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Kestrel Setup Cheat Sheet

Everything you need to set up, configure, and get the most out of Kestrel — in one page.

1. Initial Setup Flow (First-Time Users)

1

Sign Up

Create account via email/password or Google OAuth

Go
2

Choose Plan

Personal ($29/mo), Business ($499/mo), or Business Plus ($999/mo)

Go
3

Onboarding

Enter owner name, callback number, industry

Go
4

Emergency Address

Required for phone number provisioning (E911)

Go
5

Payment

Subscribe via Stripe

Go
6

AI Profile

Configure voice, greeting, personality (optional)

Go
7

Get Phone Number

Purchase a number for your AI agent

Go
8

Test Call

Verify your AI answers correctly

Go

2. Template Selection (Jump-Start Your AI)

Instead of building your AI config from scratch, use industry templates that pre-fill greetings, services, FAQs, and personality.

HVAC

Seasonal greeting, dispatch scheduling, emergency call routing (heating, cooling, maintenance)

Plumbing

Leak triage, appointment booking, parts FAQ, emergency flooding/gas leak dispatch

Electrical

Service scheduling, emergency sparking/burning smell routing, safety-conscious responses

Legal

Intake screening, consultation booking, conflict checks, confidential messaging

Medical

HIPAA-compliant greeting, appointment scheduling, office hours, no medical advice

Dental

Warm professional greeting, cleaning/exam/procedure scheduling, insurance questions

Restaurant

Menu Q&A, reservation booking, order confirmation, dietary options

Property Management

Tenant inquiries, maintenance requests, lease info, tour scheduling

Auto Repair

Service scheduling, repair estimates, status checks, friendly knowledgeable tone

Salon

Appointment booking, service menu Q&A, stylist availability

Personal Assistant

Casual greeting, message taking, call screening, social links, public profile

Pro Tip: After applying a template, always run a Test Call to verify the AI behavior matches your business.

3. Core Configuration Cheat Sheet

Must-Configure (Go Live)

FeatureWhy It MattersLink
AI Agent ConfigVoice type, greeting message, personality, scripts, industry templatesOpen
Call ModeHow calls are handled: adaptive (recommended), streaming, gather, hybrid, forwardOpen
Business HoursWhen AI answers vs. after-hours voicemailOpen
Phone NumbersPurchase/manage Twilio numbers. One included; extras billed monthlyOpen
Call ForwardingNumber to transfer to when AI cannot resolveOpen
Human FallbackBackup number for complex callsOpen
NotificationsSMS/email alerts for missed calls, appointments, new leads, low creditsOpen
IVR Spam GatePress-a-key challenge to block robocalls before AI answersOpen
Voice InstructionsRecord or type custom voice instructions for your AIOpen
Voice SecurityPIN protection and authorized phone numbers for AI config changesOpen
API KeysManage integration keys for external servicesOpen
Growth SettingsBusiness growth and expansion configurationOpen

Security & Quality

FeaturePurposeLink
Spam ControlsBlock spammers, whitelist, auto-block repeat offendersOpen
Call GatekeeperPre-screen calls before AI picks upOpen
Voice PerformanceMonitor latency, greeting quality, sentimentOpen
Adaptive AIAuto-learning from call patterns to improve responsesOpen

4. AI Profile Setup (Personal Assistant)

Your shareable public profile is what visitors see at kestrelvoice.com/ai/{username}. Setting this up correctly turns your AI into a 24/7 landing page.

Profile Basics

  • Display Name
  • Tagline
  • Bio
  • Profile Photo & Banner
  • Custom URL Slug
Edit Profile

AI Training

  • System Prompt
  • Personality (Pro/Friendly/Casual)
  • Response Style & Length
  • Knowledge Base URLs
  • Training Documents
  • Custom Instructions
  • Company Info & Services
AI Training

Auto-Fill

Paste your website URL and Kestrel will automatically extract your business name, description, and pre-fill your profile + AI config.

Import from Website

5. AI Chat Setup

Your public profile includes a chat widget that visitors can use to message your AI.

Enable Chat

Turn the chat widget on/off on your public page

Enable Phone

Show "Call AI" button on your public page

Enable Scheduling

Allow visitors to book appointments via chat

Chat Quick Prompts

Pre-written buttons visitors can tap (e.g., "Book a call", "Pricing")

Contact Gate

Require name/email before letting visitors chat/call (auto-enabled)

6. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Your AI can answer common questions automatically. There are two ways to set this up:

Method 1: AI Agent Config FAQs

Add FAQs directly to your AI configuration so the AI knows exact answers.

Best for: Business-specific questions ("Do you offer warranties?", "What are your hours?")

