Numbers and users

​

Two building blocks

Every Allo workspace is built on two distinct concepts: phone numbers and users. They’re not interchangeable, and understanding the difference is key to setting up your team correctly.

​

Phone numbers (lines)

A phone number is the line your callers dial. Each number has its own independent settings:

• Business hours
• Call routing (who rings when a call comes in)
• IVR menu
• Voicemail

A team can share one number — a single “Sales” line, for example — or have several, one per department or per person.

​

Users

A user is a person with an Allo account. Each user:

• Has their own login and profile
• Occupies one seat on your plan
• Can be assigned to one or more numbers
• Is the one who answers calls

---

​

How they connect

Users and numbers are independent. Adding one doesn’t automatically configure the other. For a user to receive calls on a number, two things need to happen:

1. They must be a member of your workspace (invited and signed in)
2. They must be assigned to that number — Settings → Numbers → select a line → add members

Once assigned, they can be added to that number’s call routing, which determines whether and when they ring.

---

​

What this means in practice

Small team, one shared number
You don’t need multiple numbers for multiple people to answer calls. One number + one Allo account per person is the standard setup. Each person needs their own account (seat) — not their own number. Multiple lines
Add numbers when you want separate lines for different purposes: a main line, a support line, direct lines per rep. Each number has its own routing and business hours configured independently. One user, multiple numbers
A user can be assigned to several numbers at once — for example, an admin who handles both the main line and the support line.

---

​

Common mix-ups

“I invited a new team member — why aren’t they ringing?”
Inviting someone adds them as a user, but doesn’t automatically assign them to a number or add them to routing. Go to Settings → Numbers, select the line, and add them. Then configure routing. “Do I need a separate number for each person?”
No — unless you want individual direct lines. Multiple users can share one number and all be part of its routing.

---

​

Related