Nextiva NEXT - Onboarding for Administrators

What Onboarding in NEXT Is For

Onboarding in NEXT helps you, as an Administrator, set up your company so you can start using calling, messaging, and customer communication features.

During Onboarding, NEXT:

• Collects Primary information about your business

• Automatically creates key parts of your account

• Guides you through optional setup steps for channels and integrations

You do not need to complete every step during Onboarding to begin using NEXT. Some steps can be skipped and completed later.

How Onboarding Is Structured

Onboarding in NEXT is completed in two stages:

1. Primary Onboarding

2. Advanced Onboarding

Each stage serves a different purpose.

Primary Onboarding

Primary Onboarding is a guided setup that appears when an Administrator logs in for the first time.

During Primary Onboarding, you:

• Provide or confirm your business details

• Allow NEXT to set up core account components

• Optionally configure features such as an AI Employee

• Invite users to your account

• Choose a workflow template for handling calls

At the end of Primary Onboarding, you’ll see a confirmation message letting you know your business is now online.

Important
Completing Primary Onboarding means your account is created and ready to use. During Primary Onboarding, NEXT makes a few assumptions and sets up your account with default values so you can get up and running as quickly as possible.

Some features, such as messaging, email, or live chat, may still require additional setup. You can review and adjust the default settings during advanced Onboarding, where you have more control over how your account is configured.

Advanced Onboarding

Advanced Onboarding is a checklist of optional setup tasks that appears after Primary Onboarding.

Advanced Onboarding helps you:

• Transfer existing phone numbers

• Set up calling devices

• Register for business text messaging (10DLC)

• Connect social media accounts

• Set up business email

• Customize and deploy live chat

• Import contacts

• Review your setup status

You can complete advanced Onboarding immediately, skip steps, or return to these tasks later from the Admin area.

Who Sees Onboarding

Onboarding is shown only to Administrators.

• The first Administrator to log in sees the full Onboarding experience.

• Additional Administrators may see Onboarding only if setup has not been completed.

• Once Primary Onboarding is finished, it no longer appears automatically.

Agents and Supervisors do not see the Administrator Onboarding screens.

What This Guide Covers

This guide walks you through Onboarding exactly as it appears in NEXT, including:

• What each step is for

• When a step is optional

• What happens if you skip a step

• Where to complete setup later if needed

This guide focuses only on what you see and do in the product.

What’s Next

The next section explains how to:

• Access Onboarding

• Start Onboarding for the first time

• Return to Onboarding if you exit before finishing

Accessing Onboarding

When Onboarding Starts Automatically

Onboarding starts automatically when you sign in to NEXT as an Administrator for the first time.

After you log in:

• You’ll see a welcome screen.

• Select Continue with setup to begin Onboarding.

You’ll only see this screen if Onboarding has not already been completed for your company.

Access Onboarding From the App

If you exit Onboarding before finishing, or if you choose to return later, you can access Onboarding from within NEXT.

To access Onboarding:

1. Sign in to NEXT.

2. In the top navigation bar, select Onboarding.

This opens the Onboarding flow at the step where you left off.

Who Can Access Onboarding

Only users with Administrator access can see and complete Onboarding.

• Administrators can complete Onboarding steps.

• Agents and Supervisors do not see Onboarding and cannot access these screens.

If you are logged in as an Agent or Supervisor and do not see Onboarding, this is expected behaviour.

What Happens If Onboarding Is Already Completed

Once Onboarding is completed:

• The Onboarding screens no longer appear automatically.

After Onboarding is complete, you can continue managing your account from the Admin area.

If Onboarding Does Not Appear

If you expect to see Onboarding but it does not appear:

• Confirm you are logged in as an Administrator.

• Check whether Onboarding was already completed by another Administrator.

• Try refreshing the page or signing out and back in.

If Onboarding still does not appear and you believe setup is incomplete, contact Nextiva Support.

