Learn Harborne AI, one guide at a time

1Create your account & start the free trial

This sets up your workspace and starts a 7-day free trial. You add a card to start, but aren't charged until the trial ends - cancel anytime.

1. 1Click “Get started” and open the sign-up form.
2. 2Fill in your business name, full name, email and a password (at least 8 characters).
3. 3Add your phone number (optional), then tick the box agreeing to the Terms and Privacy Policy.
4. 4Click “Start my free 7-day demo”. A pop-up will ask you to confirm your email.
5. 5Open the email from Harborne AI and click the confirmation link, then come back and sign in.

Didn’t get the email? Wait a minute and check your spam folder before requesting another.

2Claim a phone number

This is the UK mobile number your agent uses to answer both calls and texts.

1. 1In the left sidebar, open Phone Numbers (under “Build”).
2. 2Optionally type a few digits (e.g. 7700) to filter, then click “Search”.
3. 3Pick a number from the list and click “Claim”.
4. 4Enter the holder details (name, email and address) used to register the number.
5. 5Click “Claim this number”. It then appears at the top marked “Active”.

Basic includes one number; Intermediate and Enterprise allow more. You can release a number later, but not while it’s connected to an agent.

3Keep your existing number (Enterprise)

Rather than telling customers a new number, divert your current one so your AI answers it instead.

1. 1Open Phone Numbers and expand “Forward an existing number here” under your Harborne number.
2. 2Enter the existing business number calls will come from, then click “Save number”.
3. 3On that phone, dial the divert code shown to switch forwarding on - or set the divert in your network’s app.
4. 4Make a quick test call to your old number, then click “Verify forwarding”.

Your old number doesn’t change, and you can switch the divert off whenever you like by dialling the cancel code shown on the same panel.

1Create a knowledge base

This is the information your agent uses to answer questions: services, prices, opening hours and common questions.

1. 1Open Knowledge Base in the sidebar, then click “New”.
2. 2Give it a clear name, e.g. “Services & pricing”.
3. 3Paste in your content: what you offer, prices, hours, location and common questions with answers.
4. 4Click Save. You can come back and edit it any time.

Write it the way you’d explain things to a new receptionist: short, factual and specific.

2Use it in an agent or chat widget

A knowledge base only takes effect once an agent is pointed at it.

1. 1Open your Voice AI agent (or chat widget) and find the Knowledge base setting.
2. 2Select the knowledge base you created, then save.
3. 3Update the knowledge base any time - agents use the latest version on their next conversation.

1Build your Voice & SMS AI agent

This is the assistant that answers your calls and texts. It goes live the moment you save it.

1. 1Open Voice & SMS AI in the sidebar, then click “New”.
2. 2Give the agent a name and choose a voice (use the play button to preview it), then pick a language.
3. 3Write the greeting (the first thing callers hear) and a prompt describing how it should behave and what it helps with.
4. 4Under Knowledge base, select the one you created.
5. 5Under Phone number, choose the number you claimed so the agent answers on it.
6. 6Under Contact details, choose what the AI should collect before helping. Name and email are checked by default; add phone for callbacks or SMS follow-ups.
7. 7Click “Create voice agent” to take it live.

Your agent answers several callers at once - up to 2 calls at a time on Basic, 5 on Intermediate and an elevated number on Enterprise. If every line is busy, extra callers leave a voicemail that's transcribed into your Conversations inbox and emailed to you. You can also add a call script, lead-qualification questions and call-routing rules in the same form.

2Turn on safety guardrails

Guardrails stop your agent engaging with topics you’d rather a human handled. They are all off by default.

1. 1In the agent form, scroll to the Guardrails card.
2. 2Tick any of the four you need: Financial advice, Medical advice, Refund eligibility, Competitor mentions.
3. 3Save the agent.

With a guardrail on, the AI stays neutral on that topic and offers to pass the person to your team rather than guessing. SMS AI and the chat widget each have their own independent set.

3Test it before sharing

Try it two ways from the agent’s Test page so you know exactly what customers will experience.

