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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.decodahealth.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Prerequisites: You should have at least one Location configured before setting up AI assistants, as inbound and outbound assistants are tied to locations and phone numbers.
Looking for the AI helpers inside the form editor, template editor, or services page? Those are a different feature. See Forms, Note Templates, and Services.
Let AI handle phone calls, clinical notes, and text messages so your staff can focus on patients. Set up assistants that answer after-hours calls, transcribe appointments into structured notes, and respond to incoming texts automatically. AI Assistants automate phone calls, note summarization, and text messaging for your clinic. Each assistant type serves a different purpose — from answering inbound patient calls to transcribing clinical notes. You can customize each assistant’s behavior, AI model, tools, and scheduling.

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Assistant Types

Decoda provides several categories of AI assistants, each accessed from a different sub-page under Settings > AI Assistants.
TypePurpose
Phone NumbersManage the phone numbers your clinic uses for AI calls, ring groups, and forwarding. Inbound calling assistants are configured here, on the page for each phone number.
Outbound CallingMakes outgoing calls for billing, reminders, follow-ups, and lab results. Includes sub-types: Biller, Outbound Call, Call Reminder, Call Follow-Up, and Lab Technician.
Scribe AssistantSummarizes clinical notes and transcriptions. Assists providers with documentation by auto-generating structured note content.
Call SummarizerGenerates summaries of completed phone calls for quick review by staff.
Texting AssistantHandles incoming text messages from patients with AI-powered responses. Supports tool-assisted actions.
Web Chat WidgetEmbeds an AI chat widget on your website so visitors can chat with your assistant.

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Phone Numbers and Inbound Calling

Inbound calling assistants answer phone calls to your clinic’s AI phone numbers. Each phone number has its own configuration page where you set up assistants, ring groups for live staff, and closures for holidays. The same page shows a weekly schedule so you can see which handler is on at any given hour.

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Provision a Phone Number

1

Open Phone Numbers

Go to Settings > AI Assistants > Phone Numbers.
2

Start Provisioning

Click Provision Number in the top right corner. A window opens with a search box.
3

Pick an Available Number

Search by area code and pick a number from the results. Click Provision to add it to your account.
Once provisioned, the number appears as a card on the Phone Numbers page. The card shows the number, status badges (Primary, Enabled, Disabled, Forwarding, Not Configured), and any assistants or ring groups already assigned to it.

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Configure a Phone Number

Click a number card (or the Set up assistant link inside it) to open the configuration page for that number. The page is split into three handler types on the left — Ring Groups, AI Assistants, and Closures — with a Weekly Schedule on the right. At the top of the page you can also set:
  • Timezone — Used for all schedules on this number.
  • Location — The clinic location this number serves.
  • Ring Group Failover — An assistant that picks up when no one in a ring group answers. You can pick an existing assistant or + Create New to add one.
  • Caller ID — Shows the practice name displayed on outbound calls. Contact support to set this up.

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Add an AI Assistant to a Phone Number

1

Open the Phone Number Configuration Page

On the Phone Numbers page, click the number you want to add an assistant to.
2

Add an Assistant

In the AI Assistants section, click Add AI Assistant. The form opens on the right.
3

Fill In the Assistant Details

  • Name — The display name for this assistant (e.g., “After Hours”, “Main Line AI”).
  • Greeting Message — The opening message callers hear. Type @ to insert a saved suggestion. If left blank, the default greeting is used.
  • Custom Prompt — Instructions that shape how the assistant handles conversations (escalation steps, transfer numbers, hours, services). Type @ to insert saved suggestions. You can also click a Quick Preset above the text box to drop in a ready-made instruction set.
  • Tools — Capabilities the assistant can use on calls (ending calls, sending texts, transferring calls, verifying callers, looking up availability, booking, rescheduling, or cancelling appointments). Some tools depend on others — for example, enabling a booking tool automatically adds the availability lookup tool.
  • AI Model — Which AI model powers the assistant. The recommended model is pre-selected.
4

Set a Schedule (If Required)

If another handler is already set up as the off-hours handler for this number, you must give this assistant a schedule. Use the weekly schedule editor in the form to pick the days and time slots when this assistant should answer calls. Otherwise, the first assistant or ring group you save becomes the off-hours handler automatically.
5

Save

Click Create Assistant. The assistant appears in the AI Assistants list and shows up on the weekly schedule.
To edit an assistant, click it in the AI Assistants list (or click its block on the weekly schedule) and then click Edit. Make your changes and click Save Changes.

