> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.astradial.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Welcome to Astradial

> Astradial is an open-source cloud PBX platform that lets you manage phone calls, AI voice bots, call queues, and more from a single dashboard.

## What is Astradial?

Astradial is a **cloud phone system** (also called a PBX) that you can self-host on your own server or use as a managed service. It gives your business:

* **Phone numbers** that ring your team's devices
* **Call queues** so callers wait in line and get connected to the right person
* **AI voice bots** that can answer calls, take messages, and transfer to humans
* **Call recordings** and history for every conversation
* **A mini CRM** to track your clients, leads, and deals
* **Workflow automation** to send WhatsApp messages, make scheduled calls, and more

Think of it as your own private phone system — like what big companies use — but you control it.

## Who is this for?

* **Small businesses** that need a professional phone system
* **Hotels and hospitality** that want AI-powered guest services
* **Call centers** that need call routing and agent management
* **Developers** who want to build voice AI applications
* **Anyone** who wants to self-host their phone infrastructure

## How it works

Astradial has four main parts:

<Steps>
  <Step title="The Dashboard (Editor)">
    A web application where you manage everything — users, phone numbers, call queues, AI bots, and more. You access it from your browser.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The API Server">
    The backend that handles all the logic — user authentication, call routing rules, database operations, and API endpoints.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Asterisk PBX">
    The actual phone system engine. Asterisk is an open-source telephony server that handles SIP calls, audio, and call routing.
  </Step>

  <Step title="AI Gateway (Pipecat Flow)">
    The AI voice bot engine. It connects Google Gemini to your phone calls so bots can have real conversations with callers.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Two ways to run Astradial

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Self-hosted (Linux VPS)">
    Install everything on your own server. You get:

    * Full admin control
    * Asterisk PBX for real phone calls
    * All 7 Docker services running locally
    * Complete privacy — your data stays on your server

    **Best for:** Production use, businesses that need full control
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Cloud mode (Mac/Windows)">
    Run just the dashboard locally and connect to an Astradial Cloud server. You get:

    * Quick setup (under 2 minutes)
    * No need to manage Asterisk yourself
    * Dashboard runs on your machine, calls go through the cloud

    **Best for:** Development, testing, contributors
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create your account" icon="user-plus" href="/getting-started/create-account">
    Set up Astradial and create your first admin account
  </Card>

  <Card title="Explore the dashboard" icon="layout-dashboard" href="/getting-started/dashboard">
    Learn your way around the Astradial dashboard
  </Card>
</CardGroup>