--- title: "How setup links work" description: "Connecting CallForMe takes one click and creates your account. The first real call shows one setup link to add $10. After that, every session just calls." url: https://callforme.tel/docs/setup-links updated: 2026-09-29 --- # How setup links work > 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/k7m2q. You add $10, your card is saved with auto-reload, and the call dials. After that, every chat and session just calls. ## 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 $10 and the call dials. 3. **Never again.** Your card is saved with auto-reload. 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: ```json { "status": "needs_setup", "setup_url": "https://callforme.tel/go/k7m2q", "setup_code": "k7m2q", "message_for_user": "To place this call, open https://callforme.tel/go/k7m2q and add $10. Then tell me when you're done." } ``` Your agent passes along `message_for_user`, or says something like it in its own words. ### 3. You open the page The page shows the exact call your agent is about to place: the business, the number, the goal and the questions. Then you pick one: - **Add $10.** Pay through Stripe Checkout. Your card is saved, and auto-reload adds $10 when the balance drops below $2. - **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](/docs/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. Tell your agent you're done Your agent calls `place_call` again with the same arguments plus `"setup_code": "k7m2q"`. The response is `{"status": "calling", "call_id": "..."}` 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 keeps the balance up; you can turn it off with one toggle on the [account page](https://callforme.tel/account). ## 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. ## 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](https://callforme.tel/account) and use the URL `https://callforme.tel/mcp/k/` or the header `Authorization: Bearer cfm_...`. Calls go straight to your account. Agents using the [REST API](/docs/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 its memory. ## After setup Your balance pays for calls: $1 per answered call including 5 minutes, then $0.25 per minute. Unanswered calls are free. See [pricing](/docs/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 and wait. - 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. ## FAQ ### Why is there a link at the first call instead of a sign-up form? Connecting is one click with no form, so you can start right away. Money only comes up when a real call is about to go out, and the page shows exactly which call you're paying for. ### Will I see a setup link again? Not in the same agent. Your card is saved and auto-reload keeps the balance topped up. The only other time you'd see one is when you connect a new agent, and then it's a one-click link to your existing account. ### I added CallForMe to a second agent. Do I pay again? No. If you're signed in on that browser, the second agent's first call link recognizes you and links it to your existing account in one click. Your balance is shared. ### How long is a setup link good for? Use it while the conversation with your agent is still going. If it stops working, your agent can place the call again to get a fresh link. ### Can I claim creator credit without a card? Yes. If we've granted credit to your email, the setup page lets you claim it with just that email through a magic link. No card needed. ### Do I need a setup link to try the demo line? No. Calls to Maple Street Pizza, a fictional restaurant at (469) 770-7412, are free and need no payment, up to 5 a day.