Inbound Calls: IVR, AI & Routing Explained

When someone calls one of your numbers, the system works through a predictable sequence of stages until the call is handled. Understanding that sequence makes it much easier to design a call flow that actually does what you want.

The three stages of an inbound call

Stage 1 — Smart routing (if configured). If you've built an IVR menu or turned on Voice AI as the primary handler for the number, it takes the call immediately and the stages below never run.

Stage 2 — Simultaneous ring. If Stage 1 isn't configured, the call rings every destination you've set up at once — a team member's web app, mobile app, desk phone, and/or an external forwarding number, plus up to 6 additional team members if you're using Ring to Multiple Users. Whoever answers first gets the call; everyone else stops ringing. This continues until your configured timeout is reached.

Stage 3 — Backup. If nobody answers in Stage 2, the call falls back to Voice AI (if set up in backup mode) and then to voicemail as the final catch-all.

Configure all of this per number from Settings > Phone System > Phone Numbers, open the ⋮ menu, and go to Edit Configuration > Call Forwarding.

Building an IVR (phone menu)

An IVR ("press 1 for sales, press 2 for support") is built as a workflow:

1. Create a workflow using the Phone IVR trigger.
2. Define each keypad option and where it routes — a team member, another workflow, or a message.
3. Save the workflow, then assign it to the IVR field in the number's Call Forwarding settings.

Once assigned, the IVR workflow owns the entire call — Stage 2's simultaneous ring never runs for calls that reach the menu.

Voice AI as primary vs. backup

A single toggle (under AI Agents > Voice AI > Phone & Availability) determines how Voice AI behaves:

• Primary mode — Voice AI answers every call immediately; Stage 2 is skipped entirely.
• Backup mode — human team members are tried first (Stage 2); Voice AI only picks up if nobody answers in time.

Ring a call to multiple users

To have a call ring several people at once instead of just one assigned user:

1. Go to Settings > Phone System > Phone Numbers, open the ⋮ menu on the number, and select Ring Incoming Call to Multiple Users.
2. Enable it and add up to 6 users.
3. Save.

Each user can set their preferred device for these calls under Settings > My Staff > [user] > Call & Voicemail Settings > Default Channel for Ring All. Note this only works when the call routes directly to a user, a forwarding number, or the business line — it doesn't apply once a call has entered an IVR or workflow.

Routing by working hours

You can make a user (or the whole team) only ring during their scheduled hours, so after-hours calls skip straight to backup handling instead of ringing indefinitely.

• For yourself: Settings > My Profile > Inbound Call Routing card > enable Only ring during working hours and pick a schedule.
• For a team member: Settings > My Staff > edit the user > User Availability > enable the same setting and pick their schedule.

Outside those hours, an individually assigned user is skipped in favor of backup handling; in a ring-all or IVR setup, unavailable users are simply skipped while available ones keep ringing.

Avoiding call loops

A call loop happens when a number is used as its own (direct or indirect) forwarding destination — for example, forwarding Number A to Number B, which is itself set to forward back to Number A. This causes calls to fail, disconnect, or never reach anyone. To avoid it:

• Prefer forwarding to an external number (a personal cell, landline, or outside VoIP line) rather than another number on your own account.
• If you do route between your own numbers, double-check the chain doesn't loop back on itself.
• Test any new forwarding setup end-to-end before relying on it, and check call logs afterward for failed or dropped calls.

The system will show a warning if your configuration looks like it could loop, but it won't block the setup — it's on you to confirm the flow is correct.