Basic routing services

Basic routing services allow you to route calls to each number in a number group to a separate destination. Callers can be transferred to a number or played an announcement.

To create a new routing service, drag and drop it into the call flow designer and select Add routing service:

After the new basic routing service has been added and the call flow saved, you can use the Manage routes button to edit routes for each number in one of the number groups assigned to the call flow. This means that if the call reaches the service in the call flow, calls will be routed as specified in the basic routing service.

Navigating to a basic routing service

There are two options for managing where calls get routed when the call reaches the basic routing service:

1. Open the Manage routes link from the call flow designer
   
   
   
2. Navigate to the account home page and click Basic routing in the left-hand navigation pane:
   
   Then click Manage next to the relevant routing service in the list of basic routing services:
   

Both of these options will take you to the routing table page for the relevant basic routing service:

Editing service details

You can change the name of the service by clicking the three-dot menu at the top right of the routing table screen or to the right of the relevant service's Manage button in the list of basic routing services.

This changes how the service is shown in the list of basic routing services and in call flows where it is used.

Deleting services

Basic routing services can only be deleted if there are no numbers assigned to them. This means they are not used in any call flow that has one or more number groups assigned to it.

To delete a service that is no longer in use, click the three-dot menu at the top right of the routing table screen or to the right of the relevant service's Manage button in the list of basic routing services, then confirm the action in the pop up:

Managing routes

To update routes within a basic routing service and change where calls are delivered to you can either edit them directly in the routing table or export, edit and import a spreadsheet.

Inline editing

Your routes can be changed directly from the interface in Smartnumbers Hub. This is especially useful if you need to make a quick change to a particular route. To amend a route:

1. Select the numbers to update
   Click on the checkbox to the left of the numbers that you would like to update routes for:
   
   
   
2. Click Edit
   This will allow you to change the routing for the selected numbers using inline edit mode:
   
   
   
3. Edit your number details and routes
   The inline edit screen allows you to change the name, email, and destination ("Route to") associated with each number.
   
   
   
   • To change the display name saved for a number or the associated email, click on a cell in the Email or Name columns
     
     
     
   • To edit the destination where calls to that number will be routed, click on the cell in the Route to column for the relevant number.
     
     
     The available options are:
     • Transfer to number
       Transfer all calls to the relevant number to a DDI you specify. If the number is not available, the call will be dropped.
     • Announcement
       Play an announcement to the caller. You can upload one if you have the audio files permission or use one of the previously uploaded ones - these can be managed in the audio files area. You can also listen to a preview of the selected audio file by pressing the Play button.
     • Disable
       Disables the route, causing all calls to this number to be automatically dropped. This is the default if no routing was previously set up.
   • Click Done
     This allows you to edit other cells.
   • Save changes
     When you are happy with how your routes are set up, click the Save changes button to change the way calls are routing. This does not result in any downtime - calls will seamlessly start being routed to the new destination within a few minutes.

Using a table processor offline

You can also download and reimport the whole call routing table so that you can make updates using a table processor of your choice (e.g. Microsoft Excel).

1. Export table
   Export a copy of the routing service table by clicking 'Export' and then 'Download'.
   Your browser might block the download on the first attempt so please keep an eye out for any pop-ups or error messages in the URL bar.
   
   
   
2. Complete/update table
   Open the downloaded file in a table processor of your choice. The 'Call Routing' tab in the file will contain your Smartnumbers. Simply add your desired destinations to the Route to column (D).
   
   
   
   • Each "Route to" cell can contain:
     • Transfer to number (a DDI starting with a +)
     • Play an announcement (using a previously uploaded audio file, in the format "Announcement: filename")
     • Nothing (disables the route)
   • You can name your Smartnumbers to make them more recognisable as well as provide an email address for each number.
     
     
3. Save and import the file
   When you are happy with how your routes are set up, save your spreadsheet and import the saved file by clicking the ‘Import’ button in the basic routing table screen. After validating the file, your routes will be updated within a few minutes.
   
   This does not result in any downtime - calls will seamlessly start being routed to the new destination. 

For an example of how a basic routing service is used to deliver calls via the call flow designer, see Example 5 in the list of Top 5 call flow use cases. For more information about how to use call flows, see Getting started with the call flow designer.

Unlike Control services, basic routing services do not support failover for business continuity events, multiple routes for each number, or different plans for different scenarios. You can also find out more about Smartnumbers Control on the Smartnumbers website.