Which phone menu type should you use?
- Audience: Admins
Last updated
When you create a phone menu (IVR), the IVR Type field decides how callers interact with it. Most companies only ever need the standard type. The others solve narrower problems, so check this table before you build.
Some labels in your portal or apps may look slightly different from this guide.
Menu types at a glance
| Type | What callers do | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Standard IVR | Press a single key, 0 to 9, after the greeting. | Your main menu and most submenus. Covered in build your main phone menu. |
| Multi-digit IVR | Enter a longer code of two or more digits. | Lines with more choices than ten keys allow, such as store or branch codes. |
| PIN-based IVR | Enter a PIN you gave them, then get connected to the destination tied to that PIN. | Private access lines, such as a code a contractor can use until a set date. |
| Meeting IVR | Dial in by phone and enter a meeting number and participant ID from the invite. | Letting people join a CallSprout video meeting by audio only. |
There's also a visual menu builder in the same part of the portal. It lays out a menu as a tree of actions and key choices instead of a form.
Standard
Pick this unless you have a clear reason not to. The per key options in these guides, such as the company directory, call labels and language, are written for this type.
Multi-digit
Callers type a code instead of pressing one key. You set up the codes in a separate list, each with a short description only you see and the place it sends the caller. Pause timing matters more here. If callers wait too long between digits, the menu acts on what they've typed so far, so they may land on code 2 when they meant 25. Lengthen Digit Timeout in the advanced options if that happens.
The code list may be shared by every multi-digit menu on your account, so check what a code already does before you reuse it. This type also gives up some of the extra features the standard type has.
PIN-based
A PIN-based menu asks callers for a PIN you gave them and connects each one to the destination tied to that PIN. You can give each PIN an expiry date, after which calls with it are refused. PIN lines can reach outside numbers, which carries a toll fraud risk, so CallSprout support sets them up with you instead of you building them in the admin portal. See How do PIN protected access lines work? for what to send us. Like multi-digit menus, this type skips some standard features.
Meeting
This type plays its own built-in prompt, so the greeting field is grayed out. Ask CallSprout support to point a phone number at it, and callers can join a video meeting by phone using the meeting's number and their own participant ID from the invite. Phone dial-in is part of the Video meetings add-on, so check that your account has the add-on before you share the number.
Which features need another plan or add-on
- Queues as a destination are on Contact Center Pro only.
- Fax to email from a menu key needs the Fax add-on.
Related articles
Still stuck? Contact support
Our team in West Palm Beach can walk you through it. Tell us your name, your company and what you were trying to do.