When you sign up for RingAssist, you get a dedicated phone number that acts as your AI receptionist line. The question is: how should you connect it to your business? There are two main options — and a recommended third approach that gives you the best of both worlds.
Option 1: Use the RingAssist Number as Your Main Business Number
With this approach, you replace your current business phone number with the new RingAssist number. You update your website, Google Business Profile, business cards, truck wraps, yard signs, and anywhere else your number appears. All calls go directly to RingAssist.
Advantages
- Simple setup — No call forwarding codes or carrier configuration needed. It just works from day one.
- No carrier compatibility issues — You don't depend on your phone carrier supporting forwarding correctly. Some carriers have quirks with conditional forwarding or charge extra for it.
- Lower latency — Calls connect to RingAssist instantly with no forwarding delay. Your callers hear a greeting faster.
- Keep your personal line free — Your existing phone number stays available for personal use, existing customers, or a second line of communication.
- Full control — RingAssist handles every call from the start. No risk of your phone's voicemail or carrier settings intercepting calls before they reach RingAssist.
Disadvantages
- You need to update your number everywhere — Website, Google Business Profile, Yelp, Angi, HomeAdvisor, Nextdoor, social media, print materials, vehicle wraps, yard signs. This takes time and some listings can be slow to update.
- Existing customers have your old number — Repeat clients, referral contacts, and anyone who saved your number in their phone will be calling a number that no longer routes to RingAssist. You risk missing callbacks and repeat business.
- Lost SEO and listing consistency — NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone) is a ranking factor for local search. Changing your number across directories can temporarily hurt your visibility until all listings are updated.
- Print materials become outdated — Business cards, door hangers, flyers, and truck magnets with the old number are wasted.
Option 2: Forward Your Existing Number to RingAssist
With this approach, you keep your current business number and set up call forwarding so that incoming calls are routed to your RingAssist number. Your customers keep calling the same number they've always used.
Advantages
- No number change — Your customers, leads, and every listing or ad with your current number will continue to work. Zero disruption.
- No marketing updates needed — Google Business Profile, Yelp, business cards, truck wraps, yard signs — everything stays the same.
- Preserves SEO and local ranking — Your NAP consistency stays intact, which protects your local search rankings.
- Fast to set up — Takes a couple of minutes with a dial code. See our call forwarding guide for step-by-step instructions.
- Easy to reverse — If you ever want to stop using RingAssist, just disable forwarding and your number works as before. No migration needed.
Disadvantages
- Your existing number can't receive other calls — When unconditional forwarding is active, every call goes to RingAssist. If you also use that number for personal calls, supplier contacts, or anything else, those calls go to RingAssist too.
- Carrier forwarding can be unreliable — Some carriers have issues with conditional forwarding (busy/no-answer). iPhone Live Voicemail can intercept calls before they reach RingAssist. Certain budget carriers don't support all forwarding types.
- Slight call latency — Forwarded calls take an extra second or two to connect compared to direct calls. In most cases this is unnoticeable, but on some carriers it can add a brief delay.
- Ongoing carrier dependency — If your carrier changes forwarding policies, or if you switch carriers, you may need to reconfigure the setup.
Our Recommendation: The Best of Both Worlds
This is the setup most of our customers use and the one we recommend for contractors who want maximum flexibility.
The approach is straightforward: use three numbers, each with a clear role.
How the Call Flow Works
Here's what happens when a customer calls your business number:
- Customer dials your existing business number (the one on your Google listing, website, etc.).
- Your carrier forwards the call to your RingAssist number.
- RingAssist answers, screens the call, collects job details, and blocks spam.
- RingAssist sends you a text summary on your personal number with all the details.
- If the call is urgent or matches your priority rules, RingAssist transfers the call live to your personal number.
- You call the customer back from your personal number when you're ready.
Why This Works Best for Contractors
- Customers see no change — They call the same number they've always called. No confusion, no lost leads.
- Your personal phone stays usable — You can still receive personal calls, talk to suppliers, and stay reachable outside of RingAssist.
- You stay in control — RingAssist handles the front line, but you decide which calls get transferred to you live and which ones you'll return later.
- No marketing changes needed — Every listing, ad, and business card keeps working.
- Easy to manage — If you ever need to pause RingAssist, just disable forwarding on your business number. Your business number starts ringing directly again.
- Private number stays private — Customers never see your personal number. Callbacks come from your business line or RingAssist's number, keeping a professional boundary.
Quick Comparison
| Use RingAssist Number Directly | Forward Existing Number | Recommended Setup | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customers keep same number | No | Yes | Yes |
| Need to update listings | Yes, everywhere | No | No |
| Personal line stays free | Yes | No | Yes |
| Carrier setup required | No | Yes | Yes |
| SEO / NAP impact | Temporary disruption | None | None |
| Call latency | None | Minimal | Minimal |
| Easy to reverse | Hard (need to update everything again) | Easy (disable forwarding) | Easy (disable forwarding) |
| Live call transfers to you | Yes | Limited | Yes |
Which Option Should You Choose?
For most contractors, the recommended setup is the clear winner. It keeps your existing number working, keeps your personal phone free, and lets RingAssist handle everything in between. You get the benefits of both options without the downsides of either.
The only scenario where using the RingAssist number directly makes more sense is if you're starting a brand new business with no existing number to preserve, or if your current number has no public presence worth protecting.
Ready to set up? Follow our call forwarding guide to get started in under 10 minutes.