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Guide · Agent skill

How to use the Add Dial Phone Tool agent skill

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The add-dial-tool skill gives specific NanoClaw agents a real phone number through the Dial command-line tool, so they can send texts, place AI-driven voice calls and receive verification codes from inside their sandbox. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask an agent to use it, and the safety limits you need to understand first. You do not need prior experience with agent skills to follow it.

Add Dial Phone Toolnanocoai/nanoclaw · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Check prerequisites. Confirm you have a NanoClaw install, OneCLI 1.44 or newer, Node.js with npm, a Dial account, and ncl and jq.
  2. 2Download and unzip the skill. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
  3. 3Run the skill from the NanoClaw repo. Run it on the host, not from a chat with an agent, so the installer can write to the agent image and gateway.
  4. 4Choose the agents. Enter the agent ids that may use Dial, or all or none. Check the list carefully.
  5. 5Sign in to Dial. Confirm the signed-in account, or verify your email with the one-time code if you are not signed in.
  6. 6Ask for a phone action. Make a specific natural request, such as texting or calling a named number, from a chat with a granted agent.

What the add-dial-tool skill makes the agent do

The skill installs the Dial CLI (the `dial` command) inside the sandboxed containers that NanoClaw agents run in, and adds a skill file that teaches the agent how to use it. Once set up, the agents you choose can text numbers, place AI voice calls, buy numbers and receive verification codes, all billed to your Dial account.

It is independent of the Dial messaging channel, so you can give an agent phone capability without wiring Dial in as a chat channel.

Install the skill from the ZIP

Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it into one of two places. For a personal setup, use ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, use the .claude/skills/ folder inside that project.

If you use the Claude apps instead, upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

  • Personal: ~/.claude/skills/
  • Project: .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
  • Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Prerequisites you must have in place

The skill expects a NanoClaw install from the nanocoai/nanoclaw repository, OneCLI gateway version 1.44 or newer (NanoClaw pins 1.45), Node.js and npm, a Dial account signed in on the host, and the ncl and jq command-line tools with a running NanoClaw host.

Run the skill from the NanoClaw repo on the host, not from a chat with an agent, because the container cannot install itself. If OneCLI is missing, the skill tells you to run /init-onecli first and stops.

  • NanoClaw install (nanocoai/nanoclaw)
  • OneCLI gateway 1.44 or newer
  • Node.js and npm (installs @getdial/cli 0.37.0 on the host)
  • A Dial account, signed in on the host
  • ncl and jq, with a running NanoClaw host

Choose which agents may use Dial

When the skill runs, it lists your agent groups and asks which may use Dial. You can answer with specific agent ids separated by commas, with no spaces, or with all or none. An empty answer is never treated as everyone.

Agents you leave out do not receive the Dial key. Agents created after the run do not get Dial until you run the skill again. Re-running the skill is how you change the list.

Sign in to Dial and let the skill write the credential

The skill checks whether the host is already signed in to Dial. If it is, it reports which account the chosen agents will use. If not, it asks for an email and sends a one-time code for verification.

The Dial key lives on the OneCLI gateway and is updated in place, so signing in to a different account switches every agent that holds the key to that account.

DIAL_USER_AGENT=nanoclaw/<version> dial doctor --json

Trigger the skill with natural requests

Once the tool is installed and an agent holds the key, you ask for phone actions in ordinary language. The container skill named dial-cli tells the agent to load its workflows before running any dial command. Examples of phrasing that should trigger it include asking the agent to text someone, call a number, or wait for a code.

Be specific about the recipient and the message, because the agent will act on real numbers.

  • Text my dentist's office at the number in my contacts that I will not work on Friday.
  • Call this number and confirm my appointment, then report back.
  • Wait for the verification code that arrives and tell me what it is.
  • Run dial to check the account status.

Safety notes: scripts and network access

The skill runs scripts and uses the network. It calls api.getdial.ai and installs the CLI on the host. Any agent granted the key can call or text any number and buy more numbers, so grant access only where you accept that cost and reach.

Agents without the grant receive the error code access_restricted when they try Dial requests. Removing the tool is covered in the REMOVE.md file, which deletes the CLI entry, the container skill and the OneCLI secret.

  • Every granted agent can contact any number, billed to your account.
  • Unsupervised use can cause unwanted charges or messages.
  • Uninstall with the REMOVE.md steps.

What people use it for

  • Have an operator agent text a team member a reminder when a build finishes.
  • Let a developer's sandboxed agent receive an SMS verification code during testing.
  • Ask an agent to place an AI voice call to confirm a booking, then report the result.
  • Keep Dial limited to one agent while other agents on the same install stay without phone access.

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the add-dial-tool skill?

Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills. Then run the skill from the NanoClaw repo on the host.

Is the add-dial-tool skill free?

The skill is published under the MIT licence. Dial itself bills your Dial account for texts, calls and numbers, and the source does not list Dial prices, so check Dial's own pricing.

What do I need before installing?

You need a NanoClaw install, OneCLI gateway 1.44 or newer, Node.js and npm, a Dial account signed in on the host, and the ncl and jq tools with a running NanoClaw host. If OneCLI is missing, the skill stops and asks you to run /init-onecli first.

Does this skill work without the Dial channel?

Yes. It is independent of the Dial channel, so agents get phone capability without Dial being wired in as a messaging channel. Install this skill alone if that is what you want.

Why does my agent get an access_restricted error?

That agent was not chosen during setup, so it holds no Dial key and the gateway refuses its Dial requests. Re-run the skill and add the agent id to the list to grant access.

How do I remove the add-dial-tool skill?

Follow the REMOVE.md file in the skill. It deletes the @getdial/cli entry from container/cli-tools.json, removes the container/skills/dial-cli folder, and deletes the Dial secret from OneCLI, which revokes it for every agent.

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Our verdict

Use this skill if you run a NanoClaw install and want specific agents to text or call people, or to receive SMS codes inside a sandbox, and you accept that they spend money and reach real people. Pick something else if you want casual use, have no OneCLI or Dial account, or need agents that must never contact outside people.

Download the skill