Create an auto attendant
Greet callers with a menu that routes their call.
| What you need | Affects |
|---|---|
| Teams admin access (Teams Administrator role), and a resource account with a Teams Phone Resource Account licence and phone number | Calls to the number on the auto attendant |
| Use an auto attendant when | Use a call queue instead when |
|---|---|
| You want callers to hear a greeting and choose an option, such as Press 1 for sales. | Callers should wait in line for the next free person. |
1. Create it
- Open the Teams admin centerSign in and go to Voice → Auto attendants, then click Add.
- Name and basicsGive it a name, and set the operator, time zone and language.
- GreetingUpload an audio file or type a message for text-to-speech.
- Menu optionsChoose Play menu options and assign each key to a destination. See the table below.
| Destination | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Person in organisation | Sends the call to a user. |
| Voice app | Sends the call to another auto attendant or a call queue through its resource account. |
| External phone number | Sends the call to a mobile or another number. |
| Voicemail | Sends the call to a shared voicemail (a Microsoft 365 group). |
2. Hours and holidays
- Business hoursSet your opening hours.
- After hours call flowChoose what callers hear and where calls go outside business hours.
- HolidaysAdd holidays so callers hear a different greeting on those days.
3. Give it a phone number
- Assign a resource accountIn the auto attendant, add the resource account.
- Assign the numberUnder Voice → Resource accounts, assign the phone number to that resource account.
- Submit and testClick Submit, wait a few minutes, then call the number from a mobile and try every option.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Callers hear nothing or an error | The resource account has no licence or no phone number assigned. |
| A menu option goes nowhere | The destination user isn't enabled for Teams Phone, or the target queue has no resource account. |
| After hours greeting plays during the day | Check the business hours and the time zone. |
Changes can take a little while to reach callers. If something doesn't work straight away, wait 15 minutes and test again.