1. 1Open Voice & SMS AI and click “Test” on your agent.
2. 2On the “Call my phone” tab, type your number in international format (e.g. +44 7700 900123), click “Place test call”, then answer your phone.
3. 3On the “Test in browser” tab, click “Start conversation”, allow microphone access, and just talk.
4. 4Click “End conversation” when done. Adjust the prompt or knowledge base if anything sounds off, then test again.

The browser test works even before a phone number is attached - handy for quick checks.

1Record and clone your voice

Your agents can answer in a clone of your own voice, so regulars hear someone familiar even when you’re with a customer.

1. 1Open Settings → Account → My voice. (On Basic you’ll see an upgrade prompt instead - cloning starts on Intermediate.)
2. 2Click “Record your voice” and allow microphone access.
3. 3Read the script on screen out loud. It opens with a consent sentence, then a short sample greeting.
4. 4Record for at least 10 seconds; it stops automatically at 30. Use a quiet room and speak naturally.
5. 5Use “Listen back” to check it, or “Re-record” to go again.
6. 6Name the voice, tick the box confirming it’s your own voice, then click “Create my voice”.

Intermediate includes 1 cloned voice and Enterprise up to 5. Delete one with the bin icon beside its name to free up a slot.

2Use it on an agent

Once cloned, your voice behaves like any other voice in the picker.

1. 1Open Voice & SMS AI and edit the agent you want to change.
2. 2Open the voice dropdown and look under “Your voices”.
3. 3Select your voice, use the play button to preview it, then save.
4. 4Place a test call to hear it on a real call.

Your agent still introduces itself as an AI assistant. Cloning changes how it sounds, never whether it admits to being an AI.

1Add your sender address

Tell Harborne AI which address your emails should come from.

1. 1Open Settings → Account → Email sender.
2. 2Enter a Sender name (your business name) and a Sender email on your domain, e.g. hello@yourdomain.com.
3. 3Click “Save sender”.
4. 4Emails actually send from a dedicated subdomain (e.g. mail.yourdomain.com) - this protects your domain’s sending reputation.

2Add the DNS records at your domain host

Three records (SPF, DKIM and a tracking CNAME) prove you own the domain so providers trust your email.

1. 1After saving, the records appear right below the form.
2. 2Open your DNS host (Hostinger, Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy…) and add each one.
3. 3Use the Name shown - the short form (e.g. “mail”). Most hosts add your domain automatically; the full hostname is shown in grey if your host needs it.
4. 4Use the copy button on each value to avoid typos. Don’t change the values.

DNS changes can take a few minutes up to 24 hours to propagate. The status updates per record.

3Verify and go live

Once the records are in, Harborne AI confirms them automatically.

1. 1The page re-checks every 20 seconds while records are pending - or click “Check verification now”.
2. 2When all three records show Verified, your domain is active.
3. 3Appointment and campaign emails now send from your own address.

Need to change it later? Use “Clear” to swap the address, or “Remove domain” to disconnect it entirely.

1Add team members

Your Voice AI and chat widgets offer these names and record who each appointment is with.

1. 1Open Settings, then open the Team section.
2. 2Enter a team member’s name, an optional role (e.g. “Senior stylist”), and their email address.
3. 3Click “Add”. Repeat for everyone customers can book with.
4. 4Use “Hide” to take someone off booking temporarily, or “Remove” to delete them. Past appointments keep their name.

Give each member an email and they’re notified automatically whenever an appointment is booked with them.

2Add your products and services

The AI only ever offers and quotes what’s on this list, so it can’t invent a service or a price.

1. 1Open Settings, then open the Services section.
2. 2Enter the service Name (e.g. “Gel manicure”).
3. 3Add an optional Price - it’s free text, so “£35”, “from £20” or “POA” all work.
4. 4Add an optional Description, then click “Add”. Repeat for everything you offer.
5. 5Use “Hide” to stop something being offered without deleting it, or “Remove” to delete it entirely.

