IVR (Interactive Voice Response)
Short answer: IVR (interactive voice response) is an automated telephony system that plays back recorded prompts and steers callers according to the keys they press or the words they say, for instance "press 1 for sales". Companies rely on it to funnel calls, verify who is calling and resolve basic requests without tying up a live agent.
An IVR menu typically lives on a PBX or contact-center platform sitting behind whichever phone number the caller dials.
How it works
Once a call connects, the IVR plays back a prompt, captures either DTMF tones or spoken input, and moves the call along a flow toward an extension, a queue or a recorded message. These voice applications can be built using standards like W3C VoiceXML or set up directly inside PBX software.
Common parts of an IVR call flow
- Greeting: a recorded or synthesized welcome message heard as soon as the call is picked up.
- Menu prompts: choices like "press 1 for sales, press 2 for support", registered either as DTMF tones or spoken words.
- Routing rules: every option sends the caller onward to an extension, a ring group, a queue or a further menu.
- Time conditions: separate flows depending on business hours, evenings or holidays.
- Fallbacks: the behavior when there is no input or a wrong key is pressed, such as replaying the menu or transferring the caller to an operator.
IVR vs voicemail vs call forwarding
People mix up these three features because all of them determine the fate of an incoming call, yet each one addresses a separate problem.
| Feature | What the caller experiences | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| IVR | A menu of recorded options answered by keypad or voice | Routing callers to the right team or self-service answer |
| