Create a Ring Group

A ring group lets you point a single virtual number at a set of extensions, so a caller can reach a whole team at once instead of dialing individuals. You decide how the call spreads across members, what callers hear while they wait, and where the call goes if nobody picks up. This page walks through building one.

Capacity limits

The number of ring groups you can create, and how many members each one holds, depends on the total number of extensions on your system.

Total extensions (N)	N ≤ 50	50 < N ≤ 200	N > 200
Ring groups	32	32	64
Members per ring group	25	60	120

Create the ring group

1. Sign in to the Cloud Voice management portal and go to Call Features > Ring Group, then click Add.

2. Fill in the basic settings.

   Setting	Description
   Number	The virtual number callers dial to reach the group. New ring groups draw from the default number range of 6300 to 6399.
   Name	A label that helps you recognize the group later.
   Ring Strategy	How calls are distributed to members. See the options below.
   Ring Timeout (s)	How long the system rings before moving on to the next member or handing the call to the Failover Destination.

   The ring strategy options are:

   • Ring All: Ring every available member at the same time.
   • Ring Sequentially: Ring available members one after another.
   • Memory Hunt: Start with the first available member. If it does not answer within the ring time, add the next available member to the ring, and keep adding members until all available extensions are ringing.
   • Custom: Ring members according to the individual delay and timeout you set for each one.

   Note

   With the Custom strategy, you set each member’s ring delay and timeout in the Members section (step 4).

   Note

   Ring Timeout (s) applies only when the strategy is Ring All, Ring Sequentially, or Memory Hunt.

3. (Optional) Configure the prompts callers hear.

   Setting	Description
   Join Announcement	An announcement played to the caller once when they reach the group.
   Play full Join Announcement to the caller before ringing extensions	Whether the join announcement plays in full before any member starts ringing.
   Ringback Tone	A prompt played to the caller while they wait for a member to answer.
   Music on Hold	The music played to the caller when the call is placed on hold. Pick an existing playlist, or click Create New to add one.
   Ring Group Alert Info	Text added to the Alert-Info header of the SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) INVITE request that starts a call to this group. Phones read this header to choose which ring tone to play.
   Cloud Voice App Distinctive Ringtone	A ringtone that plays on members’ Cloud Voice Apps when a call comes in from this group. Select a built-in tone or upload your own.

   Note

   The ringback tone plays after the join announcement. Available prompts come from PBX Settings > Voice Prompt > Music on Hold / Custom Prompt. If the one you want isn’t listed, click Record New, Upload, or Text-to-Speech to create it, the new prompt is added back to that location automatically.

   Note

   Music on Hold playlists come from PBX Settings > Voice Prompt > Music on Hold. A playlist you create here is added to that location too.

   Note

   Notes on the distinctive ringtone:

   • Manage uploaded ringtones under PBX Settings > Voice Prompt > Custom Ringtone.
   • An uploaded (rather than built-in) ringtone applies only to the member’s Cloud Voice App Web and Desktop clients for ring group calls. The Mobile client plays whatever ringtone is set in the app itself.
   • If the caller is a contact that already has a distinctive ringtone in the member’s Cloud Voice App, that contact ringtone wins over the ring group ringtone.

4. In the Members section, move the extensions you want from the Available box to the Selected box.

   When the ring strategy is Custom, add members and set a delay and timeout for each:

   1. Click Add.
   2. Choose extensions or extension groups from the drop-down list.
   3. Set the ring delay and timeout for each member.

   

   • Delay (s): How long the member waits before it starts ringing, from 0 to 600 seconds (0 rings immediately).
   • Ring Timeout (s): How long the member rings before it stops, from 1 to 600 seconds. When every member has timed out, the call goes to the failover destination.

   Note

   Any single extension or extension group can appear in at most 5 member rules.

   Note

   When you add an extension group, all of its extensions ring together after the shared delay and stop together when the shared timeout is reached.

5. Set where calls go when the group doesn’t answer.

   Setting	Description
   Failover Destination	Where the call goes when at least one member is online but nobody answers within the ring timeout.
   Record Missed Calls	Whether missed ring group calls are written to members’ extension call logs.
   No Extension Online Destination	Where the call goes when no member is online, every member extension is unregistered or disconnected.

   Both Failover Destination and No Extension Online Destination offer the same set of targets:

   • Hang up: End the call.
   • Extension: Send the call to a specific extension.
   • Extension Voicemail: Send the call to a specific extension’s voicemail box.
   • Group Voicemail: Send the call to the voicemail box of a queue, ring group, or custom group.
   • IVR: Send the call to an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) menu, the automated “press 1 for sales” style menu.
   • Call Flow: Send the call to a call flow.
   • Ring Group: Send the call to another ring group.
   • Queue: Send the call to a queue.
   • External Number: Forward the call to an outside number.
   • Play Prompt and Exit: Play a prompt, then hang up.

   Caution

   The External Number option makes the system place a real outbound call every time the group fails over or has no one online. Double-check the number, and confirm this group’s outbound route and rate plan allow the call. Leaving an open path to outside numbers is a common source of surprise charges and toll fraud.

   Note

   Record Missed Calls applies to calls sent to the Failover Destination, and appears only when:

   • Ring Strategy is Ring All, Memory Hunt, or Custom, and
   • Failover Destination is Extension, Queue, or Ring Group.

   To email members about missed ring group calls, enable this option and then turn on missed-call email notifications for the members. See Set up Email Notifications for Missed Calls.

6. (Optional) In the Time Condition section, turn on time-based routing to send calls that arrive outside business hours to a different destination, based on a time zone you choose.

   Setting	Description
   Time Zone	The time zone whose business hours and holidays apply to this group. These come from Call Control > Business Hours and Holidays.
   Outside Business Hours Destination	Where calls go when they arrive outside the defined business hours and holidays.
   Holidays Destination	Where calls go during holidays defined for the selected time zone.
   Ignore the Holiday Destination	Select this to route holiday calls by your regular business-hours rules instead of sending them to the holiday destination.
   Play Holiday Prompt During Holidays	Select this to play a prompt to callers before routing holiday calls to the holiday destination.

   Note

   During business hours the ring group always takes calls normally.

   Note

   For the holiday prompt to play, you must first assign one to the holiday under Call Control > Business Hours and Holidays > Holidays > Type > Prompt. Without it, holiday calls go straight to the holiday destination with no prompt.

7. Click Save, then Apply.

What to do next

Set up an inbound route and point its destination at this ring group so external callers can reach it.