FreePBX - Forward When Extension is Unavailable
Scope
This article describes how to forward a call in FreePBX when the intended extension is busy.
Description
In FreePBX, you must map inbound calls (i.e.: 216-241-7225) to an Extension (i.e.: 7500) in order for your call to complete properly.
But what happens if your extension is busy or does not answer? FreePBX offers a relatively simple way to route or "forward" that call to another extension, phone number(s), or other destination.
FreePBX - What Is An Extension?
FreePBX - How To Create and Route an Extension
How To Route to Another Extension
Below are steps for routing, or "forwarding", one Extension to another. The Extension we will modify for this example is 7500. Every time that 7500 does not answer a call that is routed to it, then we will have FreePBX route it to Extension 2501 instead.
- Log into FreePBX and navigate to the Extensions page:
- Click on the edit button for the Extension you want to forward (7500 in the example below):
- Click on the "Find Me/Follow Me" tab on the top of the page:
- Then scroll to the bottom and locate the Destinations --> No Answer section. Here is where we will choose what to do with a call when it is not answered by Extension 7500:
- By default, the call will be sent to the Follow Me Application within FreePBX, but there are many routing options available in this list. In this example, we will simply send it to another Extension (2501) by selecting "Extension" from the top list:
and then selecting the actual Extension from the bottom list:
- Finally, click Submit at the bottom, and Apply Config at the top after that:
Conclusion
Using the steps above, we were able to successfully tell FreePBX that if a call is not answered by Extension 7500, then it should be routed to Extension 2501 instead.
There are many more Destinations for this call, but that is beyond the scope of this document. Follow Me is an application within FreePBX that can
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