Call flows and routing · Autessa Phone & Texting
Keypad menus (IVR)
Autessa Phone & Texting includes keypad menus, also called an IVR or phone tree. Callers press a key to reach sales, support, an AI agent or voicemail, and menus can nest, retry and play friendly messages when a caller presses the wrong key or nothing at all.
The problem it solves
Callers want the right person, not the first person
A single line for everything means the front desk spends the day redirecting calls. A short keypad menu lets callers route themselves, and each choice can go to the people or AI agent best suited to it.
What you get
- Use keys 0 to 9, star and pound.
- Each key goes to its own destination: an AI agent, a multi-agent, ring people, another menu, ask to text, voicemail or hang up.
- Menus nest, so a key can open a second menu.
- Wait time for a key press from 2 to 30 seconds, 6 by default.
- Retries, a wrong-key message and a no-key message.
- A no-input destination for callers who never press anything.
How it works
How does keypad menus (ivr) work?
Add a Keypad menu
In the call flow, choose Keypad menu and write or upload the prompt.
Map keys
Give each key a destination, like 1 for appointments and 2 for an AI agent.
Handle mistakes
Set retries, the wrong-key and no-key messages, and how long to wait.
Plan for silence
Choose where callers go if they never press a key.
Every option
Menu options
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Keys | 0 to 9, star and pound. |
| Prompt | Text or uploaded audio. |
| Destinations per key | AI agent, AI multi-agent, ring people, another menu, ask to text, voicemail, hang up. |
| Wait for key | 2 to 30 seconds, 6 by default. |
| Retries | How many times the menu repeats. |
| Wrong-key and no-key messages | What callers hear when they press a key that is not used, or none. |
| No-input destination | Where the call goes after the last retry. |
Full reference: Phone Numbers guide on docs.autessa.com
Permissions
Who can do what?
| Who | Can |
|---|---|
| Company admin (owner or Manage team members) | Build and change menus on any number. |
| People with Write on the number | Edit that number's menu. |
| People with Read on the number | See the menu without changing it. |
AI on the line
What AI agents do here
Any key can lead to an AI agent, so callers can press 2 for answers at any hour while press 1 still rings the team. Voice agents can also press keys through another company's menu on outbound calls.
FAQ
Questions about keypad menus (ivr)
Does Autessa have an IVR?
Yes. Keypad menus let callers press keys 0 to 9, star or pound to reach a destination, and menus can nest.
Can a menu option go to an AI agent?
Yes. Any key can send the caller to an AI agent or multi-agent.
What happens if the caller presses the wrong key?
They hear your wrong-key message and the menu repeats, up to the retries you set.
100% customizable, code and all
Make Autessa Phone & Texting fully your own.
Use it out of the box, then change anything. Ask Autobot, Autessa’s AI builder, for a new field, screen, report, workflow or agent and it builds it into your copy of the app. Or open the code and edit it yourself. Nothing is locked: the app, its data and its code are yours.
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