Updated directions for creating an assistant

fern/assistants/quickstart.mdx

@@ -6,18 +6,20 @@ slug: assistants/quickstart
 
 ## Overview
 
-Create a voice assistant with a simple prompt, attach a phone number, and make your first call. You’ll also learn how to add tools to take real actions.
+Create a voice assistant, connect it to a phone number, and make your first calls. You can complete this quickstart in the Dashboard or with the Vapi API.
 
-**In this quickstart, you’ll:**
-- Create an assistant (Dashboard or SDK)
-- Attach a phone number
+**In this quickstart, you'll:**
+
+- Create and test an assistant
+- Connect the assistant to a phone number
 - Make inbound and outbound calls
 
 ## Prerequisites
 
-- A Vapi account and a [Vapi API key](/security-and-privacy/api-keys)
+- [A Vapi account](https://dashboard.vapi.ai)
+- For cURL or SDK requests, a [Vapi API key](/security-and-privacy/api-keys)
 
-## 1) Create an assistant
+## 1. Create an assistant
 
 <Note>
 By default, when you create an assistant, the transcriber, model, and voice are set to the [Balanced preset](/assistants/model-intelligence/presets#balanced).
@@ -27,20 +29,87 @@ By default, when you create an assistant, the transcriber, model, and voice are
   <Tab title="Dashboard">
     <Steps>
       <Step title="Open Assistants">
-        Go to the [Vapi Dashboard](https://dashboard.vapi.ai) → Assistants → Create Assistant.
+        Open the [Dashboard](https://dashboard.vapi.ai) and select **Assistants**.
       </Step>
-      <Step title="Add a system prompt">
-        ```txt title="System Prompt" maxLines=8
-        You are a friendly phone support assistant. Greet the caller and offer help. Keep responses under 30 words. If a transfer is requested, confirm reason first.
+
+      <Step title="Create an assistant">
+        Select **Create Assistant** to create a blank assistant.
+
+        <Note>
+          To start from a predefined template instead, select the down arrow next to **Create Assistant**, then choose a template.
+        </Note>
+      </Step>
+
+      <Step title="Configure the conversation">
+        Replace the content in **First Message** and **System Prompt** with the following examples.
+
+        **First message**
+
+        ```txt title="First message" wordWrap
+        Hello! How can I help you today?
+        ```
+
+        **System prompt**
+
+        ```txt title="System prompt" wordWrap
+        You are a friendly phone support assistant. Greet the caller and offer help. Keep responses under 30 words. If a transfer is requested, confirm the reason first.
         ```
+
+        <Frame caption="Configure the assistant's first message and system prompt.">
+          <img
+            src="../static/images/assistants/quickstart/configure-assistant-dashboard.png"
+            alt="Assistant editor with First Message and System Prompt fields visible and the other assistant names blurred"
+          />
+        </Frame>
       </Step>
-      <Step title="Publish and test">
-        Click Publish and then “Talk to Assistant” to validate behavior.
 
-        Publishing creates a new [version](/assistants/versioning) of your assistant.
+      <Step title="Publish the assistant">
+        Select **Publish**, review the changes, then select **Quick Publish**. Publishing creates a new [assistant version](/assistants/versioning/versioning-assistants).
+      </Step>
+
+      <Step title="Test the assistant">
+        Select **Talk** to start a web call. When prompted, allow the Dashboard to use your microphone.
       </Step>
     </Steps>
   </Tab>
+
+  <Tab title="cURL">
+    <Steps>
+      <Step title="Set your API key">
+        Export your Vapi API key as an environment variable.
+
+        ```bash
+        export VAPI_API_KEY="YOUR_VAPI_API_KEY"
+        ```
+      </Step>
+
+      <Step title="Create the assistant">
+        ```bash
+        curl --request POST \
+          --url https://api.vapi.ai/assistant \
+          --header "Authorization: Bearer $VAPI_API_KEY" \
+          --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
+          --data '{
+            "name": "Support Assistant",
+            "firstMessage": "Hello! How can I help you today?",
+            "model": {
+              "provider": "openai",
+              "model": "gpt-4o",
+              "messages": [
+                {
+                  "role": "system",
+                  "content": "You are a friendly phone support assistant. Greet the caller and offer help. Keep responses under 30 words. If a transfer is requested, confirm the reason first."
+                }
+              ]
+            }
+          }'
+        ```
+
+        Copy the `id` from the response. You will use it as `YOUR_ASSISTANT_ID` in the next steps.
+      </Step>
+    </Steps>
+  </Tab>
+
   <Tab title="TypeScript (Server SDK)">
     ```typescript
     import { VapiClient } from "@vapi-ai/server-sdk";
@@ -54,50 +123,153 @@ By default, when you create an assistant, the transcriber, model, and voice are
         provider: "openai",
         model: "gpt-4o",
         messages: [
-          { role: "system", content: "You are a friendly phone support assistant. Keep responses under 30 words." }
+          {
+            role: "system",
+            content: "You are a friendly phone support assistant. Greet the caller and offer help. Keep responses under 30 words. If a transfer is requested, confirm the reason first."
+          }
         ]
       }
     });
     ```
   </Tab>
 </Tabs>
 
