How to Fix a Phone Call Redirect Loop in Sparkforge

By Sparkforge Support Team ·Last reviewed May 3, 2026

A phone call redirect loop happens when number A forwards to number B, and number B forwards back to A. In Sparkforge, audit three places: the staff user phone number, the forwarding number, and the Business Profile phone.

If inbound calls play the same recording over and over, or you watch new calls stack in Conversations every few seconds, you have a redirect loop. A call routed to number A forwards to number B, which forwards back to A — and the cycle keeps the line tied up until you break it.

How to spot a loop

Calls repeat the same audio over and over.
Inbound calls stack up faster than a real caller could be dialing — multiple per minute.
You see the same caller ID hit Conversations repeatedly within seconds.

Three places to check

1. Staff user phone number

Go to Sub-account > Settings > My Staff and edit the affected user. The phone number on their profile (the number you'd call to reach them personally) must not be the same as a Sparkforge number assigned to the account. If it is, the system forwards the call into itself.

2. Forwarding number on the Sparkforge number

Go to Sub-account > Settings > Phone Numbers and open the affected number. The Forwarding Number must be different from the Sparkforge number itself.

3. Business Profile phone

Go to Sub-account > Settings > Business Profile. The Business Phone is the fallback for inbound routing. Two things to check:

It is not the same as the Sparkforge number.
If it's a different external number, dial it from a separate device — confirm it doesn't itself forward back to the Sparkforge number through a carrier rule.

After the fix

Place a test call to the Sparkforge number. Confirm the call reaches the correct destination once and only once. Check Conversations to make sure new calls aren't stacking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a redirect loop cause charges?

Yes. Each leg of the loop is a billable call event. Stop the loop fast — they add up quickly when calls stack at multiple per minute.

What if my external forwarding number routes back through my carrier?

That's the most common hidden cause. Dial the external number directly from another phone and listen — if it answers with a Sparkforge greeting, you have a carrier-side rule sending it back.

Why does the system let me create a loop in the first place?

Sparkforge will warn on obvious cases — for example, setting a forwarding number equal to the Sparkforge number. Loops involving external numbers or staff records are harder to detect automatically.

Where do I look first?

Forwarding number on the Sparkforge phone number itself. That's the most common cause.