Setting Up Call Routing Rules

Create intelligent routing logic that directs calls to the right person or department based on caller needs, time of day, caller history, and custom business rules. This tutorial covers everything from simple forwarding to advanced multi-condition workflows.

🎯 What You Will Learn

How to create and manage routing rules with conditional logic
Setting up time-based routing for business hours vs after hours
Configuring warm transfers vs cold transfers and when to use each
Building VIP caller detection and priority routing paths

⚠️ Prerequisites

A configured FORAI account with at least one active phone number
A list of team members and their phone numbers or extensions
Your desired routing logic documented (who handles what)
Business hours defined in Settings > Time Controls

🚀 Step-by-Step Guide

Access the Call Routing workspace

Navigate to Workflows > Call Routing from the main dashboard. You'll see your current routing rules (if any) and a 'Create New Rule' button. The rules execute top-to-bottom, so order matters.

Workflows - Call Routing Dashboard

Create your first routing rule

Click 'Create New Rule' and give it a descriptive name (e.g., 'Sales inquiries to Sales Team'). Every rule has three parts: a Trigger (what starts it), Conditions (what must be true), and an Action (what happens).

Define trigger conditions

Set conditions that determine when this rule fires. Options include: keyword detection ('I want to book', 'pricing', 'emergency'), caller type (new vs returning), time of day, day of week, and caller history.

Rule Builder - Conditions Interface

Set routing destinations

Choose where matching calls should go: a specific team member, a department ring group (rings multiple people), a voicemail box, or an external number. You can chain multiple destinations with timeout fallbacks.

Configure warm transfer vs cold transfer

Warm transfers brief the receiving person with caller context before connecting ('I have Sarah calling about her appointment on Thursday'). Cold transfers connect immediately. Warm transfers increase first-call resolution by 40% but add 10-15 seconds.

Add fallback options

Define what happens when no one answers at the destination: try the next person in line, take a detailed message, offer a callback, or route to voicemail. Always have at least two fallback layers to prevent dead-ends.

Test with realistic scenarios

Use the 'Simulate Call' tool to test each routing path. Try edge cases: What if two rules match? What if the destination is busy? What if it's a holiday? Fix any gaps before going live.

Monitor and refine your rules

After going live, review the Routing Analytics dashboard weekly. Look for misrouted calls, long hold times, and calls that hit the final fallback. Adjust rules based on real data rather than assumptions.

Routing Analytics Dashboard

💡 Pro Tips

Keep your routing tree no deeper than 3 levels. Complex trees confuse callers and increase abandonment rates.

Use warm transfers for sales and support calls but cold transfers for internal routing between team members who expect each other's calls.

Create a 'catch-all' rule at the bottom of your list that routes unmatched calls to your general inbox. This prevents any call from falling through the cracks.

Review routing analytics every Monday morning. Patterns in misrouted calls often reveal opportunities to add new keywords or refine conditions.

⚠️ Important Warning

Always test your configuration with the built-in simulator before deploying to live callers. Changes to voice settings, routing rules, and workflows take effect within 60 seconds. Monitor the first 5-10 live calls after any change and revert immediately if you notice issues.

⚙️ Troubleshooting