Business Hours

The Business Hours component sends callers to different destinations depending on when they call. Drop it into a call flow to split traffic between office hours, after-hours, and holidays, and to fine-tune routing for any other time-based scenario your team needs.

Time-based modes

When you configure the component, you pick one of three modes to decide how time is evaluated.

Mode	What it does
Business Hours Configured for Time Zone	Reuses the office hours you have already saved for a given time zone.
Custom Business Hours	Defines schedules on the component itself, the same hours every day, different hours per day, or round-the-clock (24x7).
Custom Time Periods	Builds individual time periods when you need more granular control than a standard weekly schedule allows.

Note

The first mode relies on hours that already exist in the system. Set those up beforehand under Call Control > Business Hours and Holidays.

Configure the component

1. Add the Business Hours component to your call flow, then click it to open its settings.

   

2. Choose the time-based mode that matches your schedule and fill in its settings. The steps differ by mode, follow the relevant section below.

3. Click the add button on any branch to attach the next component and continue routing the call.

   

Use hours configured for a time zone

1. In the Time-based Mode list, select Based on Business Hours Configured for the Time Zone.

2. In the Time Zone list, choose the time zone whose saved hours you want to apply.

   Tip

   The time zone you pick decides when each branch (Business Hours, Outside Business Hours, and Holidays) counts as active. Match it to the office location these hours belong to so calls route at the correct local times.

3. Optional: select Ignore the Holiday Destination to skip holiday routing.

   Note

   With this option on, calls that arrive on a holiday follow the Business Hours or Outside Business Hours destination instead of the holiday one.

4. Click Confirm in the bottom-right corner. The chosen time zone and its time branches appear on the component.

   

Use custom business hours

1. In the Time-based Mode list, select Based on Custom Business Hours.

2. In the Time Zone list, choose a time zone.

3. In the Daylight Saving Time list, turn the feature on or off.

4. Pick a business-hour type and enter its schedule to define your hours.

   Note

   You can add up to 20 time periods each for business hours and for break hours.

5. Optional: switch Holidays on and add the dates you want to treat as holidays.

   Note

   Up to 50 holidays are supported.

6. Click Confirm in the bottom-right corner. Your custom hours and their time branches appear on the component.

   

Use custom time periods

1. In the Time-based Mode list, select Based on Custom Time Periods.

2. In the Time Zone list, choose a time zone.

3. In the Daylight Saving Time list, turn the feature on or off.

4. Optional: switch Holidays on and add your holiday dates.

   Note

   Up to 50 holidays are supported.

5. Click Confirm in the bottom-right corner.

6. Click the add button on the component to create and configure each custom time period.

   Note

   Up to 50 custom time periods are supported.

   The time zone and its branches appear on the component.

   

   Note

   The Default branch is the fallback: it catches any call that does not match one of your configured time conditions.

Connect the branches

The component ships with built-in time branches such as Business Hours, Outside Business Hours, and Holidays. Each branch connects to exactly one downstream component, which handles the call whenever that branch is matched. You can connect any of the components below.

Component	What it does
Prompt	Plays an audio prompt or a text-to-speech message to the caller.
Business Hours	Adds another layer of time-based routing.
Menu	Offers callers a set of options and routes the call on the DTMF digit they press. DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency) is the touch-tone signal a phone sends when the caller presses a key.
User Input	Collects DTMF digits from the caller, usually paired with Condition to route on what was entered.
Language	Switches the system-prompt language for the components that follow.
Record	Starts recording once the caller connects to another party, with optional notice prompts, or disables recording for a call that would otherwise be recorded.
Dial by Number	Lets callers dial a number directly to reach their destination.
Dial by Name	An end component that lets callers reach a user by typing the first three letters of their name.
Transfer	An end component that hands the caller to a set destination, with an optional prompt announcing the transfer.
Hang Up Call	An end component that disconnects the caller.
Condition	Routes calls according to logical expressions.
Loop	Repeats a group of components a set number of times or until a condition is met.
Internal Data Ops	Reads from and writes to the phone system’s built-in database (PBX, short for Private Branch Exchange). See Get Extension Presence Status, Set Extension Presence Status, Get Queue Agent, Get Queue Info, Get Agent Status, Set Agent Status, Get System Info, Get System Capacity, Get Extension Info, and Get Company Contact Info.
Email Sender	Sends email for real-time notifications, alerts, or user-specific information.
Database Access	Runs SQL (Structured Query Language, used to query and update databases) against a database mid-call to read or update data.
HTTP Request	Sends HTTP requests to external servers to exchange data with third-party services.