What’s Next

The next section walks through Primary Onboarding, starting with the first step where you provide information about your business.

Primary Onboarding – Tell Us About Your Business

This is the first step of Primary Onboarding. It helps NEXT understand your business so it can prefill information and tailor your setup.

You’ll see this step immediately after selecting Continue with setup.

Choose How to Provide Your Business Information

On the Tell us about your business screen, you’re asked how you want to provide your company details.

You have three options:

• Use your company website
  Enter your website URL so NEXT can gather publicly available business information.

• Search for your business using Google Maps
  Search for and select your business listing to automatically populate details such as name, address, and hours.

• Manually add your company details
  Choose this option if you don’t have a website or prefer to enter everything yourself.

Select the option that best fits your situation, then select Next.

Tip
Using a website or Google Maps can save time by pre-filling fields. You can review and edit all details in the next step.

Confirm Your Business Details

On the Confirm your business details screen, review the information shown and make updates as needed.

You may see some fields already filled in. This is expected.

Confirm or update the following:

• Company name

• Industry

• Company website

• Primary contact’s phone number

• Primary contact’s email address

• Time zone

• Business hours

To update business hours:

1. Select Edit hours.

2. Adjust the days and times your business is open.

3. Save your changes.

When you’re done reviewing the information, select Next.

Confirm Social Media Platforms

Depending on your earlier selections, you may be asked to confirm which social media platforms your business uses.

On this screen:

1. Select the platforms you want to associate with your account (for example, Facebook or Instagram).

2. If prompted, enter additional details such as a page name or URL.

3. Select Next.

Optional step
You can skip this step and connect social media accounts later from the Admin area.

What Happens Next

After you confirm your business details, NEXT begins setting up your account in the background.

The next screen shows Building your account, where NEXT creates core components needed to use the platform.

Primary Onboarding – Building Your Account

After you confirm your business details, NEXT begins creating the core components of your account.

During this step, you’ll see a Building your account screen.

What NEXT Sets Up During This Step

While this screen is displayed, NEXT automatically creates and configures several key items needed to use the platform.

Depending on your selections and account type, this may include:

• A default Shared Inbox

• Initial calling and messaging settings

• An AI Employee (if applicable)

• Live chat setup

• Personal inboxes for users

You do not need to take any action on this screen.

What to Expect

• This step may take a few moments to complete.

• You’ll see progress as NEXT builds your account.

• When the setup is finished, you’ll be automatically taken to the next step.

If this step takes longer than expected, wait for it to complete before refreshing the page.

What Happens Next

Once account setup is complete, Onboarding continues with optional configuration steps, such as setting up an AI Employee or inviting users.

AI Employee Setup During Primary Onboarding

During Primary Onboarding, you may be prompted to set up an AI Employee. This step lets you configure a virtual assistant to help handle customer interactions such as calls or live chats.

This step is optional and can be completed later.

When You See This Step

You’ll see the Onboard your AI Employee screen after your account is built.

If you do not want to set up an AI Employee during Onboarding, you can skip this step and continue Onboarding.

What an AI Employee Does

An AI Employee can help:

• Answer common questions

• Greet customers when they contact your business

• Route conversations to the right team or inbox

• Assist with calls and live chats, depending on your configuration

You control which channels and abilities the AI Employee uses.

How to Set Up an AI Employee

On the Onboard your AI Employee screen, configure the following:

1. Choose a voice personality
   Select one of the available voice options. You can play a voice sample before choosing.

2. Enter an AI Employee name
   This is the name customers hear when they interact with the AI Employee.

3. Confirm your brand name
   This is typically your company name.

4. Add a company description
   Describe what your business does, the services you offer, and how you help customers.
   Providing clear details helps the AI respond accurately and stay on topic.

5. Select communication channels
   Choose how the AI Employee can interact with customers, such as:

   • Calling

   • Live chat

   • SMS

6. Enable AI skills
   Turn on or off options such as:

   • Handling incoming communications

   • Answering FAQs

   • Qualifying leads and routing to sales

When finished, select Next.

