Set upwards an automated attendant

This feature is available with the Vocalization Standard and Premier subscriptions. Learn more

You can set a bill of fare in Google Voice to direct callers to the right people or departments in your arrangement. This automated attendant (auto attendant) plays messages and lets callers choose options.

For example, y'all might set upward a menu, such as, "For support, printing one. For sales, press 2. To speak to an operator, press naught."

Step 1, Create an auto bellboy

From the main window, create or cull an existing machine attendant to alter.

Create auto attendant

  3. Click Auto attendants.
    The Admin panel shows a list of the motorcar attendants in your organisation.
  4. At the top, click Create.
  5. Enter a name for the auto bellboy and, optionally, add a description.
  6. Click Create.
  7. Follow the steps below to gear up up the auto attendant.

Step 2, Add greetings

In the Initial greeting section, enter the offset letters you want callers to hear.

Add greetings

  1. Under Welcome message, click Add A Welcome Bulletin or Add together Another Welcome Bulletin and choose an option:
    • Use text-to-spoken language (TTS)—Enter a welcome message and so click Default to choose the language, vocalism type, and bulletin speed. Click OK.
    • Upload your ain audio—Upload a recorded bulletin, select the linguistic communication, and alter the recorded text, if needed. Click Salvage.
  2. (Optional) To enter an announcement that users can't skip, click Add A Special Announcement and cull an option.
    For example, you could add together, "We're experiencing college than normal call volumes."
  3. Click Done.

Step 3, Prepare up call handling

In the Telephone call handling section, choose the actions of the auto bellboy after callers hear the greetings.

Call handling options

Play menu prompts Play Menu Prompts

Create carte du jour options for callers to cull from.

  1. In the Add optional introduction field, enter a bulletin that explains the carte du jour and its options.

    For case, "Please listen carefully and choose from the following menu options."

  2. (Optional) To use a language other than U.S. English, clicken‑United states and choose a language from the list.
  3. In the Add a prompt for the n key, enter a message that tells callers what the option is for.

    For example, "For technical support, printing ane."

  4. (Optional) To alter the prompt number and key, click the Down arrow"" and cull an available key.

  5. Next to Select an action, click the Down pointer"" and cull what happens after the fundamental message plays:
Continue to a submenu Direct callers to another menu. You lot also need to set up the submenu.
Repeat this card Play the introduction message again.
Play a message Play a message you enter. You lot also need to choose what to do adjacent:
  • Echo this carte—Play the introduction message again.
  • Disconnect the caller—Disconnect the caller later on playing the message.
Ship to voicemail

Play a message you enter and and then send the caller to voicemail. You can enter upward to ten e-mail addresses to receive the voicemail.
Transfer the caller
  1. In the Optional annunciation field, enter a bulletin to play to callers before they're transferred.

    For example, "Please hold while we transfer you to our sales department."

  2. (Optional) To use a language other than U.S. English language, click en‑United states of america and choose a language from the listing.
  3. In the Transfer type field, click the Downwardly arrow"" and cull the type of transfer:
  1. (Optional) To add more menu options, click Add Selection.
  2. (Optional) To change the order of menu options, next to a key, elevate Move" " upward or downward in the order.
  3. When you finish, click Done.

Transfer caller Transfer Caller

Fix up where to transfer callers.

  1. In the Optional declaration field, enter a message to play to callers before they're transferred.

    For example, "Please hold while we transfer you lot to our sales department."

  2. (Optional) To apply a language other than U.S. English, click en‑US and cull a language from the list.
  3. In the Transfer type field, click the Down arrow"" and choose the type of transfer:

Transport to Voicemail

Ready voicemail for callers.

Play a message you enter and so ship the caller to voicemail. You tin can enter up to 10 email addresses to receive the voicemail.

Voicemail recipients become an email with a transcript and MP3 file of the message.

Disconnect caller Disconnect Caller

The motorcar bellboy disconnects callers subsequently they hear the greetings.

Step 4, Customize your working hours

For calls exterior your working hours, the auto attendant can play an alternate greeting and handle calls differently. You can also specify options for holidays when you're closed.

