Setting up your phone numbers correctly is a key step in preparing your team for success with Aircall. This article explains how call routing (Smartflows) works in Aircall Dashboard, including availability logic, routing principles, and ringing rules, so you can configure numbers that efficiently connect callers to the right users or teams.
What is call routing
Call routing is the system Aircall uses to dispatch incoming calls based on user availability and predefined distribution rules. By understanding Aircall routing logic and ringing rules, you can ensure calls are delivered to the appropriate users or teams according to criteria such as business hours, availability, and skills.
In Aircall, routing is based on three main elements:
- Operational availability
- Routing principles and logic
- Ringing rules
Operational availability
- Calls are routed based on both the business hours of the phone number and the availability of the users assigned to that number. If a number is closed, or if users are unavailable, calls will not be routed to them.
- You can configure business hours for each number so it opens and closes automatically. Please see our article Configuring Numbers: Integrations, Business Hours and Teams & Users for more information.
- You can also enable messages that allow callers to leave a voicemail or request a callback when the number is closed or when no agents are available. Please see our article Configuring Numbers: Voicemail, Music, and Messages for more information.
- To receive calls, users or teams must be assigned to the call distribution of the number. Please see our article Adding Users and Teams to the Call Distribution for more information.
- As a best practice, users should use the availability feature so their status automatically changes based on their schedule. Please see our article Configure Custom Working Hours and Manage Availability for more information.
User availability states
In Aircall, a user can be in one of the following states: Available, In a call, In wrap up time or after call work, Unavailable, Offline
When selecting Unavailable, users must also choose a reason: On a break, Out for lunch, In training, Back office, Other
These states are grouped into three routing statuses that determine how calls are handled.
Routing availability statuses
Available
- The user is connected to an app (desktop, web, or mobile), or has forward to device enabled
- The user is not in a call, wrap up time, after call work, outside working hours, or set to Unavailable
Busy
- The user is in a call
- The user is in wrap up time or mandatory call tagging
Unavailable
- The user is set as Unavailable
- The user is outside working hours
- The user is offline (app closed or device asleep)
TIP:
Assigning more users or teams to a number increases the likelihood that calls are answered and reduces missed calls.
Routing principles and logic
When an incoming call arrives and at least one user is available, Aircall distributes the call to that user. The call rings on all applications the user is signed into, as well as any enabled forwarding devices. The same availability status applies across all devices.
Calls are distributed on a first in, first out basis. Older calls are prioritized and dispatched first as users become available.
NOTE: **How queue order works across routing steps** Calls are answered oldest-first within each step of your flow. But every time a call moves to a new step — for example, from one Ring to Team to the next — it is treated as a fresh arrival and goes to the back of the line for that step. So when an agent frees up, the call that has been waiting longest at that step is the one connected, not necessarily the call that has been on the line the longest overall. This is most noticeable in flows that alternate several Ring to Team and Audio Message steps, especially with Respect Queuing Time enabled.
If a user belongs to multiple teams or is assigned to multiple lines, they are re included in routing as soon as they become available again. This also applies when a user finishes a call, wrap up time, or mandatory call tagging.
If all assigned users or teams are busy or unavailable, the call remains in the queue for the configured queuing time. Two settings control how the queue handles specific agent statuses:
- Respect Queuing Time (RQT), configured in your number settings, determines whether calls wait in the queue when agents are Offline or set to Unavailable.
- The Wait for busy agents toggle, configured in the Ring to Widget, determines whether calls wait for agents who are Busy (in-call, wrap-up, or after-call work). By default, if no users are busy and all are Offline or unavailable, the call skips to the next step in the flow.
If no users become available, calls may be routed to voicemail or an absence message and will appear as missed calls for assigned users.
Ringing rules for teams
When routing calls to teams, you can choose from three ringing rules. If a single user is assigned directly to a number, you can set how long the call rings, from 10 seconds up to 3600 seconds.
For more information about the team feature, please see our article How to use Aircall's team feature.
