Call flows
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      Introduction to call flows

      This article describes call flows, which manage incoming calls by directing them to specific actions. The call flow builder enables users to create and manage these flows, providing flexible communication control.

      In this article, we’ll cover:

      What is a call flow?

      Call flows are like a roadmap for what happens when someone calls your phone number. They help you decide how to manage incoming calls, ensuring they go to the right person or group. This guide will explain what call flows are and how to use different actions (or tools) within them to manage your calls easily and effectively.


      Steps

      A step in a call flow represents an action or decision point in managing a call. Here are the available steps you can use in your call flows:

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      • Incoming call: The starting point of your call flow.
      • Ring users: By default, this action will ring the users assigned to the phone number running the call flow. It cannot ring a specific phone number.
      • Queue: If you want to send calls to a waiting area (or queue), use this action. Callers will hear hold music until someone answers. If no one is available, the call will follow a different path called "overflow."
      • Play audio: This action plays a sound clip before moving on to the next step in your call flow.
      • Schedule: Use this action to manage calls during business hours or after hours. It helps you control when calls are routed based on the time of day. Here’s more information on using the schedule.
      • Dates: This action allows you to set specific dates for call routing. If a caller calls on a date you've set, it will follow the path you've configured for that date. Here's more information on using dates.
      • Caller menu: Also known as an auto-attendant, this action lets callers press a key on their phone to choose an option. If they don’t make a choice in time, it will follow a "timed out" path.
      • Divert: This action sends the incoming call to another number and ends the call flow there. 
      • Send to voicemail: This will send the incoming call directly to voicemail. You can specify which user’s voicemail to use.
      • Hang up action: As the name suggests, this will end the call.

      Advanced options

      If you want to do more with your call flows, here are some advanced options:

      1. Caller ID action: This lets you route calls based on the caller's phone number. You can choose to match exact numbers or parts of numbers.
      2. Webhook action: This sends a request to a specific web address when this action is reached.
      3. Keypad to webhook action: This collects digits pressed on the keypad and sends them to a webhook. Callers play a sound and enter digits, ending with # or resetting with *.

      At the bottom, you’ll see a connect option, which allows you to link the selected path to another action in your call flow.

      Accessing the call flow builder

      To get started:

      • Look for the admin button at the bottom left corner of your screen.
      • Then, in the admin tab, find the call flow builder. This is where you can see all the call flows your company has created so far.

      If you want to create a new call flow, just click on the + new call flow button at the top right corner of the screen.


      Example call flow

      Here’s an example of a call flow that routes calls based on your business hours:

      1. Click on the + icon under incoming call.
      2. Select the schedule action.
      3. Click configure and set the time for your office hours.
      4. Under inside hours, I want my calls to ring users then go to voicemail after.
      5. Under outside hours, click the plus icon, then select connect at the bottom to link to the send to voicemail action under ring users.

      And that’s it! This is a simple example of a call flow that directs calls based on your business hours.

      Call flow switcher

      Changing a phone number's active call flow enables you to control how incoming calls are managed. This feature is crucial for directing calls based on your availability or specific requirements. With the call flow switcher, you can easily select from the shared call flows created by your team, ensuring efficient call routing with a single click.
      Here's more information about call flow switcher.

      Conclusion

      By using call flows, you can effectively manage how incoming calls are handled, making it easier for everyone involved. Whether you’re routing calls to users, sending them to voicemail, or using advanced options, call flows provide a flexible way to control your communications. Happy calling!