Business hours

Set open up hours

  1. On the left, click Edit Business Hours.
  2. For Open up hours, cull your organization'southward hours:
    • 24 hours per day—(Default) The auto attendant always uses the standard options you gear up. The later on-hours options aren't used.
    • Customized hours—Choose the working hours for your organization. Calls exterior these hours hear the afterwards-hours options.
  3. When you terminate setting the hours, click Done.

Set holiday closures

  1. In the Holiday closures field, click Add"" and choose the day when callers need to hear the after-hours message.
  2. (Optional) To add together more than dates, echo step one.
  3. When you're finished, click Done.

Set after-hours action

  1. In the Later on hours activity field, enter the announcement callers hear when it's outside your working hours or during holiday closures.

    For case, "Our hours are 9 AM to v PM Eastern Time, please call back."

  2. (Optional) To use a language other than U.Southward. English, clicken‑US and cull a language from the listing.
  3. (Optional) To add another announcement in a different linguistic communication, click Add"".
  4. Side by side to Select an action, click the Downwards arrow"" and choose an action for later the announcement plays:
Disconnect the caller The motorcar attendant disconnects callers later on they hear the announcement.
Send to voicemail

Play a message yous enter and then send the caller to voicemail. Yous tin can enter upward to 10 electronic mail addresses to receive the voicemail.
Transfer the caller
  1. In the Optional declaration field, enter a message to play to callers before they're transferred.

    For example, "Please agree while we transfer you to our sales section."

  2. (Optional) To use a language other than U.S. English language, click en‑Usa and choose a linguistic communication from the list.
  3. In the Transfer type field, click the Down arrow"" and choose the type of transfer:

  1. When you end, clickDone.

Step five, Exam the auto attendant

After you create or modify an car attendant, you tin can preview the changes before making it agile.

Preview and publish

  1. At the bottom right, click Preview.
  2. At the prompt, click Call.

    Google Vocalisation opens in a new tab of your browser. In the right panel, you can view and hear a sample call to the motorcar-attendant number yous set up. The right panel appears for i minute.

  3. Choose an option:
    • To examination the auto bellboy, click Dial"" and cull options.
    • To alter the auto attendant, go dorsum to the previous steps.

Footstep 6, Publish the car attendant

Subsequently you examination the auto attendant, publish it to supercede the previous version of the auto attendant.

  1. At the bottom right, click Publish.
  2. If you go a bulletin about any mistakes or missing information in the setup:
    1. ClickClose.
    2. Fix the errors.
    3. Publish over again.
  3. At the confirmation, click Publish.

Step 7, Assign phone numbers

Notation: To reach the auto bellboy, you demand to assign a Voice number to the attendant that's not already assigned to a user.

Assign phone numbers

  1. On the left, under Telephone Numbers, click Assign a number and choose an choice:
    • ​ Assign a new number—To create a number
    • Take over a number—To repurpose one of your auto attendant numbers
  2. In the State/region field, click the Down arrow"" and cull a state or region from the list.

    If you cull a location that isn't ane of your Voice locations, you get an error bulletin. For details, run across Add together Vocalisation locations.

  3. In the Service accost field, enter the address for your organization.

    An available Voice number appears.

  4. (Optional) To find a different number, click Modify and then Select side by side to a number in the listing.
  5. Click Assign.

As you enter information, the system automatically saves your changes.

Troubleshoot an auto attendant

To ready issues with an auto attendant, review this information or find the outcome in the Vocalism audit log.

Problem Solution
Why won't my automobile attendant transfer the call?

Get to the auto attendant'due south Transfer the caller section.

User can't get calls for one of these reasons:

  • User'due south Voice license was removed.
  • User's account was deleted or suspended.

Why won't my auto attendant record voicemail?

Go to the auto bellboy'south Send to Voicemail section.

An auto attendant can't tape voicemail for 1 of these reasons:

  • Users in the voicemail recipient list were deleted or suspended. If and then, supervene upon the users in the listing.
  • Recipients are getting besides many voicemails per hour. Add new voicemail recipients or supplant existing recipients.

Why can't a user get voicemail?

Go to the car bellboy'southward Transport to Voicemail department.

A user can't become voicemail for one of these reasons:

  • Voicemail recipient's business relationship was deleted or suspended. If so, replace the user in the list.
  • Recipient is getting too many voicemails per hour. Supplant the recipient.
  • Recipient'southward email inbox is full. User needs to free upward their inbox space.

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