Answering Rules, used alongside Time Frames, are Sonar's call-forwarding configuration presets. Think of your Answering Rule in two parts:

1. Time Frame (When): Determines when the call-forwarding rule is active.
2. 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.  

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:

1. Use the arrow buttons on the left side of the rule list to drag and reorder them.
2. Place rules with more specific Time Frames at the top (e.g., "Monday 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM").
3. Boarder time-frame rules should appear lower on the list.
4. Leave the Default at the very bottom. 
5. 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). 

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.

Although you may not think your ring duration is that important, it might be a chance to make a good (or bad) first impression. A longer ring duration gives more time to answer but results in more abandoned calls, while a shorter ring duration causes a faster timeout, but results in more missed calls and voicemails; finding a balance is key. Getting your timing right may take some trial and error –  we recommended adjusting in 20-second intervals. 

How to Change your Ring Duration before Timeout 

1. Click on the Answering Rules tab in Sonar.
2. Click the drop-down menu located between "Ring for" and "Seconds" and choose how long you want your phone to ring for before the call is sent to voicemail.

When creating a new answering rule, or editing an existing one, the pop-up window is the same. 

Sonar Answering Rule Options

Understand all the selections within the answering rules configuration menu, from the top to the botton. 

Time Frame
Select a preexisting time frame and link it to this answering rule.

Enabled
Enable or disable the current answering rule.

Do Not Disturb
Blocks all calls to your extension, sending them directly to voicemail. When active, Call Forwarding and Simultaneous Ring options are unavailable.

Call Forwarding
Forward calls to a specified extension, number, or phone based on the following:

Always 
Bypass your primary net2phone Canada device and send calls directly to the entered extension or number. Enter 10-digit numbers without spaces, brackets, or dashes.

When Busy 
This option is visible but not available for individual rules as net2phone Canada does not generate busy signals. It can be used for queues and other features.

When Unanswered 
Ring your net2phone Canada phone first, then forward to the entered extension or number if unanswered. Enter 10-digit numbers without spaces, brackets, or dashes.

net2phone Canada SureAnswer 
Forwards calls if your net2phone Canada phone goes offline due to outages; it is often used with a mobile device.

Simultaneous Ring
Configure multiple devices to ring simultaneously to ensure you never miss a call:

Include User’s Extension 
Include your primary extension to ring.

Ring All 
User’s Phones Ring all phones associated with your extension, including softphones and mobile apps.

Enable net2phone Canada SmartAnswer 
Configure an external number to ring simultaneously. Answering the call will prompt you to connect or reject it. If rejected, the caller is sent to your net2phone Canada voicemail.

Extension, Number, or Phone
Enter additional extensions or phone numbers to ring along with your personal extension. Using the green plus button, you can add a ring delay and additional fields.

When selecting another extension, you have three main options:

User 
The call follows the selected user's answering rules.

Phone 
Forward calls to an additional extension. Each additional device is associated with an extension followed by a letter (e.g., 501m for your mobile phone). If unanswered, calls are transferred back to your primary extension’s voicemail.

Voicemail 
Send the call straight to voicemail without ringing any devices.

Working from home today? Learn how to forward your business calls to your mobile or landline phone. If you have multiple external numbers you may need to be reached at, take advantage of the When Unanswered forwarding option to add another device and never miss a call.

How to Send Calls to an External Number 

Office Managers and Call Center Supervisors must be in My Account to access their answering rules.

1. Click on the Answering Rules tab in your Sonar portal.
2. Click the Add Rule button to create a new rule, or the pencil icon to edit your active rule.

1. Under the Call Forwarding section, click the checkbox next to Always.
2. In the entry box next to one of the options, (1) Always, (2) When Busy, or (3) When unanswered, enter a phone number without spaces or dashes. Phone numbers must be 10 or 11 digits without spaces, dashes, or brackets (e.g., 6131234567 or 16131234567).
   
3. Click Save.
4. Ensure your new rule is at the top of the Answering Rules list for the highest priority. Drag-and-drop your Answering Rule to the top if needed. 

Working from home today? Learn how to forward your business calls to your mobile or landline phone. If you have multiple external numbers you may need to be reached at, take advantage of the When Unanswered forwarding option to add another device and never miss a call.

How to Send Calls to an External Number 

Office Managers and Call Center Supervisors must be in My Account to access their answering rules.

1. Click on the Answering Rules tab in your Sonar portal.
2. Click the Add Rule button to create a new rule, or the pencil icon to edit your active rule.

1. Under the Call Forwarding section, click the checkbox next to Always.
2. In the entry box next to one of the options, (1) Always, (2) When Busy, or (3) When unanswered, enter a phone number without spaces or dashes. Phone numbers must be 10 or 11 digits without spaces, dashes, or brackets (e.g., 6131234567 or 16131234567).
   
3. Click Save.
4. Ensure your new rule is at the top of the Answering Rules list for the highest priority. Drag-and-drop your Answering Rule to the top if needed. 

Are you receiving daily calls from anonymous or unknown numbers? Don’t worry about trying to keep track of blocking numbers on all of your connected devices. You can easily view and manage blocked numbers through the Sonar portal. Navigate to the Answering Rules section to block and unblock specific numbers and/or all unknown numbers.

How to Block a Specific Number or All Unknown Numbers

Office managers and call center supervisors must be in My Account to access their Answering Rules.

1. Click the Answering Rules tab on your Sonar portal.
2. Click the Block button on the right side.

1. In the text box, enter a 10-digit number with no spaces, brackets, or dashes.
2. Click the plus button to add the number to your block list.
3. (Optional) Check the box next to Block anonymous or unknown. 
4. Click the Done button to save.

How to Upload a Block Caller List

The Sonar portal allows a list upload (.cvs files) to block multiple callers at one time. You can create the list yourself, or download a template from the Sonar portal. Follow the instructions below to learn how to download the template and upload your block caller list. 

1. Navigate to the Answering Rules tab. Office Managers and Call Center Supervisors must be in My Account to access the Answering Rules tab. 
2. Click the Block button, on the right side above the Answering Rule list.
3. In the popup configuration menu, click the Import button. 
4. Click the Download Template button. 
5. In Google Sheets^TM (or Microsoft® Excel), upload the template .csv file.  
6. Fill in the 2 required fields: 
   1. A 10-digit phone number, and, 
   2. Yes for allowed and No for blocking. 
      For best import results, only include the numbers you want to block. 
      
7. Once completed, export your filled-in spreadsheet as a .csv file. 
   
8. Navigate back to the Sonar portal and upload your file in the popup configuration menu.
9. Review the block caller list in the popup configuration menu, and click Done.