Ring Group Overview

A ring group lets you spread incoming calls across a set of extensions so that busy teams answer callers reliably. This page explains what a ring group is, the strategies it can use to ring members, where unanswered calls go, and how missed calls are tracked.

What a ring group is

A ring group ties several extensions together behind a single virtual number. Callers dial that one number, the group rings its members, and any available person can take the call. This makes it a natural fit for shared department lines such as Sales, Support, or Accounting, where the goal is simply to have someone pick up rather than reach one specific person.

Note

The virtual number is an internal group number, not a physical phone. You point real callers at it by routing an inbound number or menu option to the group, and any member who answers takes the call on their own extension.

Ring strategies

You can choose how the group rings its members from four strategies:

• Ring all simultaneously: Every available member rings at once. The ringing stops as soon as anyone answers. If the call goes unanswered before the ring time expires, it moves to the failover destination.
• Ring sequentially: The first available member rings first. If they do not answer within the ring time, the next available member rings, and so on down the list. When the last member has been tried with no answer, the call moves to the failover destination.
• Memory hunt: Ringing expands one member at a time. The first available member rings alone; if there is no answer within the ring time, the first and second ring together; then the first three, and so on until every available member is ringing. If no one answers, the call moves to the failover destination.
• Custom: Each member rings according to the delay and timeout you configure for them individually, so you control exactly when each phone starts and stops ringing. If the call is not picked up, it moves to the failover destination.

Note

Each strategy acts only on available members. An extension that is offline, unregistered, or already on a call is treated as unavailable and skipped. If none of the members are available, the call follows the No Extension Online Destination described below instead of the failover destination.

Tip

Pick the strategy that matches how the team works. Ring all simultaneously gives the fastest pickup and suits small shared lines. Ring sequentially and Memory hunt favor the people higher in the list, which is useful when senior or primary staff should get first chance at the call. Custom is best when you need precise control over when each phone starts and stops ringing.

Where unanswered calls go

When a call to the group is not answered, you can either end it or send it somewhere else. Two separate fallbacks cover different situations:

• Failover Destination: Used when a call reaches the group but no available extension answers before the timeout.
• No Extension Online Destination: Used when no member is reachable at all, meaning every extension in the group is unregistered or disconnected.

Tip

Configure both fallbacks. The Failover Destination handles the everyday case where members are online but nobody answers in time, while the No Extension Online Destination catches the case where the whole team is offline (for example after hours). Setting both means a caller is never dropped silently.

Both fallbacks support the following destination options:

• Hang Up
• Extension
• Extension Voicemail
• Group Voicemail
• IVR (Interactive Voice Response, an automated menu that lets callers choose an option)
• Call Flow
• Ring Group
• Queue
• External Number
• Play Prompt and Exit

Caution

External Number sends the unanswered call off your phone system to an outside line, such as a mobile or an answering service. Outbound calls to that number can incur charges, and leaving external forwarding open more widely than needed increases toll-fraud exposure. Enter the number in full dialable form and only route to numbers you trust.

Missed call alerts

When calls to the group go unanswered, the system can log them as missed calls and email the group’s members so nothing slips through unnoticed.

• To log missed calls for a ring group, see Record Missed Calls.
• To email members when a ring group call is missed, see Set up Email Notifications for Missed Calls.