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The Collect block lets your agent gather multiple pieces of information back-to-back, like name, phone number, email, order number, etc.
Think of it as a mini-form inside a conversation. The agent asks each question, stores the answers as variables, and only moves forward once all required details are captured.

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When to Use the Collect Block

Use it when you need to gather several related inputs in a sequence, such as:
  • Customer contact details (name, phone, email)
  • Appointment information (date, time, location)
  • Intake forms (lead qualification, support triage, signup flow)
Instead of stacking multiple Ask Blocks, Collect handles them in one step, creating cleaner flows, fewer branches, and more natural speech.

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How it Works

  • You define the fields you want to collect.
  • Phonely automatically asks the questions conversationally.
  • If the caller already gave the info earlier, the agent confirms instead of repeating.
  • Once completed, each answer becomes a variable you can use anywhere in the workflow.

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Setup - Two Ways to Build

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Generate with AI

  1. Add a Collect block to your flow.
  2. In the text box, simply describe what you want collected: 
    Gather the caller's name, email, and phone number.
Collect Block In Phonely Pn
  1. Click Generate with AI.
  2. Review the generated questions → edit if needed.
  3. Click Done.
Great for quick intake flows or prototyping.

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Build Manually

  1. Add a Collect block.
  2. Click Build Manually.
  3. For each item you want to collect:
FieldWhat you enter
Variable NameThe variable name used later (e.g., customer_name)
TypeText, Phone, Email, Number, Date, URL, Regex, Enum, etc.
QuestionThe instruction for the AI (e.g., “Ask the caller for their name”)
RequiredWhen enabled, AI will ensure this information is collected before moving to the next block.
ConfirmWhen enabled, the AI will confirm the variable with the caller before proceeding.
Spell BackWhen enabled, the AI will spell out the confirmed information letter by letter.
New Collect Block Pn
  1. Click Add Question for more fields.
  2. Save > Done
Manual mode is ideal if you want strict formatting, specific wording, or typed inputs.

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Example Form Setup

Variable NameTypeQuestion
nameTextAsk the caller for their name
phonePhoneRequest contact phone number
reasonTextAsk why they are calling today
Use them to personalize responses, perform lookups, send follow-ups, or pass into APIs.

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Using Collected Data Later

You can reference collected values anywhere using @variable_name. Learn more about variables here. Examples:
  • Talk block → Nice to meet you, @name!
  • API request → Send payload containing @phone
  • CRM logging → Store @reason for support ticket routing

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Advanced Options

  • Validation & Format Control
    Regex & custom types allow enforcing patterns (emails, numbers, state codes).
  • Call Outcome Tagging
    Add tags for reporting, funnels, A/B testing, analytics.