Call routing decides where an incoming call goes. Ring groups decide which team members are offered a call. An IVR gives callers a menu or guided interaction before sending them to the next destination.
Start with one incoming number and a simple outcome. For example, a shop can ring reception during opening hours and send unanswered or after-hours calls to a suitable fallback. Add a menu when callers genuinely need to choose between services.
Prepare the destinations
You need an assigned inbound number and access to manage routing. Ring-group editing, member management, IVR editing, simulation and publishing have separate permissions. The calling service must be provisioned and the relevant numbers and destinations available in the workspace.
- Open Calls → Ring Groups at Ring Groups and select New Group. Give it a clear name, such as “Reception”.
- Choose Ring All at Once or One by One. Add the team members who should receive calls and arrange their order for sequential ringing. Set a sensible timeout and confirm that the group is enabled.
- Configure If No Answer. Choose the appropriate available action: hang up, forward, voicemail or queue. If forwarding, check the destination number. If using a queue, also review its wait, re-ring and timeout action. An AI-agent destination needs an existing agent configuration.
Test the group with the people who will actually answer. Their availability matters; creating a group does not mean someone is always ready to pick up.
Add an IVR when callers need choices
- Open Agents & AI → IVR Flows at IVR Flows and select New Flow. Use a short greeting and a small number of clear choices. The builder includes IVR Menu, Play Message, Decision, Call Forward and Hangup elements.
- Configure each choice and its destination. Include a useful outcome for silence, invalid input or an unavailable destination. For a shop menu, “Sales” and “Service” should lead to configured destinations your team can maintain.
- Wait for draft changes to save, then use Validate and Simulate. Try every choice and the no-response path. Fix errors and select Publish when the flow is ready. Saving a draft alone does not make its changes live.
Advanced IVR options depend on the capabilities enabled for your workspace. Keep the first version small enough to test thoroughly.
Connect the incoming call to the destination
- Open Calls → Call Routing at Call Routing and select New Rule. Give it a name, choose the number or caller conditions, and select the ring group or published IVR as its action. Configure a fallback where appropriate.
- Review the rule's enabled state, number assignments and priority. Rules are evaluated from lower priority numbers to higher ones. Use time schedules or working-hours conditions when the destination changes outside office hours.
- Use Evaluate Sample Call with the called number and caller number. Then place a real inbound test call, including an unanswered call and the after-hours path. Evaluation checks routing decisions; it does not prove every destination will answer.
If calls go to the wrong place, check rule priority, overlapping conditions, assignments and schedule timezone. If an IVR is unavailable, inspect its publish result. If nobody rings, check group membership, enabled state and availability. Finish testing the fallback before directing customers to the number.
Test a complete call-routing matrix
Write down the result expected for each situation before launch: an in-hours call, an out-of-hours call, a valid menu choice, an invalid key, silence and a group where nobody answers. Use the same business number for each test so overlapping rules are exercised too.
For a reception group, have one teammate answer, then repeat while all members remain unavailable. Listen to the fallback from the caller's side. Check that it explains the next step and does not send the caller back through the same menu indefinitely.
If the result differs from Evaluate Sample Call, compare the real called number, caller number and time with the sample values. Then check whether the selected destination was available. Routing selection and destination availability are separate stages.
Keep the greeting accurate when business hours or team responsibilities change. A menu that says “Sales” should still lead to the people handling sales. For replacement recordings, follow the Asset Studio guide, then repeat the affected live-call tests.