How to configure your Voice channel in Cue
A Voice channel connects a phone number to your workspace and controls how incoming calls are handled - who they are routed to, what callers hear, and when calls are accepted. This guide walks through the setup wizard and the key settings you can configure.
Creating a Voice channel
The setup wizard takes you through three steps: selecting a phone number, configuring call routing, and reviewing your settings before activation.
Step 1: Phone number
- Open app.cuedesk.com
- Navigate to Connectivity → Channels
- In the Available Channels section, click Add Channel on the Voice modal
- Choose one of the three options:
- Buy a number - purchase a new local, mobile, or toll-free number
- Port a number - transfer an existing number from another provider
- Choose existing number - use a number already in your workspace
Once your number is selected, it appears at the bottom of the modal with the country and type displayed. Click Continue.
Step 2: Call routing
This step configures everything callers experience when they ring your number: the greeting they hear, how calls are distributed to agents, hold music, business hours, and the out-of-office message.
Greeting
The greeting is the first thing callers hear when they ring your number.
- Choose between Generate audio (text-to-speech) or Upload audio (your own recording).
- If using text-to-speech, type your greeting message in the text area (up to 300 characters) and select a voice from the dropdown. Click Preview to hear how it sounds.
- If uploading audio, select a compatible audio file from your computer.
Call recording
Enable call recording to automatically record calls on this channel. When turned on, a consent message is played to the caller before the recording begins.
To set up call recording:
- Toggle Call recording on.
- Write your consent message in the text area,for example: "This call may be recorded for quality and training purposes."
- Choose between Generate audio (text-to-speech) or Upload audio (your own recording) to create the consent message audio.
- If using text-to-speech, select a voice from the dropdown and click Preview to hear how it sounds.
- If uploading audio, select a compatible audio file from your computer.
When a call comes in, the consent message plays first, then the call proceeds as normal while being recorded.
Call routing
Choose how incoming calls are routed to your team. There are two routing modes:
Call routing (distribution strategy) - routes calls to agents using one of three strategies:
- Round-robin - agents are rung one at a time in a rotating order
- Fewest calls today - the agent who has handled the fewest calls today rings first
- Longest idle - the agent who has been waiting longest since their last call rings first
You also configure:
- Route calls to - all active agents in the workspace, or a specific team
- Max ring time per agent - how long a call rings for one agent before moving to the next (e.g. 30 seconds)
Number menu - Â creates a phone menu (IVR) where callers press a number on their keypad to reach a specific team. If this is created on the basic setup, the default call routing is round-robin.
Hold music
Select what callers hear while they wait in the queue. You can choose from preset options or upload your own audio file.
Business hours
Create or select an existing business hours schedule to control when this channel accepts calls.
The schedule name, timezone, and weekly hours are displayed for review.
For an existing schedule:
- Click Edit to modify the selected schedule's hours
- Click Change to switch to a different schedule
If you have not yet created a schedule, you will be prompted to create one.
Out-of-office message
This is what callers hear when they ring outside your business hours. It works the same way as the greeting - choose between text-to-speech or uploading your own audio.
Step 3: Confirm and activate
The final step displays a summary of everything you have configured:
- Channel name - defaults to your workspace name
- Phone number - the number attached to the channel
- Greeting - voice and message text, with a Preview option
- Call routing - strategy, routing target, and hold music
- Business hours - schedule name, out-of-office voice and message, with a Preview option
Each section has an Edit option that takes you back to the relevant step to make changes. Once you are happy, click Activate channel.
Your Voice channel is now live. Incoming calls to the attached number will be routed according to your configuration.
Editing your Voice channel after activation
You can update any channel setting after activation from the channel settings page.
- Navigate to Connectivity → Channels
- Find your Voice channel in the list and click the settings cog
- The Basic tab lets you edit the same settings from the wizard: greeting, routing, hold music, business hours, and out-of-office message
- The Advanced tab gives you access to the Voice Workflow editor for more complex call handling.
Changes are saved when you click Save.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have more than one Voice channel?
Yes. You can create multiple Voice channels, each with its own number, greeting, routing strategy, and business hours. This is useful if you want separate numbers for different teams or regions.
What is the difference between Basic and Advanced call routing?
Basic routing (configured in the wizard) uses a single distribution strategy to ring available agents. Advanced routing (via the Voice Workflow editor) lets you build multi-step call flows with menus, business hours branching, and sequential play-message steps.
Can I change the phone number attached to a channel after activation?
You would need to create a new channel with the new number. Changing the number on an existing channel is not currently supported.