If You Skip AI Employee Setup

If you select Skip AI Employee setup:

• Onboarding continues without configuring an AI Employee.

• Your account uses a default call-handling setup instead.

• You can select or change a workflow template later.

• You can set up or customize an AI Employee later from the Admin area.

Skipping this step does not prevent you from completing Onboarding.

What Happens Next

After you finish or skip AI Employee setup, Onboarding continues with inviting users to your account.

Invite Users

This step lets you invite other people in your organization to start using NEXT.

Inviting users during Onboarding is optional. You can skip this step and add users later.

When You See This Step

You’ll see the Invite your users screen after completing or skipping AI Employee setup.

Your own administrator account is already listed.

How to Invite Users During Onboarding

To invite users now:

1. On the Invite your users screen, enter the following details for each user:

   • First name

   • Last name

   • Email address

   • Role

2. Select a role for each user:

   • Agent

   • Supervisor

   • Global Administrator

   Each role determines what the user can access in NEXT.

3. Select Add user to add the user to the list.

4. Repeat these steps for additional users as needed.

Welcome Email Behavior

By default, NEXT sends a welcome email to each user you add.

If you do not want users to receive the welcome email yet:

• Select Don’t send a welcome email at the time of user creation before adding users.

This is useful if you plan to onboard users later or provide training before giving them access.

Important
Welcome email activation links are valid for a limited time. If a link expires, you can resend the invitation later from the Admin area.

When to Skip Inviting Users

You may want to skip this step if:

• You plan to add many users at once using bulk import

• You want to complete setup before inviting others

• You are the only user who needs access right now

To skip inviting users, select Next without adding anyone.

What Happens Next

After inviting users or skipping this step, Onboarding continues with selecting a workflow template.

Select a Workflow Template

Use this step to choose how inbound calls are routed for your number.
You see the Select a workflow template screen only if you did not configure an AI Employee during onboarding. If you configured an AI Employee, NEXT applies a default workflow and skips this step.
You can customize the selected template later during Advanced Onboarding, or review and change the workflow from Admin settings.

Before You Begin

Make sure you are in Primary Onboarding under Personalizing your account.

Choose a Template

1. On the Select a workflow template screen, review the template list on the left.

2. Select a template to view its routing preview on the right.

3. Select Use this template.

4. Select Next to continue.

Available Templates

Select one of the following options:

• Direct to inbox
  Routes calls directly to a shared inbox.

• Direct to inbox (with after hours)
  Routes calls to a shared inbox during business hours, then routes calls to voicemail after hours.

• Phone menu with after hours #1
  Routes calls through a phone menu during business hours, then routes calls to voicemail after hours.

• Phone menu with after hours #2
  Routes calls through a phone menu during business hours, then routes calls to voicemail after hours.

• Direct to inbox with holiday schedule
  Routes calls to a shared inbox during business hours, then routes calls to voicemail after hours and on holidays.

• Create my own
  Starts with a blank workflow that you can configure later.

If You Skip This Step

If you select Skip:

• NEXT applies a default workflow.

• You can select or change templates later in Admin settings.

Skipping this step does not prevent you from completing onboarding.

What Happens Next

After you select a template or skip this step, you continue onboarding.

Set Up Your Inboxes

After you select a workflow template, you’re prompted to set up inboxes. Inboxes are where conversations from calls, messages, and other channels are routed and managed.

This step helps ensure customer interactions are directed to the right place from the start.

What This Step Is For

In this step, NEXT:

• Creates inboxes based on the workflow template you selected.

• Associates inboxes with how calls and messages are routed.

• Prepares inboxes so agents can start handling conversations.

Some inboxes may be created automatically using default settings.

What You See on This Screen

On the Set up your inboxes screen, you may see:

• One or more inboxes already created.

• Default names and routing based on the selected workflow.

• Options to review or confirm the setup.

