Call Menu

A call menu is VICIdial’s built-in IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system that presents callers with audio prompts and routes them based on their DTMF keypad input. Call menus handle the “Press 1 for Sales, Press 2 for Support” experience, directing callers to specific inbound groups, other call menus, extensions, or external numbers.

How It Works in VICIdial

Call menus are configured in the VICIdial admin panel and consist of a greeting audio file, a set of DTMF option routes, a timeout route (for callers who do not press anything), and an invalid route (for unrecognized input). Each option can route to an inbound group, another call menu (creating nested IVR trees), a specific agent extension, a voicemail box, or an external phone number.

Call menus are typically triggered by incoming calls on DIDs — the DID configuration maps to a call menu as the first routing destination. They can also serve as the drop action destination for abandoned outbound calls, playing a safe harbor message and optionally offering the caller options.

VICIdial generates the underlying Asterisk dialplan from call menu configurations automatically, so administrators do not need to edit Asterisk configuration files directly.

Why It Matters

Call menus are essential for any VICIdial deployment handling inbound calls. They provide self-service routing that reduces agent workload, ensures callers reach the right department, and creates a professional first impression. Well-designed call menus route callers efficiently with minimal steps — industry best practice recommends no more than 3-4 options per menu level and no more than 2-3 levels deep.

Call menus also serve as the compliance safety net for outbound campaigns. When calls are abandoned due to predictive dialing over-dial, routing dropped calls to a call menu with a safe harbor message satisfies FCC requirements. See the DID management guide for call menu routing strategies.