---
title: "Set up phone channels"
slug: "content-set-up-phone-channels"
updated: 2026-07-22T15:11:08Z
published: 2026-07-23T10:07:46Z
canonical: "help.8x8.com/content-set-up-phone-channels"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.8x8.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set up phone channels

An **8x8 Contact Center** phone channel processes inbound phone interactions in an **8x8 Contact Center** tenant.

Phone channels in the **8x8 Contact Center** define phone numbers that your customers use to call your contact center. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/e3a59e39-abd3-4423-964c-0a4008dc5673/Images/Documentation/vovcc-cfgmgrphonechannels01.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-03T21%3A52%3A12Z&se=2026-11-03T22%3A52%3A12Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=SQna0ZBVPGcT1TAs92YVUvXa%2FwgIyoWN8R34HauwSd8%3D)

- **Service channels**: A service channel is a regular phone channel associated with a telephone number. It is automatically created when a number is ordered for the tenant through provisioning. You can edit a service channel, and enable or disable it in **8x8 Configuration Manager**. An IVR script is linked to the service channel by default.
- **Agent channels**: An agent channel is associated with **8x8 Contact Center** agents, and is automatically created when you create a **8x8 Contact Center** agent in **Account Manager**. You can edit an agent channel, and enable or disable it in **8x8 Configuration Manager**. See [how to configure an agent channel](/documentation/docs/content-configure-phone-channel-properties#agent-ch). A default IVR script is linked to the agent DID and agent PBX extension. The administrator can create a custom script and configure it for the agent. For details about the two default agent scripts, refer to [Create a Phone IVR Script](/documentation/docs/content-create-a-phone-ivr-script).

Service phone channels can only be added or removed from your **8x8 Contact Center** tenant by a **8x8 Contact Center** representative. The representative coordinates the acquisition and routing of the phone number to the 8x8 platform that hosts your tenant.

### Features

- Facilitate inbound phone interactions in a **8x8 Contact Center** tenant via Service channels.
- Interact directly with the appropriate phone queues via skill-based routing rules.
- Automatic creation of Service channels with numbers ordered for the tenant through provisioning.
- Ability to edit enable, and disable Service channels via **8x8 Configuration Manager**.
- Access to a default IVR script linked to the Service channel.
- Automatic creation of Agent Channel when you create a **8x8 Contact Center** agent in **Account Manager**.
- Ability to edit, enable, and disable Agent Channels via **8x8 Configuration Manager**.
- Access to default IVR script linked to the agent DID and agent PBX extension.
- Ability to create a custom script and configure it for the agent.

Setting up a phone channel involves:

- [Configuring phone channel properties](/documentation/docs/content-configure-phone-channel-properties)
- [Creating a phone IVR script](/documentation/docs/content-create-a-phone-ivr-script)
- [Assigning a script to the phone channel](/documentation/docs/content-assign-scripts-to-channels)