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INBOUND ROUTES


An inbound route is used to tell the phone system where to route incoming calls based on the caller's phone number or the number that has been dialed. Inbound routes can be set up based on the number the call is coming FROM or the number the call is made TO. An inbound route should also be set up for ANY number calling to ANY number being called. This means that any call coming into your organization which doesn't fit one of the FROM patterns or one of the TO patterns, will follow this generic route.

Administrators have access to the inbound routes for your organization using the Account Center. Locate Inbound Routes in the Phone System menu and expand the heading. Here you will see options to both Manage and Create inbound routes.

CREATE INBOUND ROUTES

The Create Inbound Routes page is where you can set up a new inbound route on your account.

To set up a new inbound route, follow these steps:

  1. Create a Description for the inbound route that will make it easy it identify.
  2. Decide whether to check the box to Make this inbound route a From Number priority route.
  3. If this route is going to be set up based on a From Number, meaning that when a specific phone number calls into the system, that call should go to a unique destination, enter that phone number here.
  4. If this route is going to be set up based on a To Number, meaning that when a call comes into one of your organization's phone numbers, those calls should go to a specific destination, enter that phone number here.

    If your number hasn't ported yet, it will not show in the drop-down list of numbers. Instead, you will need to select Set Custom and type the number into the field.

    • There should also be an inbound route from ANY number to ANY number so calls that don't match other inbound routes have a call flow to follow.
  5. Decide whether to enter a Caller ID Prefix: You have the option of entering a prefix that will be added onto the caller ID name when a call is presented to the recipients of this inbound route. For example, a call coming into this route with a caller ID of "John Doe" could be changed to something like "Sales: John Doe" to help sales team members know that it's a direct or forwarded call to the sales line.
  6. Select a Destination for calls coming into this route.
  7. Decide whether to Record Calls: If there aren't other call recording settings already in place for the call flow, you can set them for a specific ring group. Record call options are:
    • Force means call recording cannot be turned off.
    • Yes means call recording is on until the settings in another phone system feature are set to not record.
    • On Demand means call recording is off by default, but can be turned on.
    • No means call recording is off until the settings in another phone system feature are set to record.
    • Never means calls cannot be recorded.
  8. SIP Alert Info: If you have physical phones and would like them to ring differently for calls coming into this inbound route, enter brief text in this field. You will enter the same text in your device settings, which will enable the distinctive ring.

It is also possible to create an inbound route that can match a group of numbers based on a pattern instead of matching an exact number. If you would like to create that type of inbound route, submit a ticket to our support team and they can set that up for you.

Some changes related to your phone system's behavior, such as adding or editing inbound routes, are not live immediately. Rather, the changes are "queued" and waiting to be applied. This allows you to make ALL of the necessary changes and verify that all pieces of the call flow are in place and functioning together as expected before making them live. Once you've tested your changes and are confident your system is functioning correctly, select "Apply Changes" on the left-hand menu to make your system live. A confirmation popup will open asking if you're certain you wish to apply your changes.

IMPLEMENTING INBOUND ROUTES

An inbound route is the starting point for your call flow. For example, in the call flow shown below, you see three inbound routes. Two have a direct phone number so any caller dialing those specific numbers will follow that route through the system. The third is ANY to ANY so calls coming into the system that do not match the other two numbers will follow that route.

Unlike other phone system features, inbound routes are not attached to another feature. They are the starting point.