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Ring Groups and Closures

In addition to AI assistants, each phone number can have:
  • Ring Groups — Lists of staff phones that ring during scheduled hours. If no one answers, calls fall over to the Ring Group Failover assistant set at the top of the page. Add one from the Ring Groups section.
  • Closures — Time blocks (holidays, lunch breaks, recurring days off) when scheduled routing is paused. Calls during a closure go to the off-hours handler. Add one from the Closures section.

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Routing Priority

Click How is call routing prioritized? below the weekly schedule to see the order Decoda uses to pick a handler:
  1. Closures — Block scheduled routing during configured times; calls fall back to the off-hours handler.
  2. Scheduled AI Assistants — AI overrides ring groups during shift hours (for example, a lunch break).
  3. Scheduled Ring Groups — Route to live staff during scheduled hours. If no one answers, the Ring Group Failover assistant handles the call.
  4. Off-Hours Handler — One assistant handles calls when no schedule is active.

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Forward, Enable, or Release a Number

The three-dot menu on a phone number card on the Phone Numbers page lets you:
  • Edit number — Open the configuration page.
  • Forward calls — Forward this number to another number you own (or to one of your AI numbers). Useful for sending an unconfigured number to an existing assistant.
  • Enable number — Re-enable a disabled number so it starts handling calls again.
  • Set as primary — Mark this as the primary number for the tenant. The primary badge appears on the card.
  • Release number — Permanently release the number from your account. Numbers cannot be released within 14 days of purchase, and you must remove all assistants and ring groups before releasing.

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Search Phone Numbers

Use the filter bar on the Phone Numbers page to search by name (assistant or ring group name) or by phone number digits.

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Behavior Presets

Behavior presets are ready-made instruction sets that you can add to an assistant’s behavior with one click, instead of writing detailed instructions from scratch. When editing an assistant’s behavior, you will see a row of preset buttons above the behavior text box (labeled Quick Presets). Each preset covers a specific capability — for example, rules for recommending related services during booking, or steps for reducing cancellations by offering alternatives first. How to use presets:
  1. Open the assistant editor and scroll to the Custom Prompt field.
  2. Click the + button on any preset card to insert its instructions into the behavior text box.
  3. To remove a preset, click the checkmark button on its card. The inserted text is removed automatically.
  4. If you edit the inserted text and want to go back to the original version, click the reset arrow that appears on the preset card.
You can add multiple presets at once — they stack together in the behavior field. Feel free to edit the inserted text to fit your clinic’s specific needs.

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Outbound Calling Assistants

Outbound assistants make automated calls on behalf of your clinic. They are pre-configured by type and appear as cards on the Outbound Calling page.

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Edit an Outbound Assistant

1

Navigate to Outbound Assistants

Go to Settings > AI Assistants > Outbound Calling.
2

Select Assistant

Click Edit on the assistant card you want to modify. Each card shows the assistant’s name, description, and active tools.
3

Configure Settings

  • Assistant Name: Update the display name.
  • Primary Location: Assign the assistant to a specific location.
  • Greeting Message: Customize the opening message for voice assistants.
  • Assistant Behaviour: Provide custom instructions. Supports @ suggestion shortcuts.
  • Tools: Select which capabilities the assistant can use.
  • AI Model: Choose the AI model.
4

Save

Click Save Changes.

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Scribe Assistant

The Scribe assistant powers AI-generated clinical notes. It processes transcriptions and structured form data to produce documentation for providers.
1

Navigate to Scribe

Go to Settings > AI Assistants > Scribe.
2

Configure Settings

  • Assistant Name: Update the scribe’s display name.
  • Assistant Behaviour: Provide instructions on how notes should be summarized (e.g., format preferences, level of detail, terminology to use). Supports @ suggestion shortcuts.
  • AI Model: Choose which AI model powers the scribe.
3

Save

Click Save Changes.

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Call Summarizer

The Call Summarizer generates post-call summaries that staff can review.
1

Navigate to Call Summarizer

Go to Settings > AI Assistants > Call Summarizer.
2

Configure Settings

  • Assistant Name: Update the display name.
  • Assistant Behaviour: Provide instructions on how call summaries should be structured. Supports @ suggestion shortcuts.
  • AI Model: Choose the AI model.
3

Save

Click Save Changes.

