# Put known callers straight through

> When someone from your contacts calls, your phone can ring first without your assistant speaking; if you do not answer, the assistant takes the call.

https://scoco.ai/en/docs/known-callers/

People who know you usually want to talk to you. With **Put known callers through**, your phone rings at once for callers from your **Contacts**, before your assistant says a word. Your assistant handles every other caller as usual. This page covers how to switch it on, whom it affects and which ring time fits.

## What happens on a call

1. scoco compares the caller's number with your contacts.
2. If the caller is a known contact and the **Scope** fits, your **Destination number** rings. The caller hears the ringing tone, or first your **Announcement before transferring**, spoken in your assistant's voice.
3. If you answer, you are connected directly. Your assistant does not listen in.
4. If you do not answer within the ring time, are busy or cannot be reached, your assistant takes over with its greeting. No call is lost.

Unknown callers and withheld numbers are never put through by this feature. A contact you have blocked is never put through. On a [test call](https://scoco.ai/en/docs/test-call/) your phone never rings: your assistant answers it.

## All contacts or VIPs only

Under **Scope** you choose **All contacts** or **VIP contacts only**.

> **Warning:**
>
> Your contacts grow by themselves: when an unknown caller gives their name, your assistant adds them as a contact. With **All contacts**, that person's next call rings straight through to your phone. If only particular people should get through, choose **VIP contacts only**.

You mark a contact as VIP under **Contacts**: open it and switch on **VIP** in the **How the assistant treats them** card.

The **Always put through** switch in the same card is something else. There your assistant answers first with its greeting and then puts the caller through. See [Transfers](https://scoco.ai/en/docs/transfers/).

## Switch it on

1. Open **Assistants**, choose your assistant and stay on the **Behaviour** tab.
2. In the **Put known callers through** card, turn on the switch of the same name.
3. Enter the **Destination number**, for example +49 30 123456. Without it, the switch cannot be saved.
4. Choose the **Scope**.
5. Enter the **Ring time (seconds)**, see below.
6. If you like, tick **During business hours only** and write an **Announcement before transferring**.
7. Click **Save**.

With **During business hours only**, your assistant takes these calls outside your [business hours](https://scoco.ai/en/docs/business-hours/). If you have stored no business hours, there is no restriction.

## Ring time and your call forwarding

If left empty, your phone rings for 15 seconds; 5 to 120 are possible. If this phone forwards unanswered calls to scoco, as described under [Call forwarding](https://scoco.ai/en/docs/call-forwarding/), the ring time must stay below that forwarding. Otherwise your carrier's forwarding kicks in before the ring time is up.

The planner suggests 20 seconds for call forwarding, and the default of 15 seconds stays below it. If you set your own ring time, choose a few seconds less than your forwarding, because carriers often forward a little early. The dashboard does not check this in this card.

The same ring time applies when your assistant transfers a call to the destination number mid-conversation.

## Cost

> **Note:**
>
> The minutes you spend connected to the caller count towards your minutes, exactly like a conversation with your assistant.

## Common problems

**Nobody is put through.** Check your status: with **Messages only** scoco puts nobody through, and with **Paused** every call rings your phone anyway. Also check that a **Destination number** is entered.

**Saving shows “Without a destination number nobody is put through. Please enter one.”** The switch is on but the **Destination number** is empty. An entry under **Transfer targets** is not enough here.

**A regular customer is not recognised.** Their number must be on a contact. If you have connected your contacts, check under **Settings › Integrations** that **Recognise callers from these contacts** is switched on.

**Your phone shows the wrong number.** **Number shown** in the same card controls that. For known callers, **The caller's real number** and **Only for known contacts** both show the real number.

**You call yourself and reach the assistant.** If your number is also the destination number, scoco does not put you through to yourself.

_Last checked: 26 October 2026_