Adding a service isn’t enough on its own: in each Voice AI agent and chat widget, tick the services and team members that agent may offer under “Team & services it offers”. Leave it empty and it won’t offer any.

1Book an appointment

Add a booking and Harborne AI handles the client messages for you.

1. 1Open Appointments in the sidebar, then click “New”.
2. 2Enter the client’s name, phone number, optional email, service, and date and time.
3. 3Choose a team member for the booking. If they have an email on file, they’re notified straight away.
4. 4Save. A confirmation goes to the client immediately by SMS and/or email where those details are available.
5. 5The client automatically gets a 24-hour reminder and a rebooking prompt afterwards. Use “Remind” to send one manually.

2Customise and toggle each message

Every appointment message can be reworded or switched off, independently for SMS and email.

1. 1Open Settings → Appointment messages.
2. 2Each message - booking confirmation, 24-hour reminder and rebooking prompt - has its own card on the SMS and Email tabs.
3. 3Use the toggle in a card’s header to turn that message on or off (all on by default).
4. 4Edit the wording below; leave it blank to use the default. The live preview shows exactly how it reads.

Placeholders {name}, {service}, {date} and {time} are filled in automatically for each client.

1Create and install the widget

Visitors get instant answers, and conversations land in your inbox alongside calls.

1. 1Open Chat Widget in the sidebar, then click “New”.
2. 2Customise the look, intro wording and visitor details the AI should collect (name and email are checked by default).
3. 3Choose the knowledge base the widget should use, then save.
4. 4Copy the provided code snippet.
5. 5Follow the install steps shown for Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Webflow or a custom site.
6. 6Install the snippet once in your site-wide footer or body-end code area, then publish and test the live site.

Basic includes one chat widget; Intermediate allows up to 3 and Enterprise an elevated number. Use the Chat Widget page to edit one or copy the snippet again.

1Read a conversation

Everything your customers send lands in Conversations, grouped into a single thread however they got in touch.

1. 1Open Conversations in the sidebar.
2. 2Narrow the list with the search box, or the channel filters: All, Calls, Chat, Email, plus SMS and Social on the plans that include them.
3. 3Click a conversation to read the full history in time order - the customer on the left, your AI or team on the right.
4. 4Call transcripts and voicemail transcriptions appear here too, threaded with that caller.

Repeat customers are matched by phone or email, so the same person’s calls, chats, texts and emails stay in one thread instead of scattering.

2Reply yourself

You can step in and answer any conversation by hand.

1. 1Open a conversation and find the reply box at the bottom.
2. 2If both are available, choose the SMS or Email tab. Email replies work on every paid plan; SMS from Intermediate up.
3. 3Type your message and send.

Sending a reply takes the conversation over from the AI, so it won’t answer on top of you. On Enterprise you can hand it back from the Live tab.

1Add and organise clients

Everyone who calls or chats is saved for you. You can also add people by hand.

1. 1Open Clients in the sidebar to see your whole database.
2. 2Click “New” to add someone: name, phone, optional email, address and what they got in touch about.
3. 3Set their Segment (new, regular, VIP or lapsed), pipeline stage and lead score, or leave the defaults.
4. 4Use the segment tabs and the search box to find people.
5. 5Click “Auto-update segments” to re-sort everyone based on their recent activity.

Open any client to see their full record: every call, chat, text, email and appointment in one place, including details the AI captured on the phone.

2Respect contact preferences

Two tick-boxes on each client keep your campaigns on the right side of the rules.

1. 1Edit a client and scroll to the bottom of the form.
2. 2Tick “Do not contact by phone” to exclude them from outbound voice and SMS campaigns.
3. 3Tick “Do not email” to exclude them from email campaigns.

“Do not email” is ticked automatically when someone clicks the unsubscribe link in one of your campaign emails, so your list stays lawful without you tracking it.

1Send a campaign

Keep your contacts in one place and reach the right people in a few clicks.

1. 1Open Clients, then add or import your contacts and group them into segments.
2. 2Open Campaigns and click “New”.
3. 3Choose the channel - SMS or email - then target all clients, a segment, or specific people, and write your message.
4. 4Send it now, then review the results back in your Conversations inbox.