You are not required to fully customize inboxes during onboarding. However, you can now rename inboxes directly on this screen.

What You Can Do During Onboarding

On this screen, you can:

• Review the inboxes that NEXT creates for you.

• Accept the default configuration and continue.

If customization options are shown, you can review them, but detailed inbox configuration can be done later.

If You Skip or Keep the Defaults

If you proceed without making changes:

• NEXT uses default inbox settings so you can get started quickly.

• You can rename inboxes directly on this screen, or edit and add inboxes later from Administration > Shared inboxes.

Skipping customization here does not prevent onboarding from completing.

Rename your inboxes

When you select a workflow template during Primary Onboarding, NEXT creates shared inboxes with default names based on that template for example, Sales, Support, or Billing. You can rename these inboxes directly on the Set up your inboxes screen to match your business terminology, without needing to return to the Admin area after onboarding.

To rename an inbox:

1. On the Set up your inboxes screen, locate the inbox you want to rename.

2. Select the inbox name field.

3. Clear the existing name and type a new one.

4. Repeat for any other inboxes you want to rename.

5. Continue with the remaining onboarding steps.

Note: You can also rename inboxes after onboarding from Administration > Shared inboxes.

What Happens Next

After you finish setting up inboxes, primary onboarding continues and you’ll see the confirmation screen indicating that your business is now online.

Primary Onboarding Complete – Your Business Is Now Online

After you complete the Primary Onboarding steps, you’ll see a confirmation screen stating that your business is now online.

This screen marks the end of Primary Onboarding.

What “Your Business Is Now Online” Means

At this point:

• Your NEXT account has been created.

• Your business is set up with a new phone number so you can start using calling features right away.

• Core components, such as a shared inbox and default workflows, are set up.

If you already have existing phone numbers, you can port them to NEXT during advanced onboarding. Until then, the newly assigned number allows you to get up and running without delay.

What This Does Not Mean

Seeing this message does not mean that:

• All communication channels are fully configured.

• Phone numbers have been transferred.

• Text messaging registration (10DLC) is complete.

• Live chat is deployed on your website.

• Email or social channels are connected.

Some features may still require additional setup.

Your Options on This Screen

On this screen, you can choose one of the following:

• Continue to advanced Onboarding
  Complete optional setup tasks such as number transfer, messaging registration, live chat, and integrations.

• Let me look around on my own
  Exit Onboarding and begin using NEXT. You can return to Onboarding later if needed.

Select the option that best fits how much setup you want to complete right now.

What Happens If You Exit Onboarding

If you choose to exit Onboarding:

• You can still access advanced Onboarding later from the Admin area.

• Skipped steps can be completed at any time.

Exiting Onboarding does not lock you out of features or prevent future setup.

What’s Next

If you select Continue to advanced Onboarding, you’ll move into a checklist of optional setup tasks.

The next section explains how Advanced Onboarding works and how to use it effectively.

Advanced Onboarding Overview

Advanced Onboarding helps you complete optional setup tasks after Primary Onboarding is finished.

You’ll see advanced Onboarding if you select Continue to advanced Onboarding after Primary Onboarding, or if you return to Onboarding later from the Admin area.

How Advanced Onboarding Works

Advanced Onboarding is organized as a task list, shown in a panel on the left side of the screen.

Each task represents a specific setup area, such as:

• Calling and phone numbers

• Messaging and channels

• Contact import

• Setup review

You can:

• Complete tasks in any order

• Skip tasks and return later

• Exit Onboarding at any time

Your progress is saved automatically.

Required vs Optional Tasks

Most advanced Onboarding tasks are optional.

Some tasks are required only if you plan to use certain features. For example:

• You must complete text message registration if you want to send business text messages.

• You must deploy live chat if you want customers to chat with you on your website.

If you don’t plan to use a feature right away, you can skip its setup.

What Happens If You Skip a Task

If you skip an advanced Onboarding task:

• The feature remains inactive or partially configured.

