How Inbound Call Routing Works in Sparkforge

By Sparkforge Support Team ·Last reviewed May 3, 2026

Sparkforge routes inbound calls in three stages: smart routing (IVR or Voice AI primary), a simultaneous ring to team members and one forwarding number, then a Voice AI or voicemail backup if nobody answers.

This is the full picture of what happens from the moment someone dials your Sparkforge business number to when the call is answered or sent to voicemail. The system runs three stages and stops the second the call is handled. Anything you have not configured is skipped.

The three stages at a glance

Stage	What runs
1. Smart Routing	IVR or Voice AI (primary mode). If either is configured, it handles the call and Stage 2 never runs.
2. Simultaneous Ring	One Twilio dial fires to team member devices, one forwarding number, and any Ring More members - all at once.
3. Backup	Voice AI (backup mode) is tried first if configured. Then voicemail or Voice AI from the Backup section.

The system only evaluates what you have set up. Disabled or empty options are skipped - no priority slot is wasted.

Where to configure inbound routing

All number-level routing lives in the phone number Configure modal:

Sub-account Settings -> Phone System -> Numbers -> Configure

The modal has three tabs:

Basic Details: Number name and label.
Call Forwarding: All Stage 1, 2, and 3 routing - IVR, Team Member, External Phone, Voice AI, Business Phone, Timeout, Backup.
Advanced Settings: Whisper Message, Call Connect, Call Recording, Caller ID.

Location-wide toggles (such as Ring user assigned to called number) live separately under Phone System -> Voice -> Other Settings -> Inbound Calls.

Stage 1: Smart Call Routing

IVR

IVR lets callers navigate a phone menu by pressing keys. Build it inside a Workflow using the Phone IVR trigger, then assign that workflow to the IVR field on the phone number.

Go to Automation -> Workflows and create a workflow with the Phone IVR trigger.
Build the menu - play messages, collect keypad input, branch by digit, route to team members.
Open the phone number Configure modal, go to Call Forwarding, and assign the workflow to the IVR field.

When IVR is active, the call is handled entirely by the workflow. Stage 2 never runs.

Voice AI: primary vs backup mode

The mode toggle lives in the AI Agent settings, not the phone number settings. Go to Sub-account Settings -> AI Agents -> Voice AI, open the agent, and find the Phone & Availability tab.

Toggle state	Behavior
OFF (Primary)	AI answers every call immediately. Stage 2 never runs. Voice AI shows as 1st Priority in Call Forwarding.
ON (Backup)	Humans are tried first via Stage 2. AI only answers if nobody picks up within the timeout. Voice AI shows as 3rd Priority.

Stage 2: Simultaneous Ring

Stage 2 fires a single outbound dial to every configured destination at the same time. There is no sequential fallback inside Stage 2.

Team member devices (Web App, Mobile App, VoIP Deskphone)
One forwarding phone number
All Ring More Team Members on their preferred devices

First destination to answer wins. Everyone else stops ringing.

Which forwarding number gets dialed

Only one external number fits the simultaneous ring slot. The system picks one in this order:

Priority	Source	Condition
1st	Team Member's personal phone	Only if Phone Number device is checked on the Team Member row.
2nd	External Phone Number	Used when Team Member's Phone Number is not checked.
3rd	Business Phone Number	Last resort. Enabled by default. Disable under Other Settings -> Inbound Calls if not needed.

Team member devices

Web App: Ringing notification in the Sparkforge browser tab. User must be logged in.
Mobile App: Push notification to the user's phone. Requires push enabled on the device.
Phone Number: Calls the user's personal phone. Note: checking this fills the forwarding slot - External Phone and Business Phone are not used.
VoIP Deskphone: Calls the SIP-enabled desk phone. Requires deskphone setup.

Ring More Team Members

Enable the checkbox to ring up to 6 additional users alongside the primary Team Member - all in the same simultaneous dial. Each user rings on their own preferred device. Does not apply when IVR or Voice AI primary mode is active.

Ring timeout

Default is 20 seconds if not configured. Check Incoming Call Timeout and enter a value. Once the timeout is hit, the call moves to Stage 3.

Stage 3: Backup

Voice AI backup mode

If Voice AI is configured with the backup toggle ON, it is tried first after Stage 2 times out. The AI answers via a separate redirect - distinct from the simultaneous ring, not part of it. This is why backup mode shows as 3rd Priority.

Voicemail or Voice AI fallback

If Voice AI backup does not apply, the Backup section determines the final action:

Voicemail: Caller hears the greeting and leaves a message. Available in Conversations on the contact record.
Voice AI: AI agent picks up and handles the unanswered call.

Backup is always the final step. It is never skipped.

Voicemail greeting source

The system uses the first greeting it finds, in this order:

Team member's personal voicemail (set in user profile, Phone settings).
Location voicemail (Sub-account Settings -> Phone System -> Voice -> Voicemail & Missed Call TextBack).
System default greeting.

Supported upload formats: MP3, WAV, AIFF, GSM, ULAW.

Advanced settings per number

Whisper Message

A short audio message played to the agent only (not the caller) the moment they pick up. Example: agent answers, hears Incoming call from your Facebook Lead Ad - John Smith, then is connected. Supports template variables. Caller hears hold music while the whisper plays.

Call Connect

Requires the agent to press a key to accept the call before the parties are connected - useful when team members forward to mobile and want to filter business calls.

Call Recording & Caller ID

Per-number toggles for recording inbound calls and which Caller ID is presented when the call routes through Sparkforge.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make Voice AI answer every call immediately?

In the Voice AI agent's Phone & Availability tab, turn OFF the toggle 'Enable AI Agent as a backup to the phone number/number pool.' Voice AI then becomes 1st Priority and Stage 2 never runs.

What is the default ring timeout?

20 seconds if you have not configured a value. Set Incoming Call Timeout in the Call Forwarding tab to override.

Can multiple team members ring at once?

Yes. Enable Ring More Team Members and add up to 6 additional users. They ring simultaneously with the primary team member, each on their preferred device.

Why does Voice AI show as 3rd Priority?

Because Voice AI is in backup mode (toggle ON in the agent's Phone & Availability tab). It runs after Stage 2 times out, not alongside it.

Can IVR and Voice AI both run?

No. They are both Stage 1 options. Whichever is configured handles the call, and Stage 2 is skipped.

What happens if no team members answer?

The call moves to Stage 3. Voice AI backup runs first if configured, otherwise the Backup section sends the caller to voicemail or Voice AI.