# Record a Custom Prompt

A custom prompt is an audio message you record yourself and reuse throughout the phone system, for example as an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menu greeting or a call queue announcement. IVR is the automated menu that answers a call and asks the caller to press a key to reach the right department. The quickest way to create a prompt is to have the system call an extension so you can speak the message straight into a handset. This page covers that recording method.

## Before you start

You need at least one extension that is set up and reachable, since the system records the prompt by placing a call to an extension and capturing what you say. If no one can answer that extension, the recording cannot be made.

## How many custom prompts you can store

The number of custom prompts your system can hold depends on how many extensions it has:

| Number of extensions (N) | Maximum custom prompts |
|---------------------------|------------------------|
| N ≤ 50                    | 64                     |
| 50 < N ≤ 200              | 128                    |
| N > 200                   | 128                    |

:::caution
This maximum is a hard limit. Once you reach it, the portal will not let you record a new prompt until you delete an existing one, so remove prompts you no longer use before you hit the ceiling.
:::

## Record the prompt

:::note
When you click **Record** in step 5, the system places an outbound call to the extension you selected and you speak the message into that phone. Have the handset nearby and be ready to answer before you start.
:::

1. Sign in to the Cloud Voice management portal and go to **PBX Settings > Voice Prompt > Custom Prompt**.
2. Click **Record New** to open the recording dialog.
3. In the **Name** field, enter a label that makes the prompt easy to find later.

   :::tip
   Use a clear, descriptive name that says what the prompt is for (for example, `Main Menu Greeting` or `After Hours Message`). A vague name makes the right prompt hard to pick out once the list grows.
   :::
4. From the **Extension** drop-down list, choose the extension you want to record from.
5. Click **Record**. The system rings the extension you selected.
6. Answer the call. You will hear an instruction telling you when to begin, then speak your message into the phone.
7. When you finish, hang up or press the `#` key to end the recording.

## Result

Refresh the page and open the **Custom Prompt** tab. Your new prompt appears in the list, where you can:

- Play it back by clicking ![Play the prompt](/images/pbx/play.png).
- Re-record it by clicking ![Record the prompt again](/images/pbx/Record.png), which lets you replace the audio with a new take.

:::caution
Re-recording overwrites the existing audio for that prompt. There is no undo, so the previous take is lost once you record a new one.
:::