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

# Lumen / CenturyLink Business

> How to forward Lumen / CenturyLink Business calls to Answering Agent and how to move your Lumen / CenturyLink Business number over.

Two ways to get your Lumen / CenturyLink Business number to your agent. Forwarding keeps Lumen / CenturyLink Business as your phone company and sends calls over. Moving the number (porting) makes Answering Agent your phone company for that number.

<Note>Forwarding codes are confirmed on CenturyLink's own small-business support page (high confidence); the linked business-specific quick-reference PDFs found in search results returned 404 and were not used. Porting mechanics are confirmed on an official CenturyLink page, but that page does not mention a PIN at all, so pinRequired is left null rather than adopting third-party claims. Checked 2026-09-11.</Note>

## Forward calls

| Action            | Dial  |
| ----------------- | ----- |
| Forward all calls | `*72` |
| Stop forwarding   | `*73` |

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pick up the handset">
    On the line to forward, lift the receiver and listen for a dial tone.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Dial *72">
    Listen for a stutter dial tone followed by a regular dial tone.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Dial the destination number">
    Enter the 10-digit number where calls should ring.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm activation">
    When the phone is answered by a person or voicemail, hang up — Call Forwarding is now active. If there's no answer or the line is busy, hang up and repeat the \*72 steps within a couple of minutes to force-activate.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deactivate when done">
    Lift the receiver, dial \*73, and listen for two short tones followed by a regular dial tone.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Call your business number from another phone">
    Answering Agent listens for the call. When your agent picks up, the phone numbers step in your dashboard turns green.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Good to know

* CenturyLink's own small-business Call Forwarding support page documents only unconditional forwarding (\*72/\*73); no separate busy or no-answer star code is published there, so those fields are left null rather than guessed.
* In some legacy CenturyTel ('CTL') regions, forwarding is instead activated by calling a regional access number, dialing the phone number minus area code, entering a PIN, then \*72 — a different flow from the standard \*72-from-the-handset method.
* The Lumen enterprise/wholesale documentation (docs.lumen.com) belongs to the separate Uniti Solutions/Lumen Enterprise entity that resulted from the 2025 sale of Windstream/CenturyLink's enterprise business and does not describe Lumen/CenturyLink's small-business POTS forwarding.

## Move your number

Start the move from **Dashboard**, then **Phone numbers**, then **Add a number**, and choose **Move my number**. Upload your latest bill and we read the details for you. Have these ready:

| What the carrier asks for | Where to find it                                                                                                    |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Account number            | Top of each page of the monthly bill, or in the upper right-hand corner of every page in My CenturyLink online/app. |
| Transfer PIN              | Not published by Lumen / CenturyLink Business. Ask their support whether a PIN is needed.                           |
| How long it takes         | Lumen / CenturyLink Business does not publish a time. Most moves finish in 7 to 10 business days.                   |

<Warning>Do not cancel your service with Lumen / CenturyLink Business until the move is complete. A cancelled number can be lost.</Warning>

### Watch out for

* If CenturyLink has placed a freeze on the number, the customer must contact CenturyLink to have it removed before the new carrier can complete the transfer.
* The new provider initiates the port and contacts CenturyLink — CenturyLink does not start the process from the customer side.

## Sources

Checked on 2026-09-11 against Lumen / CenturyLink Business's own pages.

* [https://www.centurylink.com/small-business/support/support-center/product-help/call-forwarding-overview.html](https://www.centurylink.com/small-business/support/support-center/product-help/call-forwarding-overview.html)
* [https://www.centurylink.com/home/help/home-phone/transfer-home-phone-number.html](https://www.centurylink.com/home/help/home-phone/transfer-home-phone-number.html)
* [https://www.centurylink.com/home/help/account/need-your-centurylink-account-number.html](https://www.centurylink.com/home/help/account/need-your-centurylink-account-number.html)