Call flows
Check Entry Method
Check Entry Method lets you give callers a different experience depending on how their call entered the inbox: directly, through forwarding, or through a transfer.
Use it to avoid making callers repeat steps they have already completed. For example, someone calling your support inbox directly could hear a phone menu, while someone transferred there by a teammate could go straight to the answering team.
Understand the three routes
| Route | What it means |
|---|---|
| Direct | The call entered without being identified as a Waveline forwarding or transfer arrival, such as someone calling the inbox directly. |
| Forwarded | The call arrived through forwarding from another Waveline inbox’s call flow. |
| Transfer | The call entered the inbox through a call transfer in Waveline. |
These routes describe how the call arrived at this inbox, not necessarily how the original call began.
For example, a customer might call your main number directly and then be forwarded to your support inbox. In the support inbox, that call follows Forwarded.
When to use Check Entry Method
Use this step when callers arriving through different paths should not all hear the same greeting, menu, or instructions.
For example, John Doe LLC could configure its support inbox so that:
- Direct callers hear a Phone Menu to choose the type of support they need.
- Forwarded callers ring the support team because they already selected support in the main inbox’s menu.
- Transfer callers ring the support team because a teammate has already directed them there.
If all three types of arrival should follow the same route, you do not need this step.
Entry method and caller type are different
Check Entry Method asks how the call arrived: Direct, Forwarded, or Transfer.
Check Caller Type distinguishes Internal and External callers.
A direct call is not necessarily an outside call—a teammate can call an inbox directly too. Use the check that matches the distinction you want your routing to make.
Where to find it
Open the call-flow builder for the inbox you want to configure. For more information, see Open the call-flow builder.
From Flow widgets, drag Check Entry Method onto the canvas. Select the step to view its settings.
Add and connect the check
- Add or select Check Entry Method.
- Connect Incoming Call, or the preceding step, to its input.
- Connect Direct to the step callers should reach when they enter directly.
- Connect Forwarded to the step callers should reach when another inbox forwards them here.
- Connect Transfer to the step callers should reach when they are transferred into this inbox.
- Select Save draft to keep your changes, or Publish flow when the routing is ready to go live.
You do not need to enter phone numbers or maintain a list of forwarding sources.
More than one output can lead to the same destination. For example, Forwarded and Transfer can both connect to the same Ring Users step.
Connect all three routes
If the route selected for a call has no connection, the call ends. Connect Direct, Forwarded, and Transfer so each type of arrival has somewhere to go.
Place the check before the steps callers should skip
Check Entry Method only changes what happens after the call reaches it.
If transferred callers should skip a greeting or phone menu, place the check before those steps. Connect Direct through the greeting or menu, and connect Transfer to the answering destination.
Any step placed before the check still runs for callers who reach it, regardless of their entry method.
Common questions
Does this step forward or transfer the call?
No. It checks how the call already entered this inbox. Use Forward Call when the call flow should send a caller to another inbox or phone number.
Why does a call forwarded from an outside phone service follow Direct?
Forwarded applies to calls forwarded from another Waveline inbox’s call flow. A call redirected by an outside phone service can follow Direct.
What if a transferred call is then forwarded to another inbox?
The destination inbox uses Forwarded for that arrival. The check reflects the forwarding into the current inbox rather than treating the earlier transfer as its current entry method.
Why does the call end at the check?
Review the output for the call’s entry method. If that output has no connection, the call ends. Connect all three routes and publish the updated flow.
Can Forwarded and Transfer use the same route?
Yes. Connect both outputs to the same next step when those callers should have the same experience.
Does Check Entry Method apply the inbox’s hours?
No. If every arrival should follow the inbox’s schedule, place an Inbox Hours step before Check Entry Method. If different arrival routes should handle hours differently, connect those routes through the appropriate steps.
For example, connecting Transfer directly to Ring Users bypasses an Inbox Hours step that exists only on the Direct route. See Inbox Hours Routing for more information.