How to Set Up an Inbound Queue and Route a DID

Quick answer

To set up an inbound queue in DialerBee, go to Admin console → Queues → Add Queue, name the queue, choose a routing strategy (Longest Idle is the default), set a priority and a maximum wait, then open the queue and use the SLA tab for the target answer time, threshold and wrap-up time, the Media tab for announcements and hold audio, and the Agents tab to assign agents. Then go to Admin console → Inbound DIDs → Add DID, enter the number in E.164 format, choose the provider gateway, set Route Type to Queue and Route Target to your new queue, and save. Confirm it by placing a call, watching queue depth on the wallboard, then reading the queue performance report.

An inbound queue is two things joined together: a set of rules for choosing which agent gets the next call, and a number that sends calls into those rules. Most inbound setup pain comes from doing one and forgetting the other, so a queue exists with nobody calling it, or a number rings out because its routing target was never set.

This guide is the admin console procedure, screen by screen. The inbound contact center feature page describes what the ACD can do; this one tells you where to click and what each field defaults to.

Before you start

Gather these first.

The inbound numbers you want to route, in E.164 format (for example +971 4 555 0100).
The gateway those numbers arrive on, already configured under Admin console → Gateways. If it is not there yet, do the SIP trunk setup first.
The list of agents who should answer this queue, already created as users in the tenant.

Step 1: Create the queue

Go to Admin console → Queues. The screen is titled Queues & Routing and carries four cards at the top: Active Queues, Total Agents, Active Calls and Mailboxes. Click Add Queue, or Create First Queue if this is a new tenant.

The Create Queue modal opens with a General section. Fill in Queue Name, which must be unique within the tenant; the field suggests a name in the style of "Sales Outbound". Then set:

Strategy, which defaults to Longest Idle.
Priority, which defaults to 1 and accepts 1 to 10. A lower number is served first, so the queue that matters most keeps the 1.
Max Wait, in seconds, which defaults to 120.
Music on Hold, which defaults to the tenant default audio.
Business Hours, with a Start of 09:00, an End of 18:00 and the days Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed and Thu selected.

Save. The queue now appears in the list, where you can filter by status (All, Active, Paused) and by strategy.

Step 2: Choose the routing strategy

Expand the queue in the list and open the Routing tab, headed Routing Configuration. The strategy options are Ring All, Longest Idle, Round Robin and Skills-Based. Skills-based routing is planned, so build the queue on one of the other three today and revisit it when that lands.

Longest Idle spreads calls by waiting time rather than by list order. Round Robin cycles through agents in order regardless of idle time, which suits a team where every agent should take the same count. Ring All rings everyone at once and suits small teams where speed matters most.

Step 3: Set the SLA and the timing

Open the SLA tab, headed Service Level Agreement. Four fields decide how the queue is measured and how it behaves between calls.

Target Answer Time, in seconds, defaults to 20. This is the answer time a call has to beat to count as inside the service level.
Max Wait Time, in seconds, defaults to 120.
SLA Threshold, a percentage, defaults to 80 and accepts 1 to 100. This is the share of calls that must meet the target before the queue is reported as meeting its service level.
Wrap-up Time, in seconds, defaults to 30 and accepts 0 upwards. This is the gap an agent gets after a call before the queue offers them another one.

Step 4: Announcements and hold audio

Open the Media tab, headed Media Settings. Position Announcement and Estimated Wait Time are both on by default, and Periodic Announcement Interval defaults to 30 seconds with a minimum of 10. There is also a call recording override with three choices: Use Global Setting, Always Record and Never Record. Leave it on the global setting unless this specific queue has a different obligation.

Hold audio is generated by text to speech for your tenant, in a voice you pick and preview before it goes live, or you can upload your own file instead. The platform runs in 11 languages, so a queue serving Arabic callers should be previewed in Arabic rather than approved on the English rendering.

Step 5: Assign the agents

Open the Agents tab and add the users who should answer. The button reflects your selection, so picking two users turns it into Add 2 Agents. A queue with a perfect SLA configuration and no assigned agents is the most common reason a new queue answers nothing, so check the Total Agents card before moving on.