-## 2) Add a phone number
+## 2. Connect a phone number
 
 <Tabs>
   <Tab title="Dashboard">
-    In the Dashboard, go to Phone Numbers → Create Phone Number → assign your assistant.
+    <Steps>
+      <Step title="Open Phone Numbers">
+        Open the [Dashboard](https://dashboard.vapi.ai) and select **Phone Numbers**.
+      </Step>
+
+      <Step title="Choose a phone number option">
+        Select **Create Phone Number**, then choose **Free Vapi Number**. To use a number from another provider, choose the corresponding import option instead.
+
+        <Frame caption="Choose a phone number option and enter a US area code.">
+          <img
+            src="../static/images/assistants/quickstart/create-phone-number-dashboard.png"
+            alt="Create Phone Number dialog with Free Vapi Number selected and the Area Code field visible"
+          />
+        </Frame>
+      </Step>
+
+      <Step title="Create the phone number">
+        Enter a three-digit US area code in **Area Code**, then select **Create**.
+
+        Your first free Vapi number does not require a payment method. To create additional free Vapi numbers, add a payment method. You can create up to five free Vapi numbers in total.
+
+        <Warning>
+          Free Vapi phone numbers support US area codes only. For international use, import a number from another provider.
+        </Warning>
+      </Step>
+
+      <Step title="Connect the assistant">
+        Open the phone number. Under **Inbound Settings**, choose the assistant you created in **Assistant**, then select **Save**.
+      </Step>
+    </Steps>
   </Tab>
+
+  <Tab title="cURL">
+    <Steps>
+      <Step title="Create and connect a phone number">
+        Replace `YOUR_ASSISTANT_ID` with the assistant ID returned in the previous section.
+
+        ```bash
+        curl --request POST \
+          --url https://api.vapi.ai/phone-number \
+          --header "Authorization: Bearer $VAPI_API_KEY" \
+          --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
+          --data '{
+            "provider": "vapi",
+            "numberDesiredAreaCode": "415",
+            "assistantId": "YOUR_ASSISTANT_ID"
+          }'
+        ```
+
+        Copy the `id` from the response. You will use it as `YOUR_PHONE_NUMBER_ID` to make an outbound call.
+      </Step>
+    </Steps>
+  </Tab>
+
   <Tab title="TypeScript (Server SDK)">
     ```typescript
-    const number = await vapi.phoneNumbers.create({
-      name: "Support Line",
+    const phoneNumber = await vapi.phoneNumbers.create({
+      provider: "vapi",
+      numberDesiredAreaCode: "415",
       assistantId: assistant.id
     });
     ```
   </Tab>
 </Tabs>
 
-## 3) Make your first calls
+## 3. Make your first calls
+
+### Test an inbound call
+
+Call the phone number you created. Your assistant answers with its configured first message.
+
+### Place an outbound call
+
+<Tabs>
+  <Tab title="Dashboard">
+    <Steps>
+      <Step title="Open the phone number">
+        Open the [Dashboard](https://dashboard.vapi.ai), select **Phone Numbers**, then select the phone number that will place the call.
+      </Step>
+
+      <Step title="Open the test panel">
+        Select **Test**.
+      </Step>
+
+      <Step title="Configure the call">
+        Choose **Single Number**, enter the destination phone number, and choose your assistant in **Assistant**.
+      </Step>
+
+      <Step title="Place the call">
+        Select **Call** to start the call immediately, or select **Schedule Call** to place it later.
+      </Step>
+    </Steps>
 
-<Steps>
-  <Step title="Inbound call">
-    Call the phone number you created. Your assistant will answer with the first message.
-  </Step>
-  <Step title="Outbound call (SDK)">
+    <Frame caption="Configure and place an outbound call.">
+      <img
+        src="../static/images/quickstart/dashboard/test-outbound-call-dashboard.png"
+        alt="Test Outbound Call panel with Single Number, destination number, and assistant controls"
+      />
+    </Frame>
+  </Tab>
+
+  <Tab title="cURL">
+    ```bash
+    curl --request POST \
+      --url https://api.vapi.ai/call \
+      --header "Authorization: Bearer $VAPI_API_KEY" \
+      --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
+      --data '{
+        "phoneNumberId": "YOUR_PHONE_NUMBER_ID",
+        "assistantId": "YOUR_ASSISTANT_ID",
+        "customer": {
+          "number": "+15551234567"
+        }
+      }'
+    ```
+  </Tab>
+
+  <Tab title="TypeScript (Server SDK)">
     ```typescript
     await vapi.calls.create({
+      phoneNumberId: phoneNumber.id,
       assistantId: assistant.id,
-      customer: { number: "+1234567890" }
+      customer: { number: "+15551234567" }
     });
     ```
-  </Step>
-</Steps>
+  </Tab>
+</Tabs>
 
 ## Next steps
 
 - **Add tools**: [Custom tools](/tools/custom-tools)
 - **Tune speech**: [Speech configuration](/customization/speech-configuration)
-- **Use a preset**: [Model Intelligence presets](/assistants/model-intelligence/presets) bundle a transcriber, model, and voice tuned for common use cases, so you can configure your assistant in one click.
+- **Use a preset**: [Model Intelligence presets](/assistants/model-intelligence/presets) bundle a transcriber, model, and voice for common use cases.
 - **Structure data**: [Structured outputs](/assistants/structured-outputs)
 - **Move to multi-assistant**: [Squads](/squads)