Choose the Right Call Routing Method

Set up my phone system6 min readUpdated 2026-03-14

Choose the Right Call Routing Method

JustCall offers five ways to route incoming calls. Each one solves a different problem. This guide explains when to use each method and how they work together.

Available on: Varies by method (see comparison table below)

Quick Comparison

Method	What it does	Best for	Plan
IVR phone menu	Callers hear options and press a number to reach a department	Multi-department routing where callers self-select	All plans
Ring groups	Calls ring multiple agents based on a distribution rule	Teams that share a phone line	All plans
Skills-based routing	Calls route to agents in a specific user group based on expertise	Matching callers to qualified agents	Pro and above
Intelligent call routing (CRM-based)	Calls route to the agent who owns the contact in your CRM	Ensuring customers reach their dedicated rep	Pro and above
Smart call routing via APIs	A webhook on your server decides where each call goes	Custom routing logic based on external data	All plans

An IVR (Interactive Voice Response) plays a greeting and gives callers numbered options. The caller presses a number, and the call routes to the assigned destination.

How it works

Caller dials your number.
They hear a greeting: "Press 1 for Sales, Press 2 for Support."
They press a number.
The call routes to the assigned agent, group, or child IVR.

Key details

Unlimited nesting depth — parent IVRs can have child IVRs with their own children
Three configurable messages: greeting, no option pressed, wrong option pressed
Custom audio upload or text-to-speech for all messages
Each IVR option can ring a specific agent, ring a group, play voicemail, or forward to another IVR level

When to use it

Use IVR when your callers need to choose between departments, languages, or service types. Combine IVR with other routing methods — for example, IVR handles department selection, then skills-based routing distributes calls within each department.

Ring Groups

Ring groups distribute calls across a set of agents using one of four modes:

Mode	How calls are distributed
Ring all	Every agent's phone rings simultaneously. First to answer gets the call.
Ring in order	Agents ring in a predefined sequence. If the first agent does not answer, the call moves to the next.
Round robin	Calls rotate evenly across agents so everyone handles a similar number.
Ring idle first	The call goes to the agent who has been idle the longest.

When to use it

Use ring groups when your team shares a number and you want to control how calls are distributed. Ring groups work on all plans and require no special configuration beyond assigning agents.

Skills-Based Routing

Skills-based routing uses user groups to match callers to agents with specific expertise. You create groups (e.g., "Billing," "Technical Support"), assign agents to groups, and route calls to the appropriate group.

When to use it

Use skills-based routing when different callers need agents with different expertise. This reduces transfers and ensures customers get help from someone qualified on the first try.

For detailed setup instructions, see Route Calls to the Right Agent with Skills-Based Routing.

Intelligent Call Routing (CRM-Based)

CRM-based routing automatically sends calls to the agent who owns the contact in your integrated CRM. No manual configuration per call — the system looks up the caller's phone number in your CRM and routes to their assigned owner.

Key details

Supported CRMs: HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Copper, Zoho CRM
Prerequisite: CRM integration must be set up first
Unanswered call options: dismiss, forward to external number, forward to voicemail, or use default number settings

When to use it

Use CRM-based routing when your customers have dedicated account managers or sales reps and expect to reach "their" person every time they call.

Smart Call Routing via APIs

API-based routing lets you build custom logic on your own server. When a call comes in, JustCall sends a webhook to your endpoint. Your server responds with routing instructions.

Key details

Supports up to 9 simultaneous ring targets per webhook response
Route to agents, user groups, JustCall numbers, or external numbers
Full control over routing logic based on any data in your systems

When to use it

Use API routing when none of the built-in methods can express your routing logic — for example, routing based on the caller's account status, recent purchase history, or a custom priority score from your database.

Combining Methods

These routing methods are not mutually exclusive. Common combinations:

Combination	How it works
IVR + Skills-based	Caller selects a department via IVR, then skills-based routing distributes the call within that department
IVR + CRM-based	IVR handles general callers; CRM-based routing handles known contacts who bypass the menu
Ring groups + Queue callback	Ring groups distribute calls; if all agents are busy, callers can press 1 to request a callback instead of waiting on hold
CRM-based + Ring groups	CRM routing tries the contact owner first; if unavailable, the call falls back to a ring group

Add Queue Callback for Any Method

On the Pro plan and above, you can add queue callback to any routing method. When all agents are busy, callers in the queue can press 1 to hang up and receive an automatic callback when an agent becomes available. This reduces hold times and abandoned calls.