Smart Call Routing

Documentation Index

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Most calls can be automated with Phonely’s AI agents, but no automation system covers every scenario. A frustrated customer, a request for a specific team member, or a policy that requires human sign-off are all situations where escalation is necessary. Phonely makes it simple to design call flows that are both efficient and flexible: the AI handles routine calls while ensuring humans are available when needed.

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How Routing Works

Routing in Phonely is built around workflows. Every call starts in a default workflow, but it can move between workflows at any point. Each workflow is a canvas of connected blocks that define the conversation path. During a live call, the AI:

• Continuously listens to the conversation and tracks the current block in the flow
• Detects caller intent, sentiment, and keywords to determine when routing is needed
• Evaluates conditions (time-of-day, caller input, variable values) to pick the right path
• Executes routing seamlessly - the caller hears a single uninterrupted conversation
• Falls back gracefully when a transfer destination is unavailable

Routing is both predictable (you design the paths) and adaptive (the AI picks the right one), without locking you into rigid IVR-style menus.

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Routing Outcomes

At a high level, routing in Phonely leads to one of two outcomes:

1. Transfer Call - the call is handed off to a human or external phone number
2. Transfer Flow - the call is moved to a different workflow within the same agent

Both happen without ending the call, and both are handled using dedicated routing blocks in the flow builder.

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Transfer Calls

The Transfer Call block hands a live call off to a person, department, or external number. It supports two modes: cold transfer and warm transfer.

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Multiple Destinations and Conditional Routing

A single transfer call block can define multiple destinations, each with its own routing condition. When the block is reached, the AI evaluates what the caller said and routes to the matching destination. For example, a single block can route:

• Sales inquiries to +1 (555) 100-0001
• Billing questions to +1 (555) 100-0002
• Technical support to +1 (555) 100-0003

When multiple destinations are configured, Phonely automatically prompts the caller to clarify who they want to reach, then routes based on the matched condition.

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Failover Numbers

Each destination can optionally enable failover. When failover is turned on, you provide one or more backup phone numbers. If the primary number does not answer, Phonely automatically tries each failover number in sequence before falling back to the failure path.

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Warm Transfer Options

Warm transfers come with several options that control the caller experience while the transfer is in progress:

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Detection Features

Transfer Call blocks include AI-powered detection that classifies what answered the outbound call:

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Transfer Call Outcomes

The transfer call block has four possible output paths that you can wire to subsequent blocks:

1. Transfer Failed - the destination did not answer, or the timeout was reached
2. Voicemail Detected - voicemail was detected at the destination (requires detectVoicemail)
3. IVR Detected - an IVR was detected and transferOnIVR is disabled (requires detectIVR)
4. SMS Route - the transfer is handled via SMS instead of voice

You can also define custom transfer answered call outcomes for when the transfer connects successfully.

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Transfer Flows

The Transfer Flow block moves the caller to a different workflow without ending the call. The conversation context carries over, so the caller experiences a seamless transition. Common use cases:

• Switching from appointment scheduling to a billing workflow.
• Moving from general inquiries to a specialized technical support workflow.
• Escalating from a self-service flow to a structured escalation workflow.

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Single vs. Multiple Destinations

When a Transfer Flow block has a single destination, the caller is moved directly to the target workflow. When multiple destinations are configured, Phonely auto-generates a routing prompt that asks the caller what they need, then matches their response to the transitionCondition defined on each target workflow. The matched workflow is activated. Each destination specifies:

• Workflow ID - which workflow to transfer to
• Transition Condition - stored in the target workflow’s meta.transitionCondition, used by the AI to match caller intent

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Interim Messages

Transfer flow blocks support an optional interim message spoken to the caller during the transition (e.g., “One moment while I connect you with our scheduling system”). The message can be fixed or promptable, and an optional delay can be configured before it plays.

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Global Flows

Not all routing happens at predictable points in a conversation. A caller may ask for support halfway through an appointment booking, or express frustration at any time. Global Flows handle these cases. A global flow is a workflow marked as globally available. The AI monitors every turn of the conversation for conditions that match a global flow’s trigger, and can switch to it from any point in any active workflow.

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Adding Conditions with Time Filters

Transfers can be made conditional. The most common condition is business hours: route calls to your support team during working hours, but handle them differently after hours. The Time Filter block evaluates the current day and time against a weekly schedule you define. For more complex conditions beyond time-of-day, use the Filter block. It supports multi-case branching with operators like equal_to, greater_than, exists, and ai_matches — allowing you to route based on variable values, caller input, or AI-evaluated conditions.

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Example Flow

Here is how to build an escalation-ready appointment scheduling flow:

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Full Configuration Reference

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Transfer Call Block Options

All message fields (pre-transfer, post-transfer, outbound leg, inbound leg, hold reminder, transfer failed) support fixed or promptable modes. In fixed mode you write the exact text; in promptable mode the AI generates an appropriate message using a prompt you provide.

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Transfer Flow Block Options

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Time Filter Block Options

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Best Practices

• Use warm transfers in customer-facing scenarios where context matters. The few seconds of introduction make a significant difference in customer experience.
• Always wire the failure outputs. Every transfer call block has Transfer Failed, Voicemail Detected, and IVR Detected outputs. Connect them to Talk blocks or alternative routing to ensure no call ends in silence.
• Use failover numbers for critical transfer destinations. If your main support line is busy, failover ensures the caller still reaches someone.
• Apply time filters before Transfer call blocks to avoid ringing phones no one will answer.
• Use global flows sparingly. They are powerful but add complexity — reserve them for truly cross-cutting concerns like emergency escalation or “speak to a manager” requests.
• Prefer multiple destinations in one block over multiple Transfer Call blocks. A single block with conditions is easier to maintain and lets the AI handle routing automatically.