How calls are answered
Hunt Groups: ring several phones so someone always answers
Group people (or phones) under one destination. Ring them all at once, one by one, or taking turns, with a failover if nobody answers.
Which plans include it
Included on Entry and above. On Free Trial you can add it on its own at £1.75 a month from Features & add-ons.
What it means
A hunt group (or ring group) is a team that shares one incoming call. Instead of ringing one person, the call "hunts" through the group until someone picks up.
What it does
- Simultaneous: rings every member at the same time — first to answer gets it.
- Sequential: rings members one by one in the order you set.
- Round Robin: takes turns. Each new call starts with the next person along, then tries the rest one by one, so the same person is not always rung first.
- Sends the call to a failover destination (voicemail, a mobile) if nobody answers within the timeout.
Every part of the page
- Group list
- Each group shows its strategy, members and failover.
- Group Name
- E.g. "Sales Team".
- Ring Strategy
- Simultaneous (Ring All): everyone rings at once. Sequential (One by One): always starts with the first member in your list. Round Robin (Distribute Evenly): each call starts with the next member in turn.
- Members
- The extensions or mobile numbers in the group (e.g. extension 1001 or 07700 900123). Press "Add Member" for each person. In Sequential and Round Robin the order matters.
- Timeout (seconds)
- How long each person rings. With Simultaneous that is the whole wait; with Sequential or Round Robin each person rings for this long in turn, so 3 people at 15 seconds is up to 45 seconds before the failover.
- Failover Destination
- Where the call goes if nobody answers: type a mobile number (e.g. 07700 900123), or type voicemail. If you leave it empty, callers can still leave a voicemail.
How to use it
Ring the whole office at once
- Press "Create Group".
- Group Name: Office. Ring Strategy: Simultaneous (Ring All).
- Press "Add Member" for each person and enter their extension or mobile number.
- Timeout 25 seconds. Failover Destination: voicemail.
- Press Create Hunt Group.
- Open Call Routing → "Add Rule" → pick your number → Routing Type "Hunt Group" → choose Office → Priority 1 → Add Rule.
Ring the boss first, then the team
- Create a group with Ring Strategy: Sequential (One by One).
- Add the boss first, then the others in the order they should ring.
- Create Hunt Group, then point your number at it in Call Routing (Routing Type "Hunt Group").
Share calls fairly with Round Robin
- Press "Create Group" and choose Ring Strategy: Round Robin (Distribute Evenly).
- Add each person who takes calls, e.g. Amy, Ben and Cara.
- Set Timeout to about 15 seconds (how long each person rings) and a Failover Destination (a mobile, or voicemail).
- Create Hunt Group, then in Call Routing add a rule: your number → Routing Type "Hunt Group" → this group.
- Call 1 rings Amy first, call 2 rings Ben first, call 3 rings Cara first, then it starts again with Amy. If the first person does not answer, the others are tried in turn.
Change a group
- Press the pencil on the group.
- Change the name, strategy, members, timeout or failover.
- Save. The change applies to the next call.
Examples
Ring everyone — small sales team
Group "Sales", strategy Simultaneous, members 201, 202, 203, timeout 25 seconds, failover Voicemail. All three phones ring; the first to pick up gets the caller. Nobody answers in 25 seconds → voicemail.
One by one — owner first, then staff
Group "Office", strategy Sequential: 1) the owner's extension, 2) the office manager, 3) the owner's mobile. The owner always gets first refusal on calls.
Taking turns — share calls fairly
Group "Support", strategy Round Robin. Calls are spread evenly across the team, so the same person is not always rung first.
Recommended settings
- ★Simultaneous for small teams where anyone can help; Sequential when one person should normally answer.
- ★Keep the total wait under about 45 seconds — most callers hang up after 6 to 8 rings. For Sequential or Round Robin, use about 15 seconds per person.
- ★Always set a failover so unanswered calls reach voicemail instead of ringing out.
Abbreviations on this page
- Hunt group — Hunt group / ring group
- Several phones that ring for one call — all at once, one after another, or taking turns — so someone always answers.
- Example: A "Sales" hunt group rings Jane, Tom and Priya until one of them answers.
- Ring strategy
- The rule for which phone rings next: Ring All (everyone at once), Sequential (in order), Round Robin (take turns), Least Recent (whoever has waited longest since their last call) or Fewest Calls.
- Example: Ring all, one by one, or taking turns: each is a ring strategy.
- Ext. — Extension
- A short internal number (usually 3 or 4 digits) for each person or phone. Calls between extensions are free and never leave your system.
- Example: Dial 204 to reach the warehouse.
Questions
What is the difference between a hunt group and a call queue?+
A hunt group rings people and, if nobody answers, fails over. A call queue holds callers in line with music and position announcements until someone is free. Use a queue when you regularly get more calls than people.
Can a mobile be in a hunt group?+
Yes — add the mobile number as a member.
What is Round Robin?+
Round Robin shares calls out in turn. Each new call starts with the next person in the group (call 1 → Amy first, call 2 → Ben first, call 3 → Cara first, then back to Amy). If that person does not answer, the rest of the group is tried one by one, then your failover. It suits sales or support teams where calls should be spread evenly.
Round Robin, Sequential or Simultaneous — which should I pick?+
Simultaneous rings everyone at once and is quickest to answer, best for small teams. Sequential always starts with the same first person, best when one person normally answers. Round Robin rotates who is rung first, best when calls should be shared fairly.
How do I make my number use the hunt group?+
Creating a group does not change your calls on its own. Open Call Routing, press "Add Rule", pick your number, set Routing Type to "Hunt Group", choose the group and save. Calls to that number now ring the group.
What happens if nobody answers?+
The call goes to your Failover Destination: a mobile you typed, or voicemail. If you left it empty, the caller can leave a voicemail.
Which plans include hunt groups?+
Entry and above. On the Free Trial they are not available.
Related help
Already a customer? Open this page in your dashboard: Hunt Groups. New to Silux Call? See the plans or start a free trial.