Campaigns are part of the Intermediate plan. Outbound AI calling is an Enterprise channel - it leaves a voicemail-aware AI call instead of a text. Upgrade any time from Settings.

1Build a workflow

A workflow waits for something to happen, then runs the steps you chose, without you touching it.

1. 1Open Workflows in the sidebar, then click “New”.
2. 2Give it a name and an optional description.
3. 3Under “When this happens”, pick the trigger: a new contact, a lead score reaching a threshold, a contact reaching a pipeline stage, or a contact going quiet.
4. 4Add your steps in order: send an SMS or email, wait a set time, move a pipeline stage, adjust a lead score, or set a segment.
5. 5Set Status to Active, then save. (Paused and Draft let you build it now and switch it on later.)

Start simple - new lead, wait 1 day, send a follow-up SMS, add 10 to their lead score - and watch it run before building anything longer.

1Never run out of voice minutes

Every plan includes a monthly pool of AI voice minutes. Once it’s empty, calls stop being answered - unless auto-top-up is on.

1. 1Open Settings → Subscription.
2. 2Switch on “Voice auto-top-up”.
3. 3Set a Monthly spend cap in pounds. We never spend more than this in a calendar month.
4. 4Click Save. From then on we buy a top-up pack automatically before you reach zero.

Top-up credits roll over and are only used after your included minutes, so nothing you buy goes to waste.

2Buy extra texts or change plan

SMS top-ups are bought as you need them, and you can move plan at any time.

1. 1In Settings → Subscription, use the SMS top-up pack button to buy an extra bundle. (Basic has no SMS allowance, so this appears from Intermediate up.)
2. 2To move plan, pick a different one on the same page. Upgrades are pro-rata, so you only pay the difference.
3. 3Cancelling stops future renewals - you keep access until the end of the period you’ve already paid for.

Your Reports page shows voice minutes and SMS used against your allowance, so check there before deciding whether to top up or move plan.

1Turn on two-factor sign-in

Adds a one-time code from an authenticator app on top of your password.

1. 1Open Settings → Account → Security.
2. 2Click “Set up two-factor authentication”.
3. 3Scan the QR code with your authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy, 1Password and similar all work).
4. 4Enter the 6-digit code it shows to confirm and finish.

Tick “Trust this device” when you sign in to skip the code on that device for 30 days. You can remove trusted devices from the same page at any time.

2Check activity and manage your data

You can see what’s happened on your account and take your data with you, without emailing anyone.

1. 1In the Security section, review the recent account activity list - password and two-factor changes, data exports, deletion requests and new integrations.
2. 2Open Settings → Account → Privacy & data to download everything we hold about your account as a JSON file.
3. 3The same section schedules account deletion, with a grace period and an emailed link to cancel if you change your mind.

See an action you don’t recognise? Change your password straight away.

1Connect more channels

Answer customers wherever they message you, all from the same inbox.

1. 1Open Channels and connect WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Instagram.
2. 2Your AI replies on these channels with the same knowledge and context it uses for calls and texts.
3. 3Replies appear threaded in Conversations next to that contact's other messages.

2Monitor live and take over

Step in the moment a customer needs a person - the AI pauses while you reply.

1. 1Open Conversations and switch to the Live tab to see active chats, texts, social messages and calls in real time.
2. 2Click Take over to pause the AI and reply yourself; hand it back when you're done.
3. 3If a customer asks for a human, the thread is flagged and you're alerted by a nav badge, a bell, a toast and email.
4. 4For phone calls, use Transfer to my phone to send the live call to your mobile.

Alerts follow you across tabs - the browser tab title and favicon show a badge when someone needs you.

3Let the AI work outbound

Reach clients proactively and build automations without writing rules by hand.

1. 1Use outbound AI calling for appointment reminders and follow-up campaigns - calls are voicemail-aware.
2. 2Open Workflows and describe what you want in plain English to build an automation with AI.
3. 3Review the generated steps, then save and activate the workflow.