Collect Keypad Choices with the IVR Gather Input Action

Gather Input On Call asks the caller to press keys on their phone and then branches the workflow based on what they pressed. It is the heart of any "Press 1 for Sales, press 2 for Support" menu.

Settings

• Say or Play Message: the prompt, either text-to-speech or an uploaded recording.
• Text to Say, Language, Message Voice: the spoken prompt details (text is required when using Say).
• Number of Loops: how many times the prompt repeats before moving on.
• Stop Gathering After (Seconds): how long to wait for a key press.
• Stop Gathering After (Digits): optional, stops after a set number of digits, useful for PINs or extension numbers.
• Stop Gathering on Key Press: ends collection as soon as a key is pressed.
• Match Conditions: one branch per expected input, such as "1" and "2".

Build a simple menu

1. Start with the Start IVR trigger.
2. Add Gather Input On Call.
3. Enter a prompt such as "Press 1 for sales, 2 for support, or 3 to leave a message."
4. Set a timeout of about 5 to 10 seconds and enable Stop Gathering on Key Press for single-digit menus.
5. Under Match Conditions, add a branch for each digit.
6. In each branch, add what happens next: connect the call to a team, play another message, or record a voicemail.
7. Leave a branch for no input or an unrecognized key, and reply with a message plus another try.
8. Save and publish.

Example

A clinic's menu: 1 books an appointment (sends a booking link by text), 2 reaches reception (connect call), 3 leaves a voicemail.

Tips

• Limit menus to about four options.
• Put the most common choice first.
• Always handle silence and wrong keys.
• When you finish, close the call cleanly with End IVR Call.

Good to know: Digit collection can also gather data, such as a ZIP code or ticket number, and save it for later steps.