Call flows
Phone Menu
A Phone Menu lets callers choose where their call goes by pressing a number on their keypad. Use it to help callers reach the right team, hear information, or leave a voicemail without someone having to direct every call manually.
For example, John Doe LLC could offer “Press 1 for sales” and “Press 2 for support,” with each choice connected to a different destination.
Build a phone menu
Open the menu step
Open the inbox’s call-flow builder and select Phone Menu.
Before you begin
- Decide which choices callers need and where each choice should lead.
- Record a greeting that clearly explains each number and its purpose.
- Prepare any inboxes or groups of teammates that should receive these calls.
- Decide where callers should go if they do not press a number or make an unrecognized selection.
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 Phone Menu onto the canvas. Select the step to open its settings.
Prepare your menu greeting
Your menu recording tells callers which number to press. Keep it brief and describe each choice clearly. If an earlier step already introduces your business, you do not need to repeat that introduction.
For example:
For sales, press 1. For support, press 2. To leave a message, press 3.
Use a clear recording with minimal background noise, and trim unnecessary silence from the beginning and end. A recording made for your business makes the experience feel more personal and helps callers understand their options.
Keep the greeting and choices in sync
The recording does not create the menu options automatically. Add each digit in Menu options and connect it to the destination described in your greeting. If your choices change, update the recording as well.
Add the greeting and keypad choices
- Add or select the Phone Menu step.
- Under Menu options, select Add and enter each digit callers should be able to press. Use a different digit for each choice.
- Connect every choice to its intended destination.
- Under Prompt audio, select Upload audio to attach a greeting of up to 10 MB, or Generate with AI to create it from a script. See Generate the greeting with AI.
The spoken choices must match the digits and destinations in the flow. If the menu offers sales on 1 and voicemail on 2, the recording and the connected outputs should say the same thing.
Use Replace audio to upload a new greeting. To remove a clip, select its trash icon and confirm Remove audio. Changes remain in the draft until the flow is published.
Generate the greeting with AI
Generate with AI turns a written script into the menu greeting. Waveline does not add your menu choices to the script, so write each one yourself.
- Select the Phone Menu step and add its menu options first, so you know which digits to describe.
- Under Prompt audio, select Generate with AI.
- The Script starts with “Thank you for calling.” Add one sentence for each connected choice, for example: “Thank you for calling Cedar Lane Services. For our team, press 1. To leave a voicemail, press 2.”
- Select Generate audio and wait for the preview.
- Play the preview and check that every spoken choice matches a connected digit.
- Select Use this audio. The clip replaces any earlier prompt audio in the draft.
- Select Save draft to keep the change, or Publish flow when the menu is ready for callers.
If the clip needs a change, edit the script or select Generate again, then preview the new result. If the dialog says your audio isn’t available yet, select Check generation instead of starting another clip. If you later change the menu options, generate or upload a new greeting so the spoken choices still match.
Connect each choice
Connect the preceding step to the top of Phone Menu so callers can reach it. Then connect each Press… output to the step that should handle that choice.
For example:
- Connect Press 1 to Ring Users to ring the teammates handling sales.
- Connect Press 2 to Forward Call to send the caller to a support inbox and follow that inbox’s routing.
- Connect Press 3 to Call Flow Voicemail so the caller can leave a message.
Adding a digit alone does not give it a destination. Each choice needs a connection.
Handle callers who do not make a selection
Timeout is used when the caller does not press a number before the waiting period ends.
Connect this output to a useful next step, such as ringing your main team or taking a voicemail. This gives callers a way to continue even if they are unsure which choice to make.
The Timeout (seconds) setting controls this wait. It does not control how long teammates ring after a caller chooses an option.
Connect the Timeout path
If Timeout is not connected, the call ends when the menu times out.
Handle an unrecognized selection
Unrecognized is used when the caller presses a number that does not have a connected menu choice.
For example, if your menu offers 1, 2, and 3, pressing 7 follows the Unrecognized path.
Connect this output to the next step you want these callers to reach, such as your main answering team. If you leave it unconnected, Waveline tells the caller the selection was invalid and plays the menu again.
Save and publish your menu
Select Save draft to keep your work without changing the live call flow. Select Publish flow when the menu and its connections are ready for callers.
Before publishing, check that every choice mentioned in the greeting has a matching digit and destination, and that Timeout and Unrecognized lead where you intend.
After publishing, call the inbox’s number and try each choice. Also try waiting without making a selection and pressing a number your menu does not offer.
For more information, see Saving and Publishing Call Flows.
Keep the menu easy to use
Start with a small number of clear choices and put the options callers need most near the beginning. Describe choices using familiar terms such as sales or support rather than internal department names customers may not recognize.
Avoid sending callers through several menus when one would be enough. If most calls should reach the same people, a direct Ring Users step may be simpler than asking everyone to make a selection.
Common questions
Why does the call end when the caller does not press anything?
Check the Timeout connection. If it is unconnected, the call ends when the waiting period expires.
Why do callers still hear the old greeting?
Confirm that the replacement recording finished uploading and that you published the updated flow. Check that you edited the Phone Menu step callers actually reach.