Go to AI Agent Config

Method 2: Public Profile FAQ Section

Add a dedicated FAQ section to your public shareable profile.

Best for: Visitor-facing questions on your public page

Go to Profile Content

Template FAQ Starters

  • "What services do you offer?"
  • "How do I schedule an appointment?"
  • "What are your business hours?"
  • "Do you offer emergency services?"
  • "What areas do you serve?"
  • "How do I get a quote?"

7. Share Your Public Profile

Your public profile at kestrelvoice.com/ai/{username} is a 24/7 landing page where visitors can chat with your AI, call you, or book appointments.

Copy Linkkestrelvoice.com/ai/your-name
Social ShareVisitors can call/chat with your AI
Email SignatureEvery email becomes a lead gen tool
QR CodeScan from business cards/vehicles

Profile Content (Build Trust)

FeaturePurposeLink
TestimonialsClient reviews displayed on public pageOpen
PortfolioShowcase past work/projectsOpen
ServicesList services with pricingOpen
InvitationsTrack inbound messages from visitorsOpen

8. Balance & Credits

Credits are NOT calls. They are consumed per minute based on your Call Mode.

Credit Cost by Call Mode

Gather

0.25 credits/min

Simple Q&A, message taking

Hybrid

0.5 credit/min

Mixed interactions

Adaptive

1.5 credits/min

Smart routing + AI (recommended)

Streaming

2 credits/min

Real-time full AI conversations

Call Mode Feature Comparison

FeatureSmart AdaptiveSmart HybridPremium StreamingBasic AI
Cost per minute1.5 credits0.5 credit2 credits0.25 credits
Latency< 200msModerate< 200msLow
Barge-in (interrupt)YesNoYesNo
Call recordingYesYesYesNo
Real-time transcriptYesYesYesNo
Lead captureYesYesYesYes
Function-call actionsYesYesYesNo
Spam scoringYesYesYesYes
Auto-learningYesNoNoNo
Best forMost businessesBudget-consciousPremium experienceSimple routing

Plans & Allowances

PlanMonthly PriceMonthly CreditsPhone Numbers
Starter$29/mo801
Business$499/mo1,2002
Business Plus$999/mo2,5003
EnterpriseCustomCustom10

Credit Alerts

80% Usage

Email + SMS alert sent automatically

90% Usage

Dashboard banner + auto-upgrade offer

100% Usage

Calls roll to voicemail; AI stops answering

9. Major Functionality Areas

Phone & Calls

CRM

AI Voice Assistant

AI Voice Setup

Analytics

10. Key URLs Reference

Dashboard Home/dashboard
Settings Home/settings
AI Agent Config/settings/ai-agent
Billing & Credits/settings/billing
Growth Settings/settings/growth
Call Logs/calls
Live Calls/calls/live
Contacts/contacts
Analytics/analytics
Personal Assistant/personal-assistant
Dialer/dialer
Help Center/help
Inbox/inbox
Email Campaigns/email
Video Meetings/meetings

11. What Users Often Miss

Emergency Address is Required — No phone number without E911 address

Call Mode Determines Cost — Adaptive is smartest but uses 1.5 credits/min; Gather is cheapest at 0.25 credits/min

Public Profile is Auto-Generated — Your kestrelvoice.com/ai/{username} page is live once setup completes

Test Call is Free — Always test after changing AI config (/settings/test-call)

Notifications Need Setup — Default is web-only; enable SMS for urgent alerts

Spam Controls Are Off by Default — Turn on IVR gate if getting robocalls

Credits Are Not Calls — A 5-minute streaming call = 30 credits, not 5

Templates Save Hours — Use industry templates instead of building AI config from scratch

Website Import is Powerful — Paste your URL and Kestrel auto-fills your profile + AI config

Profile Content Builds Trust — Add testimonials, portfolio, and services to convert visitors

FAQ Section is Separate from AI Training — Public profile FAQs are visitor-facing; AI config FAQs train the AI brain

12. Quick Troubleshooting

ProblemLikely CauseFix
AI not answering callsNo phone number purchased/settings/phone-numbers
AI sounds genericNo template or custom prompt applied/settings/ai-agent
Running out of credits fastUsing Streaming mode (6x cost)/settings/call-mode
Missing call notificationsNotifications not configured/settings/notifications
Public profile 404Slug not set or profile not public/personal-assistant
Spam calls getting throughSpam controls disabled/settings/spam-controls
Leads not showing upLead qualification not enabled/settings/leads
Cannot change AI voiceVoice security PIN not set/settings/voice-security

Need more help? Visit the Help Center or Contact Support.

Last updated: May 2026