Random
Aircall selects a random available user in the team. Busy users are added back into the distribution if they become available before the team queuing time ends. Each selected user rings for 25 seconds before the call moves to another random user.
Simultaneous
Aircall rings all available users at the same time and waits for busy users to become available before the end of the team queuing time.
The number of users rung simultaneously depends on the ringing timeout. Aircall processes ringing at a fixed rate of approximately 300 agents per minute. Larger teams require longer queuing times to ensure all users are rung. For example, a team of 500 agents requires at least 1 minute and 30 seconds of queuing time.
Longest idle
Aircall rings the user who has been idle the longest for 25 seconds. If they do not answer, the call rings the next longest idle user. For more information, please see our article Longest Idle Time.
NOTE:
Due to mobile operating system limitations, calls can ring for up to 10 minutes on Android and 1 minute on iOS, even if the queuing time is set longer.
Common routing scenarios
Declining a call
If a user declines a call, the call will never ring to that user again, even if they become available later. The call continues through the queue to other users or teams.
Becoming available during wrap up or tagging
If a user finishes wrap up time or mandatory tagging while calls are waiting, the next waiting call will ring to that user.
All users in after call work
If all assigned users are in wrap up time or mandatory tagging, calls wait in the queue until a user becomes available or the queuing time expires.
All users unavailable or offline
If all users are unavailable or offline, the call skips them and rings only available users if any exist.
Multiple applications
If a user is logged into multiple applications, such as desktop and mobile, the call rings on all applications at the same time.
Ringing rules for numbers
Each Aircall number includes additional routing options.
Respect queuing time
When enabled, calls remain in the queue for the full queuing time set for each team, regardless of whether agents are Offline or set to Unavailable. RQT does not affect Busy agents (in-call, wrap-up, or after-call work), that behaviour is controlled by the Wait for busy agents toggle in the Ring to Widget.
For more information, please see Configuring Numbers: Respect queuing time (RQT) and Smartflows widgets: Ring to and Redirect to.
Priority line
When enabled, calls to that number are prioritized over calls from non priority numbers. For more information, please see our article Priority Lines.
How RQT and Wait for busy agents interact
The table below shows how inbound calls are handled for each agent status depending on which settings are enabled.
| Agent status | RQT off, Wait for busy agents off | RQT off, Wait for busy agents on | RQT on, Wait for busy agents off | RQT on, Wait for busy agents on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offline / Disconnected | Skips | Skips | Waits in queue | Waits in queue |
| Unavailable | Skips | Skips | Waits in queue | Waits in queue |
| Busy (in-call, wrap-up, after-call work) | Skips | Waits in queue | Skips | Waits in queue |
| Available | Rings | Rings | Rings | Rings |
| All agents decline | Skips | Skips | Skips | Skips |
NOTE:
RQT is configured in your number settings (Call distribution options). Wait for busy agents is configured in the Ring to Widget in your Smartflow. The two settings are complementary, they govern different agent statuses and neither replaces the other.Using additional devices with call routing
Users who rely on the mobile app or forward to device can still receive calls as long as they are connected and marked as available. For mobile, this also requires activity in the Aircall Workspace mobile app within the last 48 hours.
IMPORTANT: Mobile call routing only dispatches calls to a user's mobile device if they have used the Aircall mobile app within the last 48 hours. If mobile app activity is older than 48 hours, the Aircall Dashboard shows the user's mobile as offline, and calls will not ring on that device, even if the user is otherwise marked as available. To resume receiving calls on mobile, the user needs to open the mobile app.
Calls ring to all connected devices using the same routing logic.
Please see our article Using Aircall’s Forward to external number feature for more details.
IMPORTANT:
The forward to device feature is intended for users who do not use the mobile or desktop applications. It cannot be used at the same time as the mobile app.
Call routing variables to consider
The effectiveness of your routing setup depends on several factors:
- Number of agents staffed
- Agent specialization, such as skills or languages
- Call volume
Reviewing whether to use teams or individual users, and selecting appropriate ringing rules, helps optimize call handling and improve the caller experience.