How to Set Up and Use IVR (Interactive Voice Response) Menus

What is IVR?

IVR stands for Interactive Voice Response. It is an automated phone menu system that greets callers and routes them to the right destination based on the key they press on their keypad. You've likely encountered IVR menus before — for example: "Thank you for calling. For sales, press 1. For technical support, press 2."

EasyRinger provides a simple, easy-to-configure IVR system available to all subscribers. You can build a menu with up to ten options, and each of your phone numbers can have its own dedicated IVR menu.

Enabling IVR on Your Number

To set up an IVR menu for one of your numbers, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your EasyRinger account.
2. Locate the phone number you want to configure.
3. Click the IVR action button to the right of that number.
4. In the IVR settings panel, check the Enable IVR option.

Important: Once IVR is enabled for a number, calls to that number will ring directly to the IVR menu. Your previously configured destination number and voicemail settings will be bypassed and ignored.

Setting Up Your Greeting

The Greeting is the first message your callers will hear when they reach your IVR menu. Type the text you want the system to read aloud to your callers in the Greeting field. Make it clear and concise so callers can quickly understand their options.

Example greeting: "Thank you for calling Acme Corp. Please listen to the following options."

Configuring Menu Options (Actions)

Your IVR menu must have at least one action. Each action consists of three parts:

• Message — The prompt read to the caller, such as "For sales, press 1."
• Digit — The keypad digit the caller presses (must match what is stated in the Message).
• Action — What happens when the caller presses that digit.

Available Actions

EasyRinger currently supports three actions for each IVR menu option:

• Call number — Forwards the caller to a specified phone number when they press the corresponding digit.
• Voicemail — Sends the caller directly to voicemail.
• Read text — Reads an additional text message aloud to the caller.

Chaining Multiple IVR Menus

If you have multiple EasyRinger numbers, you can create more advanced call flows by chaining IVR menus together. To do this, set one of your IVR actions to Call number and enter another one of your EasyRinger numbers that also has its own IVR menu configured. This allows callers to navigate through layered menus for more complex routing needs.

Tips & Best Practices

• Keep your greeting short and your menu options easy to understand.
• Limit your menu to the options callers actually need — fewer choices make for a better experience.
• Make sure the digit in your Message always matches the Digit field you've selected.
• Test your IVR menu by calling your own number after setup to verify everything works as expected.

Coming Soon

EasyRinger is actively working on expanding IVR capabilities. Planned additions include voice support and the ability to play MP3 audio files as menu prompts. Stay tuned for updates!