IVR Gather Input On Call Workflow Action in Sparkforge

By Sparkforge Support Team ·Last reviewed May 3, 2026

The Gather Input On Call action prompts a caller and collects DTMF keypad input. Define match conditions per digit to route the call to different branches based on what the caller presses.

The Gather Input On Call action collects keypad input (DTMF) from a caller during an IVR flow. Play a prompt, wait for digits, and branch the workflow based on what the caller presses.

How to configure

Action Name: a label that explains the prompt (e.g., "Main Menu Routing").
Say or Play Message: text-to-speech or pre-recorded audio.
Text to Say: the prompt text (if Say is selected).
Language: the language for text-to-speech.
Message Voice: male or female voice.
Number of Loops: how many times to repeat the prompt before moving on.
Advanced Settings: set a timeout in seconds for input gathering and optionally stop gathering as soon as a key is pressed.
Match Conditions: define a branch per digit (e.g., 1 = Support, 2 = Sales).

Field reference

Field	Description	Required
Action Name	Label for the action.	Yes
Say or Play Message	Text-to-speech or pre-recorded audio.	Yes
Text to Say	Prompt text when Say is selected.	Yes
Language	Language for text-to-speech.	Yes
Message Voice	Male or female voice.	Yes
Number of Loops	How many times to repeat the prompt.	Yes
Stop Gathering After (Seconds)	Seconds to wait before stopping input collection.	Yes
Stop Gathering After (Digits)	How many digits to collect before stopping.	No
Stop Gathering on Key Press	Stop as soon as a single key is pressed.	No
Match Conditions	Branch logic per digit.	Yes

Example

For a bank IVR: "Press 1 to hear your bank statement, Press 2 to connect with an agent, Press 3 to exit."

1: route to a branch that reads the bank statement.
2: route to a branch that transfers to a live agent.
3: route to a branch that thanks the caller and hangs up.

Tuning notes

Keep prompts short. Long menus drive abandonment.
Set the timeout long enough that older callers can react, but short enough that the workflow does not stall on dead air.
Combine with Say/Play for a separate greeting before the menu, so the prompt itself can stay tight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What input does this action collect?

DTMF keypad input - the digits a caller presses on their phone. Voice transcription is not used here.

How do I create branches per key press?

Use Match Conditions. Add one match per digit you want to route on (1, 2, 3, etc.) and connect each match to its own workflow branch.

How long does the action wait for input?

Until the timeout in Stop Gathering After (Seconds) expires, the digit limit is reached, or - if enabled - the first key is pressed.

Can I let a caller press a single key to skip ahead?

Yes. Enable Stop Gathering on Key Press so the action exits as soon as the first digit is captured.