What is call routing?

Call routing is the set of rules a phone system uses to decide where an incoming call goes, such as which person, team, menu or voicemail answers it. Rules can depend on the number dialed, the time of day, the caller or who is available.

How it works

Each number in a phone system has a call flow. When a call arrives, the system checks the conditions in order, such as business hours or the caller's selection in a menu, and sends the call to the matching destination.

Common strategies are simultaneous ring (everyone at once), sequential or cascade (one after another), round robin (taking turns), and skills-based routing, which matches the caller's need to a qualified agent.

Every flow ends with a fallback for unanswered calls: voicemail, a mobile number, an overflow team or an AI receptionist.

Why it matters

01

Faster answers

Calls reach someone available instead of ringing an empty desk.

02

Fair workload

Distribution rules spread calls across the team.

03

Nothing falls through

A clear fallback means every caller reaches someone or something useful.

Allo and Call routing

Allo routes calls by ringing a team at once or in cascade, by business hours and through an IVR, with the AI receptionist as a fallback.

See call routing in Allo

Frequently asked questions

Call forwarding sends calls from one number to another. Call routing is the broader logic that decides, step by step, where each call goes.

Routing that matches a caller to an agent with a specific skill, such as a language or a product, usually based on the caller's menu choice or their record.

A strategy that sends each new call to the next person in a rotating list, so calls are shared evenly.