirmed your subscription plan

  • Selected or connected your business number

  • Added your business and holiday hours

  • Created your greeting

  • Added products and services

  • Built your knowledge base

  • Created call-handling instructions

  • Configured call routing

  • Added lead-capture questions

  • Connected your calendar

  • Set notification preferences

  • Connected required integrations

  • Reviewed call-recording settings

  • Completed successful test calls

  • Activated Core Automation

Need Help?

If you experience an issue setting up Core Automation, contact AnswerStrong Support through the Help Center or the support option inside your dashboard.

Include a description of the issue, the approximate time of the test call, and any incorrect response or error message you received.

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