• You can complete the setup later from the Admin area.

• Skipping does not affect other Onboarding steps.

Skipping a task does not block access to NEXT.

Returning to Advanced Onboarding Later

You can return to advanced Onboarding at any time.

To return:

1. Sign in to NEXT.

2. Select Onboarding from the top navigation bar.

You’ll return to the advanced Onboarding task list and can continue where you left off.

What’s Next

The next section walks through the first advanced Onboarding task: Calling settings, starting with transferring existing phone numbers.

Manage Your Company Numbers

During Advanced Onboarding, you can review and customize how your phone numbers are configured. The workflow templates selected during Primary Onboarding include default routing values. You can modify those values on this screen before completing setup.
This includes updating the assigned workflow template and adjusting routing behavior for each number.

For example, you can:

• Add or modify an IVR menu option.

• Change the destination inbox for a menu selection.

• Update a voicemail greeting.

• Adjust after-hours routing behaviour.

Review Your Phone Numbers

1. In Advanced Onboarding, select Manage your company numbers.

2. Review the list of your primary inbound numbers.

3. For each number, review the following:

   • Assigned Workflow

   • Destination

   • Call recording status

   • Real-time transcription status

4. These values are editable. Changes made here apply to the selected phone number.

Change the Workflow Template for a Number

You can update the routing template for each phone number.

1. Locate the phone number you want to modify.

2. In the Workflow column, select the dropdown.

3. Choose a different workflow template.

4. Confirm your selection.

The selected template will apply to that number.

Customize Routing Behavior

If you selected a phone menu template or after-hours template, you can adjust routing options directly during onboarding.

For example:

• Change where a menu option routes calls.

• Update which inbox receives calls.

• Modify after-hours behavior.

Select the destination field to update where calls are sent.

Update Greetings and Inbox Settings

If you want to modify voicemail greetings or inbox configuration:

1. Select the destination inbox name.

2. You will be taken to the inbox settings.

3. Update settings such as voicemail greeting.

4. Return to onboarding when finished.

Important:

• The template selected in Primary Onboarding is not permanent.

• You can modify routing here before completing setup.

• You can further customize routing later in the Admin area or in NEXT Studio.

Calling Settings – Bring Your Existing Numbers

This step helps you transfer existing business phone numbers from another provider into NEXT.

You only need to complete this step if you want to keep using your current phone numbers.

When You Should Use This Step

Use Bring your existing numbers if:

• Your business already has phone numbers with another provider.

• You want customers to continue calling the same numbers after moving to NEXT by porting those numbers over.

If you don’t need to port your phone numbers right now, you can skip this step and complete number porting later during advanced onboarding.

Important Before You Begin

Before starting a number transfer:

• Do not cancel your current phone service until the transfer is complete.

• Make sure you have access to your current provider’s account information.

• Be prepared to upload documentation, such as a recent phone bill.

Skipping this step does not affect your ability to continue Onboarding.

How to Start Transferring Your Numbers

1. In advanced Onboarding, select Bring your existing numbers.

2. Read the information on the screen to understand the transfer process.

3. If you are transferring:

   • 15 numbers or fewer, continue with the on-screen steps.

   • More than 15 numbers, select Download our template and complete the spreadsheet before continuing.

4. Select one of the following options:

   • Transfer local numbers

   • Transfer toll-free numbers

5. Follow the on-screen instructions to provide the required details.

6. Select Next to submit the request.

If You Want to Transfer Numbers Later

If you’re not ready to transfer numbers:

• Select Skip to continue Onboarding.

• You can start the transfer later from the Admin area.

Skipping this step does not prevent you from using NEXT. You can still place outbound calls using available numbers, if assigned.

What Happens After You Submit a Transfer

After you submit your request:

• Nextiva begins the number transfer process.

• Transfers may take time to complete, depending on your current provider.

• You’ll be notified as the transfer progresses.

