IVR Menus

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menus guide callers through automated phone menus using digit presses. They help route callers to the right destination without human intervention.

What Is an IVR Menu

An IVR menu plays audio instructions and waits for the caller to press digits on their phone. Based on the input, the call routes to a destination.

Example: "Press 1 for Sales, 2 for Support, 3 for Billing."

Audio Sources

IVR menus require audio to instruct callers. Choose one of these mutually exclusive sources:

1. Audio Recording

Upload an audio file through the Recordings page, then select it for the IVR menu.

Supported formats: MP3, WAV

Best for: Professional recordings, custom greetings, branded audio

2. Remote URL

Link to an audio file hosted externally.

Best for: Dynamic content, integration with external systems, large audio libraries

3. Text-to-Speech

Enter text and select a Cloudonix TTS voice. The text converts to speech when the menu plays.

Best for: Quick setup, frequently changing content, testing

tip

Use TTS for initial setup and testing. Replace with professional recordings before going live.

Creating an IVR Menu

To create a new IVR menu:

1. Navigate to IVR Menus in the sidebar
2. Click Create IVR Menu
3. Enter a descriptive name
4. Choose an audio source and configure it
5. Set timeout values
6. Add menu options
7. Configure failover
8. Save the menu

Timeout Configuration

Setting	Range	Description
Max Timeout	1-30 seconds	Time to wait for first digit input
Inter-Digit Timeout	1-30 seconds	Time between digits for multi-digit input
Max Turns	1-9	Number of times to replay audio on invalid input

Menu Options

Each option maps a digit input to a destination. Callers press the digit to route to that destination.

Option Configuration

• Digits: The digit(s) callers press (1-10 characters)
• Destination Type: Where to route the call
• Destination: The specific extension, ring group, etc.

Destination Types

Type	Use Case
Extension	Direct to a person
Ring Group	Department or team
Conference Room	Join a conference
IVR Menu	Sub-menu for more options
Business Hours	Time-based routing
AI Assistant	Automated agent
AI Load Balancer	Distributed AI routing
Hangup	End the call

note

You can create up to 20 options per menu. Use sub-menus if you need more options.

Failover

Failover handles cases where the caller does not enter valid input after max_turns attempts.

Configure failover with:

• Destination Type: Where to route when failover occurs
• Destination: The specific target

Common failover destinations:

• Receptionist extension
• General ring group
• Voicemail IVR
• Hangup (with a goodbye message)

Self-Reference Prevention

OPBX prevents you from creating circular menu structures. A menu cannot route to itself directly or through a chain that leads back to itself.

warning

If you attempt to create a circular reference, OPBX will reject the configuration and display an error.

TTS Voices

When using Text-to-Speech, select from available Cloudonix voices:

• Voices are grouped by language
• Each language has multiple voices (male, female, different accents)
• Preview voices before selecting

Available Languages

Voices are available for major languages including:

• English (US, UK, AU)
• Spanish
• French
• German
• Portuguese
• And 30+ more

IVR Menu Examples

Simple Main Menu

"Thank you for calling ACME Corporation.
Press 1 for Sales, 2 for Support, 3 for Billing,
or stay on the line to speak with an operator."

Digit	Destination
1	Sales Ring Group
2	Support Ring Group
3	Billing Extension
(timeout)	Receptionist

Multi-Level Menu

Main Menu routes to Sales Sub-Menu when caller presses 1:

"Sales Department. Press 1 for New Orders,
2 for Existing Orders, 9 to return to main menu."

Digit	Destination
1	New Sales Queue
2	Customer Service
9	Main Menu (IVR)

Best Practices

Audio Design

• Keep instructions clear and concise
• Speak slowly enough for callers to understand
• Repeat the digit options at the end
• Offer a "speak to operator" option

Option Layout

• Use single digits (0-9) when possible
• Reserve 0 for operator/receptionist
• Use 9 for "return to previous menu"
• Group related options together

Timeout Settings

• Max timeout: 5-10 seconds (longer for complex menus)
• Inter-digit timeout: 3-5 seconds
• Max turns: 3 attempts before failover

Testing

• Test every option path
• Verify failover behavior
• Check timeout handling
• Listen to audio quality