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: spreads calls evenly so the same person is not always 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), Sequential (One by One) or Round Robin (Distribute Evenly).
- Members
- The extensions or numbers in the group. "Add Member" for each person. In Sequential the order matters.
- Timeout (seconds)
- How long to keep trying before giving up on the group.
- Failover Destination
- Where the call goes if nobody answers — usually voicemail or a mobile.
How to use it
Ring the whole office at once
- Press "Create Group".
- Name: Office. Strategy: Simultaneous.
- Add each person as a member.
- Timeout 25 seconds; Failover: voicemail.
- Save, then point your number at it in Call Routing.
Ring the boss first, then the team
- Create a Sequential group.
- Add the boss first, then the others in order.
- Save and route your number to it.
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.
- ★Timeout 20–30 seconds overall — most callers hang up after about 6 rings.
- ★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.
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.