How to use the Dial phone CLI agent skill (dial-cli)

What is an agent skill and what does dial-cli add?

An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file. The file gives an AI agent instructions for a specific task, and the agent loads it when a request matches the skill's description. Without a skill, the agent has to work out command usage on its own.

The dial-cli skill covers the dial CLI, the official command-line tool for Dial, a communication platform for AI agents (getdial.ai). With it loaded, the agent knows the usual workflows, the --json output convention, and where to look up current Dial documentation instead of guessing. The skill says that dial --help alone does not show these workflows.

• Send an SMS from a provisioned Dial number
• Place an outbound voice call handled by an AI voice agent
• Wait for an inbound text, such as a one-time code
• Wait for a call to end and read its final status
• Look up current Dial features in the online docs

How do you install the dial-cli skill?

There are two routes. You can download the ZIP from the skill page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder to scope it to one project. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.

After installing, start a new session so the agent can discover the skill. The package contains a single file, SKILL.md.

• Personal: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
• Single project: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
• Claude apps: Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, then upload the ZIP

Make sure the dial CLI is available

The skill assumes the dial CLI is already installed, and says it is preinstalled in the sandbox image it was written for. The source does not explain how to install the CLI on a personal machine, so check first. Run command -v dial. If it prints nothing, the CLI is not on your path.

Inside the intended sandbox, the skill tells the agent not to improvise an install if dial is missing. It should report the problem to the operator instead.

How do you trigger the skill with natural requests?

You do not need to name the skill. The agent loads it when you mention phones, calls, texts, SMS, voice, OTP, 2FA, or verification codes, or when you ask it to text, call, ring, or wait for a code from someone. Plain requests work well, as long as they name the contact and the purpose.

The skill also says to load it before the first dial command in a session, so a request to run dial directly should still trigger it.

• Text +14155550123 to confirm our meeting is at 3pm.
• Call the restaurant at +14155550123 and ask whether they have a table for two at 7pm.
• Wait for the 2FA code the service sends to this number and tell me what it is.
• Check what the Dial platform can do with inbound voice.

What commands does the agent run?

The skill lists the most common workflows as command shapes. The agent should run dial --help, or dial with a command name and --help, before using a command for the first time. The CLI is the source of truth for flags.

Every command accepts --json, which gives output that scripts or jq can parse. Phone numbers must be in E.164 format, such as +14155550123, and the agent should reject anything else before calling Dial.

• dial message --to +14155550123 --body text sends an SMS
• dial call --to +14155550123 --outbound-instruction text places a voice call; dial call get id shows the result after it ends
• dial wait-for message.received -f channel=sms waits for an inbound text
• dial wait-for call.ended -f callId=id waits for a call to end, including cancelled calls
• dial typing start or stop shows a typing indicator; the skill says it is safe to call on SMS numbers

What safety and network points should you know?

This skill sends real SMS and places real calls. Those may cost money, reach people who did not expect them, or fall under consent and telemarketing rules in your area. Only use it to contact people who know about and agree to the contact.

The skill runs scripts and needs network access to docs.getdial.ai for documentation lookups, so it will not work offline. The agent is told never to ask you for an API key or read auth files, because in the sandbox the credential is added at the network boundary. Writes such as message, call, and number purchase are not idempotent, so the skill says to list first to check before retrying an ambiguous failure.

Buying a number requires an explicit programmatic consent attestation, and the skill assumes the account and number already exist and will not set one up.

• Only contact people who have agreed to it
• Expect real charges and regulatory duties in some places
• Do not expect the skill to configure a new account or number
• Check results before retrying a write

How do you look up more Dial features?

For features beyond the local CLI help, the skill points to the online docs at docs.getdial.ai. To check whether Dial supports something, search the full docs file for a keyword. To read a page in detail, use the sitemap to find pages, then fetch the markdown version of any page by adding .md to its URL.