Set up a Call Flow from Scratch

Starting from a blank canvas gives you complete control over a call flow. You decide which components to add, how they connect, and how callers move from one step to the next. Use this approach when no template fits, or when you want to design the routing logic entirely around your own requirements.

Step 1. Create the call flow

1. Open the web portal and go to Call Flow Designer.

2. Click Add.

   

3. In the dialog that appears, fill in the details:

   • Name: A label that identifies this call flow.
   • Remark: An optional short description.
   • Create Method: Select Start from Scratch.

   

4. Click Save.

   Cloud Voice creates the flow and opens the configuration canvas.

Note

Creating the flow only builds it. It will not answer or route any real calls until you finish designing it and switch it on in Step 3.

Step 2. Add and connect components

On the canvas, you assemble the flow from individual components and link them together in the order calls should follow.

Tip

If you need to configure other phone-system features while you edit a component, click Open in a new tab in the top-right corner to keep working without leaving the designer.

1. Add a component using either method:

   • Click the add icon on an existing component, then pick the component to place after it.

     

   • Click or drag a component from the toolbox on the left onto the canvas, then drag from the add icon to draw a connection between components.

     

2. Click a component to open and edit its settings. The table below summarizes each available component and links to its full reference.

   Component	What it does
   Initial Action	The flow’s entry point. Sets the number(s) callers dial to start the flow and can play an opening prompt to greet callers or give instructions.
   Prompt	Plays one or more audio prompts, or a text-to-speech (TTS, speech generated from typed text) message, to the caller.
   Business Hours	Routes calls to different destinations depending on the time of day.
   Menu	Presents a set of options and routes the call based on the DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency, the tones a phone keypad sends when a caller presses a key) digit the caller presses.
   User Input	Collects DTMF digits from the caller, usually paired with a Condition component to evaluate the input and route accordingly.
   Language	Changes the system-prompt language for the components that follow it in the flow.
   Record	Starts recording once the caller connects to another party, with optional prompts announcing the recording. It can also switch recording off for calls 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 an extension user by typing the first three letters of the user’s name.
   Transfer	An end component that sends the caller to a chosen destination, optionally with a prompt announcing the transfer.
   Hang Up Call	An end component that disconnects the call when the caller reaches it.
   Condition	Routes calls according to logical expressions.
   Loop	Runs a group of components repeatedly, a set number of times or until a condition is satisfied.
   Internal Data Ops	Reads from and writes to the phone system’s native database. 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 emails for real-time notifications, alerts, or delivering caller-specific information.
   Database Access	Interacts with a database during the flow, running SQL (Structured Query Language, the standard language for querying databases) to read or update data as needed.
   HTTP Request	Sends HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol, the protocol web services use) requests to external servers so the flow can exchange data with third-party services.

   Note

   Every flow starts at an Initial Action component (the entry point) and finishes at an end component: Dial by Name, Transfer, or Hang Up Call. Make sure each path a caller can take reaches one of these, so no caller is left on a branch that goes nowhere.

3. When the flow is complete, click Save in the top-right corner.

   Caution

   Edits stay on the canvas until you click Save. If you leave the designer without saving, your changes to the components and their connections are lost.

Step 3. Enable the call flow

1. Back on the call flow list, toggle on the switch for the flow you built.

   

2. Click OK to confirm.

   

Caution

Enabling a flow makes it live. Real calls to the number(s) set in its Initial Action are routed through it right away. Confirm the flow is finished and every branch ends properly before you switch it on, or callers may reach a dead end or be disconnected.