Combine Stop on Response with Voicemail Detection

Workflows that call contacts need to know whether a human answered or a voicemail picked up. Two settings work together: Stop on Response at the workflow level, and Disable Voicemail Detect inside the Call action.

What each setting does

Stop on Response: removes a contact from the workflow when they respond to anything it sends, including texts, emails, or calls.
Disable Voicemail Detect: turns off the system's check for answering machines. With detection on, there is a slight pause after pick-up while the audio is analyzed. With it off, the call connects faster but a voicemail greeting counts as an answer.

Your own business line is irrelevant to the setting. Only the contact, or their voicemail when detection is off, can trigger a stop.

Which combination to choose

Stop on Response	Disable Voicemail Detect	Result
On	On	Voicemail counts as a response and stops the workflow. Set a call timeout under 20 seconds so the call never reaches voicemail.
On	Off	Voicemail is recognized and ignored, so the contact stays in the workflow.
Off	Off	Workflow continues regardless; slightly slower connection.
Off	On	Workflow continues regardless; slightly faster connection.

Troubleshooting

Workflow stops after an unanswered call: you likely have both settings on. Lower the Call Timeout below 20 seconds or turn detection back on.
Delay after answering: that is the detection listening for a live voice. Disable it only if speed matters more than accuracy.
Manual calls: Stop on Response only reacts to automated messages from that workflow. Calls you place by hand don't affect it.

Where to set them

In Automation > Workflows, open the workflow and go to Settings to find Stop on Response.
Open the Call action and expand its advanced options to find Disable Voicemail Detect and Call Timeout.

Good to know: Most carriers ring for more than 20 seconds before voicemail answers, which is why a shorter timeout avoids it.

Was this article helpful?