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Texting Assistant

The Texting Assistant handles incoming text messages from patients, providing AI-powered responses and performing automated actions. There is one Texting Assistant per tenant, and it handles SMS on all enabled phone numbers.
1

Navigate to the Texting Assistant

Go to Settings > AI Assistants > Texting Assistant.
2

Configure Settings

  • Assistant Name: Update the display name.
  • Assistant Behaviour: Provide instructions for text message interactions (e.g., response length, handoff procedures, service hours). Supports @ suggestion shortcuts.
  • Tools: Select capabilities the texting assistant can use. Available tools differ from voice assistants — voice-only tools like ending calls and transferring calls are filtered out.
  • AI Model: Choose the AI model.
3

Save

Click Save Changes.

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Web Chat Widget

The Web Chat Widget lets patients chat with your AI assistant directly from your website. Decoda generates an embed code snippet you paste into your site’s HTML, and visitors see a chat bubble that opens a conversation with your assistant.
1

Navigate to the Web Chat Widget

Go to Settings > AI Assistants > Web Chat Widget.
2

Copy the Embed Code

At the top of the page, click the copy icon next to the Embed code snippet. Paste the snippet inside the <head> section of your website. The widget picks up your tenant subdomain and brand color automatically.
3

Configure the Assistant

  • Assistant Name: The display name for the chat widget.
  • Assistant Behaviour: Instructions that shape how the assistant talks to website visitors. Supports @ suggestion shortcuts and Quick Presets.
  • Tools: Capabilities the chat assistant can use. Voice-only tools (such as ending calls or transferring calls) are not available in chat.
  • AI Model: Choose the AI model.
  • Timezone: The timezone the assistant uses when discussing scheduling and appointment times with visitors.
4

Save

Click Save Changes. The widget on your website starts using the new settings on its next load.

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AI Model Selection

All assistant types include an AI Model selector. Available models include options from Google (Gemini) and OpenAI (GPT), with a Recommended option pre-selected. Different models offer varying performance characteristics — the recommended model is suitable for most use cases.

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Behaviour Prompts and Suggestions

The Assistant Behaviour field on every assistant type accepts rich text with @ mention shortcuts. When you type @ in the behaviour editor, a dropdown appears with available suggestions. Select a suggestion to insert its content into the prompt. This lets you build reusable text snippets (managed under Suggestions) that can be quickly inserted into any assistant’s behaviour instructions.
For details on creating and managing the saved suggestions inserted with @, see Suggestions.

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Advanced Configuration

Every phone number with at least one assistant or ring group has one off-hours handler — the assistant or ring group that picks up calls when no schedule is currently active. The first handler you save on a number becomes the off-hours handler automatically. After that, any new handler you add must have a schedule, and you can change which one is the off-hours handler from the configuration page.
Use schedules to control when each assistant or ring group answers calls. If no schedule is active for a given hour, the off-hours handler picks up. To provide 24/7 coverage, you can either give one assistant no schedule (so it acts as the off-hours handler) or stack multiple handlers with non-overlapping schedules. Use Closures for holidays and lunch breaks so calls fall back to the off-hours handler during those times.
Tools extend what an assistant can do during a conversation. For inbound calling assistants, tools might include verifying callers, sending texts, transferring calls, or ending calls. For texting assistants, the available tool set is different and excludes voice-only capabilities. Only enable tools the assistant needs to keep conversations focused.Scheduling tools are available for both inbound calling and texting assistants. These include finding available appointment times, booking new appointments, cancelling existing appointments, and rescheduling appointments. Some scheduling tools depend on others — for example, booking an appointment requires the ability to look up available times, so enabling the booking tool will automatically enable the availability lookup tool.
AI Assistant settings use granular per-type permissions:
  • View Inbound Calling Settings / Manage Inbound Calling — View and modify inbound calling assistants and phone numbers.
  • View Outbound Calling Settings / Manage Outbound Calling — View and modify outbound calling assistants.
  • View Scribe Assistant Settings / Manage Scribe Assistant — View and modify the Scribe assistant configuration.
  • View Call Summarizer Settings / Manage Call Summarizer — View and modify the Call Summarizer assistant.
  • View Texting Assistant Settings / Manage Texting Assistant — View and modify the Texting Assistant and the Web Chat Widget.
  • View Suggestions Settings / Manage Suggestions Settings — View and modify the reusable text suggestions on the Suggestions page.
Each assistant type has its own view/manage pair. A user needs the View permission to see the assistant’s page and the Manage permission to make changes. Admin users have full access to all assistants by default.
To delete an inbound calling assistant, open the phone number’s configuration page, click the trash icon on the assistant’s row in the AI Assistants list, and confirm. This action cannot be undone, and any active calls handled by that assistant will fail after deletion.