You can continue setting up other parts of NEXT while the transfer is in progress.

What’s Next

After completing or skipping this step, advanced Onboarding continues with device setup, where you review options for using phones with NEXT.

Calling Settings – Set Up Your Devices

The Set up your devices step in Advanced Onboarding now includes a full Device Management workflow. You can add and configure physical phones directly from within the onboarding flow, without needing to complete this in the Admin area separately.

To add a device during onboarding:

1. In Advanced Onboarding, select Set up your devices.

2. Select Add device.

3. Choose the device model from the list of supported models.

4. Enter the device's MAC address.

5. Select the user to assign to the device.

6. Select the time zone for the device.

7. Select Save.

After saving, NEXT provisions the device automatically. A manual reboot is recommended to ensure the device registers correctly and shows as Online.

What happens when you add the first device

If your account has no existing devices, NEXT automatically performs the following backend setup when you add the first device:

• Creates your account's domain in the device management system.

• Creates the tenant location under that domain.

• Generates VoIP credentials for the assigned user.

These steps happen automatically and do not require any action from you.

If you are not ready to set up devices now

Select Skip to continue onboarding. You can add and manage devices later from Administration > Devices.

Skipping this step does not affect calling, messaging, or any other onboarding steps.

Text Message Registration (10DLC)

Text message registration (10DLC, which stands for 10-digit long code) is required if you want to send business text messages (SMS) from NEXT.

This step helps register your business for compliant messaging.

When You Need to Complete This Step

You need to complete Text message registration (10DLC) if:

• You plan to send SMS messages to customers.

• You want to use SMS with an AI Employee or shared inbox.

If you do not plan to use SMS, you can skip this step.

What 10DLC Registration Does and Why It’s Required

10DLC registration:

• Registers your business as an approved sender of text messages.

• Helps ensure text messages are delivered reliably.

• Is required by mobile carriers for business messaging.

Mobile carriers require this registration so they can understand who is sending messages and how text messaging is being used. This helps reduce spam and protect customers from unwanted messages.

Because of this review process, registration may include carrier review and approval before SMS becomes available.

How to Start Text Message Registration

1. In advanced Onboarding, select Text message registration (10DLC).

2. Review the information on the Business messaging registration screen.

3. Select Start registration to begin, or select Skip to complete this later.

What Information You’ll Be Asked to Provide

During 10DLC registration, you may be asked to provide the following information so mobile carriers can understand your business and how you plan to use text messaging:

• Business type and legal business name

• Tax ID or EIN

• Business address and website

• Phone numbers you plan to use for messaging

• How you obtain customer consent for texting

You’ll also be asked to provide details about your opt-in and opt-out process, including:

• How users subscribe to receive text messages

• How users unsubscribe from text messages

In addition, you may need to provide:

• Examples of messages you plan to send

• A Privacy Policy URL

• A Terms of Service URL

Providing accurate and complete information helps avoid delays during the approval process.

Approval and Charges

• Registration requires approval before SMS can be used.

• Business messaging may incur additional charges.

• You’ll be asked to review and accept charges before completing registration.

Approval timelines may vary.

What Happens If You Skip This Step

If you skip 10DLC registration:

• SMS messaging is not available.

• You can complete registration later from the Admin area.

Skipping this step does not affect calling, chat, or other features.

What’s Next

After completing or skipping 10DLC registration, advanced Onboarding continues with connecting communication channels, such as social media.

Connect Social Media

This step lets you connect your social media accounts to NEXT so you can manage customer messages from those platforms in one place.

Connecting social media during Onboarding is optional.

When You Should Use This Step

Use Connect social media if:

• Your business communicates with customers through social platforms.

• You want to respond to social messages from NEXT.

If you don’t use social media for customer communication, you can skip this step.