Step 6: Point a number at the queue

Go to Admin console → Inbound DIDs, subtitled "Manage inbound phone numbers and routing". Click Add DID and complete the form:

DID Number, in E.164 format.
Label, an internal name such as "Sales Main Line".
Provider / Gateway, chosen from the gateways configured in this tenant.
Route Type, which defaults to Queue. The other choices are Agent, Campaign, IVR and AI Agent.
Route Target, which now lists your queues. Pick the one from Step 1.
Failover Route (optional), a free text destination such as another queue or voicemail.
Ring Timeout, in seconds, which defaults to 30 and accepts 5 to 120.
Recording, which defaults to Always, with On Demand and Off as alternatives.
Active, on by default, which is what lets the number receive calls.

Save. The DID appears as a card showing its route badge, its route target, its calls today, its recording mode and its provider.

Step 7: Do the rest of the numbers in bulk

Numbers arrive in batches, so they can be changed in batches. Bulk Upload takes a CSV in the format number, label, provider, routeType, routeTarget. Bulk Update changes one field across a list of numbers: Routing (Type + Target), Label or Active Status. Export DIDs writes the inventory to CSV with the columns number,label,route_type,route_target,status,provider,recording, which is the file to hand over when a client asks what their numbers do.

Defaults and limits

Field	Where	Default	Accepted range
Strategy	Create Queue	Longest Idle	Ring All, Longest Idle, Round Robin
Priority	Create Queue	1	1 to 10
Target Answer Time	Queue → SLA	20 seconds	1 upwards
SLA Threshold	Queue → SLA	80 percent	1 to 100
Wrap-up Time	Queue → SLA	30 seconds	0 upwards
Periodic Announcement Interval	Queue → Media	30 seconds	10 upwards
Ring Timeout	Add DID	30 seconds	5 to 120
Route Type	Add DID	Queue	Queue, Agent, Campaign, IVR, AI Agent
Recording	Add DID	Always	Always, On Demand, Off

Verify it works

A queue is not configured until a real call has been through it. Work in this order.

Put one agent into the Ready state and call the DID from an outside line. The call should present to that agent inside the ring timeout.
Open the wallboard and watch queue depth and queue stats while a second call waits. Depth that stays at zero while a caller is holding means the number is not reaching this queue.
Hang up in wrap-up and confirm the agent is not offered a new call until the wrap-up seconds have passed.
The next day, generate the queue performance report and the inbound calls report for the period and check answered, abandoned and time to answer against the target you set.

Troubleshooting

The number rings out and nothing appears on the wallboard. Check the DID card: Active must be on, Route Type must be Queue and Route Target must name the queue. A DID with no target reaches nothing.
Calls queue but no agent is offered them. The Agents tab is empty, or every assigned agent is in a state the queue will not route to. Check the Total Agents card on the Queues screen first.
The queue reports as breaching straight away. The SLA threshold is the percentage of calls that must beat the target, not the target itself. A threshold of 80 with a target of 20 seconds is a different promise from a threshold of 95.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I create an inbound queue in DialerBee?

Admin console then Queues, which is the screen titled Queues and Routing. Click Add Queue, name the queue, choose a strategy, set a priority and a maximum wait, then open the queue to configure the SLA, Media and Agents tabs.

What is the default routing strategy for a new queue?

Longest Idle. The other options available today are Ring All and Round Robin. Skills-based routing is planned, so it appears in the list but should not be the basis of a queue you are building now.

What can an inbound number point at?

A queue, an agent, a campaign, an IVR flow or an AI agent. Route Type defaults to Queue, and the Route Target list changes to match the type you pick.

What are the default SLA values on a queue?

Target Answer Time is 20 seconds, Max Wait Time is 120 seconds, SLA Threshold is 80 percent and Wrap-up Time is 30 seconds. Ring Timeout on the DID itself defaults to 30 seconds and accepts 5 to 120.

How do I change routing on many numbers at once?

Use Bulk Update on the Inbound DIDs screen. Paste or upload the list of numbers, choose Routing as the field to change, pick the new route type and target, preview the count and apply. Bulk Upload adds new numbers from a CSV, and Export DIDs writes the whole inventory out.

How do I prove the queue is meeting its service level?

Queue depth and queue stats are live on the wallboard while calls are waiting. After the fact, generate the queue performance report and the inbound calls report for the period and compare answered and abandoned calls against the target answer time and the threshold you configured.