Answering Rules, used alongside Time Frames, are Sonar's call-forwarding configuration presets. Think of your Answering Rule in two parts:
- Time Frame (When): Determines when the call-forwarding rule is active.
- Answering Rule Options (Where): Specifies where incoming calls should be routed.
Simply put: Time Frames + Answering Rules = Call Forwarding
Sonar Answering Rules provide user-specific call routing options:
- call forwarding settings,
- do-not-disturb,
- ring-duration before voicemail, and,
- blocked callers.
Access Answering Rules
You can locate Answering Rules in the tab bar of your Sonar portal. In this section, you can create various answering rules that will change how calls are directed and forwarded at different times.
Office Managers have the ability to configure Answering Rules for Users within their organization.
- If you are configuring a rule for yourself, Office managers and call center supervisors need to be in My Account to access their Answering Rules.
Learn more about Sonar Office Manager Access: My Account, Manage Organization, and Account Preferences. - If you are an Office Manager configuring rules for your Users, you must first be within the Manage Organization section, then access the Answering Rules subtab from the Users tab.
Time Frames First
Answering Rules must be used in conjunction with Time Frames. If you do not have a corresponding time frame already in place, you cannot create a new answering rule. The Sonar portal will inform you if you have entered a previously deleted Time Frame.
Learn more about Sonar Time Frames.
Active Answering Rule
Within the Answering Rules tab, you can easily access, edit, and delete any answering rules currently in place.
Identify your Active Answering Rule
The currently active rule will be marked with a blue “Active” label. By organizing your rules from most to least specific, the appropriate Answering Rule will always be applied.
Prioritizing Answering Rules
The Sonar system operates 24/7/365 to ensure every call is handled correctly. If no other rule is active, the Default Answering Rule will automatically fall back on your business's "After Hours" rule.
To ensure the correct rule is applied, arrange your Answering Rules by specificity:
- Use the arrow buttons on the left side of the rule list to drag and reorder them.
- Place rules with more specific Time Frames at the top (e.g., "Monday 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM").
- Boarder time-frame rules should appear lower on the list.
- Leave the Default at the very bottom.
- Click Save to update your Answering Rule priority list.
Success: You will see a green reprioritization success notification at the top of your page (image below).
Pro Tip: the Default Rule should be last!
Most net2phone Canada clients use a “Default” rule as the last entry, serving as an “After Hours” fallback when no other rules are active.
Your Ring Duration before Voicemail (Timeout)
You can change your ring duration before the timeout by clicking the drop-down menu between “ring for” and “seconds.”
- Decreasing the duration will give you less time to answer the call but will ensure that your net2phone Canada voicemail is activated if the call is unanswered.
- Increasing the duration will give you more time to answer the call, but you may activate your personal voicemail if the call is unanswered.
