---
key: buy-a-phone-number
title: Buy a phone number
audience: staff
section: settings/communications
routes: ["/settings/communications/phone-numbers"]
permissions: ["communications.phone_numbers.purchase"]
features: ["communications.phone-inboxes"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Search for an available number by country, area code, city or digits, choose whether it texts and calls, name it, give it to a branch and the people who will use it, and buy it.
keywords: [new number, second line, area code, local number, purchase number, add a line, dispatch line, buy number]
related: [get-your-texting-number, transfer-your-phone-number-to-nova, set-up-a-phone-line]
---

In the sidebar, open **Settings**, then choose **Phone Lines** under **Communications**. The page address is `/settings/communications/phone-numbers`. **Purchase Number** is at the top right of the list.

## Before you start

- Your role needs permission to purchase phone numbers, and Nova must approve additional purchases. Without approval the page offers **Request approval** instead. Your number allowance still applies after approval.
- The included texting number is free with your plan; see [[get-your-texting-number]]. You can choose its area code during included setup. Purchase an additional number for a second office or a dispatch line after Nova approves it.
- Decide who will answer it. A line needs at least one authorized user before calls can ring in the app.

## Steps

1. Press **Purchase Number**. The **Purchase Number** drawer opens.
2. Choose the **Country**.
3. Narrow the search: type an **Area code**, or under **Search by** pick **Locality** and type a city, or pick **Number** and type the **Number digits or phrase** you want with **Match to** set to any part, the first part or the last part.
4. Leave **Text enabled** and **Voice enabled** on unless you only want one of them.
5. Under **Available numbers**, pick a number. Each shows its location and what it can do.
6. Type a **Display name** such as Main dispatch. This is what your team sees in Nova.
7. Choose a **Branch** if the line belongs to one.
8. Under **Authorized users**, switch on the people who can answer and text from this line. **Add me** adds yourself.
9. Open **Advanced line settings** if you want to set **Recording**, **Consent**, **Business hours**, **Ring strategy** and **Ring timeout** now. All of them can be changed later.
10. Press **Purchase Number** at the bottom. The button reads **Purchasing...** while Nova buys the number and sets the line up.

## What you see

- The new line appears in the **Phone Lines** list with its number, name, branch and status.
- Open its row menu for **Assigned users**, **Voicemail**, **Call forwarding**, **IVR** and the rest. See [[set-up-a-phone-line]].
- On the Customer messages page you can now choose this number under **Texts come from**. See [[choose-where-customer-messages-come-from]].

## If something looks different

- **Available numbers** asks for at least 2 letters or digits: the digits or city you typed is too short to search.
- No numbers matched: widen the search. Clear the area code, or try a nearby city.
- **Purchase Number** at the bottom stays off: pick a number under **Available numbers** and switch on at least one person under **Authorized users** first.
- You do not see **Purchase Number**: your role may lack permission, or Nova has not approved additional purchases. Use **Request approval** or ask your admin. An allowance increase also needs Nova approval; the purchase never proceeds over your allowance.

[[route:/settings/communications/phone-numbers|Open Phone Lines]]