One number for the whole company
An office with a single public number sends it to an IVR answerer during office hours and after hours to a message followed by a callback, with one time condition.
Phone system
Every phone number sends calls exactly where you want
In Numbers you connect your provider’s numbers to the cloud PBX and decide, for each one, where calls go, how many it takes at once and what happens after hours.
- Call to +44 20 7946 0321Number: London office
- Limit: 3 calls of 10Under the limit, the call goes in
- Office hours: openMonday 10:42
- Destination: IVR answererMain menu
What it is for
A number is what your customers dial. You connect it to the cloud PBX with your provider’s SIP details, and from then on every inbound call follows the rules you set in the portal.
For each number you pick a destination: an operator, a queue, an IVR answerer, an AI answerer, a switch, an audio file, a transfer, a callback, a feedback survey, a WhatsApp redirect, or hang up or busy. You can change it at any time without touching a phone.
You can cap simultaneous calls, link a time condition to separate opening hours from closed hours, and record every inbound call. If your provider delivers several numbers on the same line, each one can have its own routing with GNR extensions.
Use cases
A different number per campaign
An agency advertises one number per campaign: they all go to the same queue but carry different tags, so the dashboard shows how many live calls each campaign brings in.
Several branches on one line
The provider delivers three shops’ numbers on the same line. With GNR extensions each one has its own destination, hours and call limit.
Lines that must not overflow
A small team caps its number at 10 simultaneous calls: from the eleventh on, callers hear a message asking them to call back later.
Recording for quality and disputes
A call center turns on recording for its support number: every inbound call is recorded from the moment it arrives, voice menus included.
How it works
Add the number
Enter a name, the number in international format and your provider’s SIP settings: host, port, user and password. A new number starts switched off, and you turn it on when you are ready.
Choose the destination
In the Routing tab you pick where calls go. Until a destination is set, calls are hung up.
Set limits and hours
In the Limits tab you set the maximum simultaneous calls and the message over the limit; in the Time conditions tab you link the hours, the out-of-hours message and the out-of-hours destination.
Try it with a test call
With Test call you ring the number from your browser: the call comes in as if from outside, is not billed and stays out of the reports.
What happens on every call
The PBX checks the call limit first, then the time condition, then sends the call to its destination. Blacklisted numbers are refused before anything else.
What you can set
Number details
- Active
- An active number is sent to the PBX and registers with the provider; when off, it takes no calls.
- Name
- The name you know the number by in lists, reports and the dashboard.
- Number
- The phone number in international format, as your customers see it.
- Tag
- A label you set from the list: the dashboard totals live calls by tag.
SIP settings
- Provider host
- The address of your phone provider’s SIP server.
- Port
- The provider’s SIP port, usually 5060.
- SIP user
- The username your provider gave you for the line.
- SIP password
- The line password: it is stored and never shown again.
- Registration
- When on, the number registers with the provider to receive calls; the list shows whether it is Registered, Not registered or Pending.
DTMF tones
- Automatic (recommended)
- The PBX picks the most reliable way to read the keys the caller presses.
- Inband (tones in the audio)
- Keys arrive as tones inside the call audio.
- Event (RFC 2833 / 4733)
- Keys arrive as events separate from the audio: use it only if your provider requires it.
Routing
- Destination
- Where the call goes: Operator, Queue, IVR answerer, AI answerer, On/Off switch, Audio, Transfer, Callback, Feedback, WhatsApp redirect, Hang up or Busy.
Limits
- Limit inbound calls
- Turns on a cap on how many calls the number takes at the same time.
- Maximum simultaneous calls
- How many calls can be live on the number at once, from 1 to 10,000.
- Message over the limit
- The text read by text-to-speech when the limit is reached, before the call is closed.
Time conditions
- Time condition
- The number’s opening hours; with None (always open) calls always go to the destination. You can create a new one from here.
- Out-of-hours message
- The text read by text-to-speech when a call arrives outside the hours.
- Out-of-hours destination
- Where the call goes after hours, after the message: for example an audio file, a callback or hang up.
Message voice
- Voice
- The text-to-speech voice that reads the number’s messages; you can listen to it before saving.
- Reading speed
- How fast messages are read, from 1.0x to 1.5x.
Options
- Record calls
- Records every inbound call on the number from its arrival; the portal shows the price per recorded minute or whether your plan includes it.
Extensions (GNR)
- Extension number
- An extra number arriving on the same line, written as the provider sends it in the call.
- Extension routing
- Each extension has its own destination, call limit, messages and time condition, plus its own test call.
Actions on several numbers
- Set destination
- Gives all selected numbers the same destination, keeping their hours, limits and messages.
- Time conditions
- Applies the same time condition, with what happens when closed, to all selected numbers.
- Assign tag, Status, Delete
- Tag, switch on or off, or delete all selected numbers at once; call history is kept.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my own provider’s numbers with the cloud PBX?
Yes. A number connects with the provider’s SIP settings: host, port, user and password, with or without registration. If the provider sends keypad tones in a particular way, you choose it under DTMF tones.
What happens when more calls arrive than I can handle?
With Limit inbound calls on, callers beyond the maximum of simultaneous calls hear the message over the limit and the call ends. To have customers wait in line instead, use a queue as the destination.
How do I set an out-of-hours message on my number?
In the Time conditions tab pick the opening hours, then write the out-of-hours message and choose the out-of-hours destination. Within the hours calls go to the normal destination; outside them callers hear the message and move to the other destination.
What are GNR extensions?
Extra numbers the provider delivers on the same line. In Extensions (GNR) you add them one by one, each with its own destination, limit and hours; if you delete an extension, its calls follow the main number’s routing.
Can I record the calls of just one number?
Yes, recording is turned on per number with Record calls. Every inbound call on that number is recorded from its arrival, voice menus included. The price per recorded minute is shown next to the option.
Do I lose the call history if I delete a number?
No. The number leaves the PBX and takes no more calls, but its call history and billing data stay available.
Related features
Try it on your own phone lines
Sign up free and try this feature with your numbers, or message us on WhatsApp and we’ll show it to you.