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How to Configure a DID Number and Route

A DID is an external phone number that customers dial. On its own, the number does nothing until you assign a route. The route determines where incoming calls go: to an extension, a queue, an IVR menu, voicemail, or an external phone number.

Available Route Types​

Route TypeWhen to Use
To ExtensionWhen the call should ring a specific employee directly
IVRWhen the caller should choose from an interactive menu
QueueWhen calls should be answered by a group of operators
VoicemailWhen you want to record messages outside business hours
External NumberWhen you need to forward the call to another phone number

Prerequisites Before Configuring​

  1. The DID number must be unique.
  2. For an IVR route, the IVR scenario must exist and be published.
  3. For a queue route, the queue must be created in advance.
  4. For an external number route, you must have an active outbound trunk.
Important

A DID number can be assigned to a department. This helps scope access permissions so teams only see their own routes.

Route to an Extension​

The simplest option. You select an employee or extension, and incoming calls ring them directly.

Best suited when:

  1. you have a small team;
  2. callers should always reach the same person;
  3. you do not need an IVR or call queue yet.

Route to an IVR​

Choose this option when you want to present a menu to callers: for example, press 1 for sales, 2 for support.

Check

The IVR scenario must be published. A draft scenario appears in the list, but live routing requires a published version to work as expected.

Route to a Queue​

A queue is ideal when incoming calls should be distributed across multiple operators. In this case, the DID simply forwards the call into a pre-configured queue.

For this setup to work:

  1. the queue must be active;
  2. assigned agents must have active extensions;
  3. operators must be connected and ready to receive calls via their IP phones or softphones.

Route to an External Number​

Use this option if an incoming call needs to be forwarded outside the platform, such as to an on-call manager's mobile phone.

For this route, you must:

  1. enter a valid external phone number;
  2. select an active outbound trunk;
  3. ensure your provider permits outbound forwarding calls.

How to Test Your Route​

After saving the route, place a test inbound call and verify:

  1. whether the expected scenario triggered;
  2. that the call does not fall back to a default greeting instead of your configured route;
  3. whether the target scenario requires publishing or additional setup.
Tip

If an inbound call goes to the wrong place after configuring a DID, the issue is usually with the route target rather than the DID itself: an unpublished IVR, an inactive queue, or a non-working outbound trunk.

Common Issues​

DID is created, but calls do not reach the IVR​

Check that the IVR has been published and that the DID is pointing to the right IVR rather than an older target.

DID routes to a queue, but nobody answers​

Verify that the queue has agents with active extensions and that operators are online and ready to take calls.

Forwarding to an external number does not work​

This usually means there is no active outbound trunk or the external destination number is entered in an unsupported format.

Next, users typically open Call Queues and Agent Assignment or IVR Scenarios and Publishing.