How to Connect a Social Media Account

1. In advanced Onboarding, select Connect social media.

2. Choose the social platform you want to connect, such as:

   • Facebook

   • Instagram

   • Facebook Messenger

   • Instagram Messenger

3. When prompted, sign in to your social media account.

4. Review and approve the permissions requested.

5. Select the page or account you want to connect.

6. Select Continue or Next to finish connecting the account.

Once connected, the social channel appears in NEXT.

If You Skip This Step

If you select Skip:

• No social accounts are connected.

• You can connect social media later from the Admin area.

Skipping this step does not affect calling, chat, or messaging features.

What Happens Next

After connecting or skipping social media setup, advanced Onboarding continues with setting up business email.

Set Up a Business Email

Email integration connects your company inbox with NEXT, enabling agents to send, receive, and manage emails directly from their unified workspace.

You can configure email integrations during Advanced Onboarding or later from the Admin area.

Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

• The email address you want to integrate

• Required credentials (Client ID, Client Secret, Tenant ID, or IMAP credentials, depending on provider)

Email Integration Overview

When no email is configured, you see an empty state with options to connect:

• Gmail

• Outlook

• Other email (IMAP)

Select the provider you want to configure.

You can configure multiple email integrations on the same campaign.

Connect a Gmail Account

1. Select Connect under Gmail.

2. Enter:

   • Email address

   • Gmail Client ID

   • Gmail Client Secret

3. Select Next.

4. Complete the Google OAuth authorization process.

5. After successful authorization, you are redirected back to NEXT.

If authorization fails, an Authorize button appears in the table view. Select it to retry the OAuth process.

Connect an Outlook Account

1. Select Connect under Outlook.

2. Enter:

   • Email address

   • Tenant ID

   • Client ID

   • Client Secret

3. Select Next.

4. Complete the Microsoft OAuth authorization process.

5. After successful authorization, you are redirected back to NEXT.

If authorization fails, select Authorize in the table view to retry.

Connect an IMAP Account

1. Select Connect under Other email.

2. Enter:

   • Email address

   • Username

   • Password

   • IMAP host and port (default: 993 for IMAPS)
     SMTP host and port (default: 465 for SMTP)

3. Select Next.

IMAP integrations do not require OAuth.

Manage Configured Email Integrations

After successful setup, email integrations appear in a table view.

The table displays:

• Email address

• Provider

• Status

• Recovery actions (if applicable)

Authorize Again

If an integration requires reauthorization:

1. Select Authorize.

2. Complete the OAuth flow again.

Note: The Authorize option is only displayed if the current authorization is no longer valid.

Add Another Email Integration

To configure another email:

1. Select Add email address.

2. Repeat the provider setup steps.

You can configure multiple email integrations within the same tenant or Admin group, if multiple Admin groups are enabled.

Delete an Email Integration

1. Select the delete option for the email.

2. Confirm deletion.

If all integrations are removed, the system returns to the empty state.

Important:

• OAuth is required for Gmail and Outlook integrations.

• IMAP does not require OAuth.

• Multiple email integrations are supported within the same tenant or Admin group, if multiple Admin groups are enabled.

• If authorization fails, recovery actions are available in the table view.

• You can configure email during Advanced Onboarding or later in the Admin area.

What Happens Next

After completing or skipping email setup, Advanced Onboarding continues with customizing and deploying live chat. By default, routing is set to the General inbox. You can modify this routing later in NEXT Studio.

Customize and Deploy Live Chat

This step lets you create a live chat widget that customers can use to chat with your business from your website.

Setting up live chat during Onboarding is optional, but required if you want to offer chat on your site.

When You Should Use This Step

Use Customize and deploy live chat if:

• You want customers to chat with your team from your website.

• You are ready to place a chat widget on your site, or can share the code with a website administrator.

If you are not ready to deploy live chat, you can skip this step.

