External Phone Numbers

Updated: October 21, 2024

External Phone Numbers are pre-set PBX destinations created from numbers outside of Calltools such as cell phones, desk phones, or softphones. These numbers serve multiple purposes, such as:

• Routing calls. (Follow Me Calling or IVR)
• Transferring calls.
• Acting as a failover option (queue failover
• Supporting campaigns where agent transfers are restricted.

Restrictions

Only U.S. phone numbers, outside of very high-cost areas, are allowed.

Creating External Phone Numbers

1. Navigation:

   • Access the creation interface by navigating to: PBX > External Phone Numbers

2. Create:

   • Click Create New External Phone Number to begin.

3. Fields to Fill Out:

   • Name. Enter a name for the external phone number.

   • Description. Optionally, provide a description to clarify the purpose or function of the number.

   • Call Recording. Choose whether calls to this external number should be recorded.

   • Ring Time. Set the duration (in seconds) before the call moves to the next destination. This ensures calls are not left unanswered for too long.

   • Phone Number. Enter the phone number in e164 format (e.g., [phone]).

   • Extension. Assign an extension (from 100 to 9999) for internal dialing or transfers.

Click Save to finish.

Use Cases

Call Routing: External phone numbers can be used to route calls to numbers outside your internal PBX system such as with IVRs, time conditions, DNC prompts, announcements or call transfers.

Failover: They can be used with failover features, such as queue or ring group failovers.

Campaign Restrictions: If your campaign restricts agent transfers, external phone numbers offer flexibility by allowing certain calls to bypass internal transfers.

Conclusion

External Phone Numbers are used for a many reasons. They're useful when additional destination flexibility is required. Ensure to give a full test to see if numbers are working as intended. For any questions regarding this feature, please reach out to support.