Offices in different cities
A company has a number in London and one in Manchester. A rule for the 0161 prefix sends calls to Manchester out on the Manchester line with the local number; everything else goes out from London.
Phone system
Decide which line and caller ID your operators' calls go out with
An outbound route reads the number an operator dials and, prefix by prefix, picks the line to use, the number to show and how to rewrite the digits before dialling.
- Emma dials0044 161 496 0732
- Rule "UK"Removes 0044, adds +44
- Rule "Manchester"Starts with +44161: Manchester line
- Out on Manchester lineShows +44 161 496 0100
- The customer answersSees a local number
What it is for
When an operator calls an outside number, your cloud phone system has to decide which of your numbers the call goes out from. Outbound routes let you decide with prefix-based rules: mobiles from one line, international calls from another.
Each rule can also remove or keep the dialled prefix and add digits in front, so operators dial the way they are used to and the phone system turns it into the right number for the line.
For each route and each rule you choose the caller ID shown to the person called. If the operator has an outbound caller ID of their own, that one takes precedence.
Before saving you can try a number: the portal shows which rules apply, what number is called and on which line.
Use cases
International calls from a dedicated line
An export desk calls customers in Germany and France. Calls starting with 00 go out on a line chosen for abroad, national ones on the main line.
Blocking prefixes you never need
A support team must never call abroad. A rule on prefix 00 set to "Refuse the call" stops those calls for every operator on the route.
Keeping operators' habits
Operators come from an old PBX where they dialled 9 before every number. A rule on prefix 9 that removes it lets them keep doing so without errors.
One caller ID per department
Sales and support use different routes, each showing its own department's number, so customers who call back reach the right people.
How it works
Create the route
In Phone modules open Outbound routes, click "New route" and name it. Under "Line options" pick the default line and the caller ID shown.
Add the rules
For each rule enter the prefix, choose whether to remove or keep it, the digits to add in front, the line it goes out on (or "Refuse the call") and the caller ID.
Try a number
Type a number as the operator would dial it: you see the rules applied, the number called and the line, even before saving.
Assign the route to operators
In the operator's page, under Outbound, choose "Through an outbound route" and the route. You can set it on many operators at once with "Change outbound route".
The call goes out
When the operator dials an outside number, the phone system applies the rules top to bottom, picks the line and caller ID and places the call. The call detail shows the route used.
What you can set
Line options
- Name
- How you pick the route in the operators' pages.
- Default line
- The number calls go out on when no rule matches; with "None" those calls are refused.
- Outbound caller ID
- The number the person called sees; empty shows the line's number, and the operator's own, when set, takes precedence.
Rules
- Rule name
- An optional name of up to 60 characters to recognise the rule, such as "Mobiles".
- If the number starts with
- The prefix that triggers the rule: up to 16 digits, *, # and +, such as 0044 or 07.
- The prefix
- "Remove the prefix" strips it from the number, "Keep the prefix" leaves it there.
- Digits to add in front
- Digits put in front of the number after the prefix is removed or kept, up to 16; empty adds nothing.
- Goes out on line
- The number the call goes out from when the rule matches, or "Refuse the call" to stop it.
- Outbound caller ID
- The number shown to the person called for this rule; empty shows the line's number.
- Rule order
- Rules are read top to bottom and can be moved up and down: every matching rule changes the number, and the line and caller ID come from the last one. Up to 100 rules per route.
Testing and use
- Try a number
- Shows the rules applied, the number called and the line for a number typed as the operator would dial it, including unsaved changes.
- Operator outbound setting
- Each operator can make no outside calls, always go out on one number, or go through an outbound route.
- Routes list
- For each route you see its default line, caller ID, number of rules and how many operators use it; a route in use cannot be deleted.
Frequently asked questions
What is an outbound route in a phone system?
It is the set of rules that decides which line an outside call goes out on. The phone system looks at the prefix of the dialled number and picks the line and caller ID accordingly.
Can I show a different caller ID depending on the number called?
Yes. Each rule has its own caller ID. If the operator has a personal outbound caller ID, though, that one is shown.
What happens if no rule matches?
The call goes out on the route's default line. If the default line is "None", the call is refused.
If several rules match, which one wins?
All matching rules apply in order, each changing the number. The line and caller ID come from the last matching rule.
Can I stop operators calling abroad or certain numbers?
Yes. Create a rule for that prefix and choose "Refuse the call" as the line: calls starting that way do not go out.
Do calls between extensions use the route?
No. When an operator calls another extension in your company the call stays internal and uses no line.
Related features
Try it on your own phone lines
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