How to Customize Your Live Chat Widget

1. In advanced Onboarding, select Customize and deploy live chat.

2. Enter the widget details:

   • Name (internal reference name)

   • Brand name (shown to customers)

   • Logo or image (optional)

   • Color theme

   • Font

3. As you make changes, preview the widget on the screen.

How to Deploy Live Chat on Your Website

1. In the Live chat code section, copy the code snippet.

2. Share the code with your website administrator or developer.

3. Paste the code into your website’s HTML, typically just before the closing </body> tag.

4. Publish your website changes.

Once the code is deployed, the live chat widget becomes available on your site.

If You Skip This Step

If you select Skip:

• Live chat is not configured or deployed as part of onboarding.

• No changes are made to your website.

• You can return to this step later from the Admin area when you’re ready to configure and deploy live chat.

Skipping this step does not affect calling, SMS, or email features.

What Happens Next

After you complete or skip live chat setup, advanced onboarding continues with importing contacts.

Import Contacts

This step lets you add customer contacts to NEXT so they’re available for messaging, calling, and conversation history.

Importing contacts during Onboarding is optional.

When You Should Use This Step

Use Import contacts if:

• You already have customer contact information saved elsewhere.

• You want contacts available in NEXT right away.

If you don’t have contacts ready, or want to add them later, you can skip this step.

Ways to Import Contacts

When you select Import contacts, you’ll see several options:

• Import from CSV file
  Upload a spreadsheet containing contact details.

• Import from Google Contacts
  Connect your Google account and import contacts.

• Import from Office 365
  Connect your Microsoft account and import contacts.

You can use one or more methods as needed.

How to Import Contacts From a CSV File

1. Select Import from CSV file.

2. If needed, select Download template to get a sample spreadsheet.

3. Open the spreadsheet and enter your contact information.

4. Save the file as a CSV.

5. Upload the CSV file when prompted.

6. Map the fields if required, then select Import.

If you’re importing a large number of contacts, this process may take some time to complete.

Public vs Private Contacts

During import, you may be asked whether contacts should be public or private.

• Public contacts are visible to other users in your organization.

• Private contacts are visible only to you.

Important
Public contacts cannot be changed back to private later. To change visibility, you must delete and re-import the contacts.

If You Skip This Step

If you select Skip:

• No contacts are imported.

• You can import contacts later from the Contacts area in NEXT.

Skipping this step does not affect Onboarding completion.

What Happens Next

After importing contacts or skipping this step, advanced Onboarding continues with Setup review, the final step.

Setup Review and Finish Onboarding

This is the final step of advanced Onboarding. It gives you a summary of your setup so you can review what’s complete and identify anything you may want to finish later.

What You See on the Setup Review Screen

On the Setup review screen, you’ll see a checklist or status tiles showing the current state of your setup, such as:

• Company information

• AI Employee configuration (if set up)

• Calling

• Text messaging (SMS)

• Email

• Social channels

• Live chat

Each item shows whether it is:

• Set up

• In progress

• Not configured

Review and Adjust Settings

From this screen, you can:

• Review which features are ready to use

• Select Settings on any item to update or complete its configuration

• Leave optional items unfinished and return to them later

You do not need to complete every item to finish Onboarding.

Finish Onboarding

When you’re ready:

1. Select Finish.

2. Choose whether you want to hide Onboarding after completion.

Once you finish:

• The onboarding flow closes.

• You’re taken into NEXT.

• The onboarding screens no longer appear automatically.

You can still access onboarding later from the Admin area if you need to review or update any setup steps.

After Onboarding Is Complete

After finishing Onboarding:

• You can manage all settings from the Admin area.

• You can return to any skipped setup tasks at any time.

• Your configuration remains editable as your business needs change.

If the Onboarding option remains visible briefly, refresh the page or sign out and back in.

Troubleshooting Onboarding Access

If you need to return to Onboarding:

1. Sign in to NEXT as an Administrator.

2. Select Onboarding from the top navigation bar.

If Onboarding does not appear and you believe setup is incomplete, contact Nextiva Support.

You’re All Set

You’ve now completed Onboarding in NEXT.
You can begin using the platform and continue fine-tuning your setup as needed.