How setup links work

By Jake Marsh · Updated Nov 6, 2026 · 4 min read

Short answer: Connecting CallForMe to your agent creates a guest account with one click. The first time your agent places a real call, it shows one setup link like https://callforme.tel/go/QF6S-2U4Z. You add $5, your card is saved, and the call dials. After that, every chat and session just calls while there's credit; turn on auto-reload to keep it topped up.

The short version

1. Connect. Add https://callforme.tel/mcp to your agent and click Connect (or Authenticate). A browser tab opens and closes by itself. No email, no form, no card. You now have a guest account.
2. One setup link, once. The first time your agent places a real call, it shows you a link. You add $5 and the call dials.
3. No more links while there's credit. Your card is saved; turn on auto-reload and the balance stays topped up. Every chat and every session after that just calls.

Step by step

1. Connecting creates a guest account

Standard MCP sign-in (OAuth) runs when you add the server. Your agent shows a Connect, Authenticate or Sign in step, a tab opens, and it closes on its own a moment later. Nothing to type. That creates a CallForMe guest account tied to this agent's connection.

With just that, your agent can look up businesses, plan calls, check pricing and call the free demo line.

2. The first real call returns a setup link

When your agent calls place_call on a guest account with no balance, the response is:

{
  "status": "needs_setup",
  "setup_url": "https://callforme.tel/go/QF6S-2U4Z",
  "setup_code": "QF6S-2U4Z",
  "message_for_user": "To place this call, open https://callforme.tel/go/QF6S-2U4Z and add $5 of call credit (about 5 calls)."
}

Your agent passes along message_for_user, or says something like it in its own words. Setup codes always look like QF6S-2U4Z (four letters or digits, a dash, four more) and last 24 hours.

3. You open the page

The page shows the exact call your agent is about to place: the business, the number, the goal, the questions, and what the business will hear first. Then you pick one:

• Add $5. Pay through Stripe Checkout; CallForMe never sees your card number. Your card is saved. Auto-reload (adds $10 when the balance drops below $2) is off on a first payment; switch it on there, right after paying, or later on your account page. Unused credit never expires.
• Claim creator credit. If we've granted credit to your email, enter it and confirm through the magic link. No card needed. See the creator program.
• Link to your existing account. If you already use CallForMe in another agent and you're signed in on this browser, the page recognizes you. One click links this agent to your account, with no second payment.

When you're done, the page says "Done, go back to your agent."

4. The call dials

Most agents call wait_for_setup right after showing you the link. It returns the moment you finish, with the call already placed: {"status": "calling", "call_id": "..."}. Nothing to type. Agents that only reply when their turn ends (ChatGPT) show the link and wait for you; the call still goes out by itself a few seconds after you pay, and saying "done" lets the agent follow it.

If your agent was waiting on you instead, tell it you're done. It calls place_call again with the same arguments plus "setup_code": "QF6S-2U4Z", and the phone rings.

5. That's the last time

The account is now paid and remembered by your agent's connection. New chats, new sessions and restarts all just call. Auto-reload is off on a first payment; turn it on right after paying (one click) or on the account page, and the balance tops itself up from then on.

Adding a second agent

Add https://callforme.tel/mcp to the new agent and click Connect, same as before. Its first real call shows a setup link. Open it in a browser where you're signed in to CallForMe and the page offers to link this agent to your existing account. One click, no payment, and the call dials. Both agents share one balance and one call history.

Connecting several agents before you've paid? If you click Connect for each one in the same browser, they all join the same account, so one setup link covers every agent. If some ended up on separate accounts anyway, your account page offers to link the agents you connected from that browser in one click.

Clients without sign-in

A few clients can't run the Connect step. They have two options:

• https://callforme.tel/mcp/open needs no sign-in. The first real call returns a setup link as above, and the successful response includes an account_key (cfm_...) once. If your agent saves it and passes it as account_key, later calls skip the link. If not, it gets a setup link in each new session, where you can sign in and continue.
• A personal key. Create a key on the account page and use the URL https://callforme.tel/mcp/k/<your key> or the header Authorization: Bearer cfm_.... Calls go straight to your account.

Agents using the REST API with curl follow the same pattern: POST /v1/calls without a key returns needs_setup (HTTP 402), the retry with setup_code returns account_key once, and the agent keeps it in CALLFORME_KEY or a secret store, not in its memory.

After setup

Your balance pays for calls: $1 per answered call including 2 minutes, then $0.40 per minute. Unanswered calls are free. See pricing.

For agent builders

If you're writing the agent or the prompt:

• Treat needs_setup as a normal step, not an error. Show setup_url to the user, then call wait_for_setup with the code. It returns as soon as they finish, with the call placed. If it returns needs_setup again, they aren't done yet; call it again.
• Without wait_for_setup, keep the same arguments and add setup_code when retrying.
• If you're on /mcp/open or the REST API, save account_key as soon as you see it. It isn't shown again.
• Never try to open the setup page yourself. It's for the person paying.

Questions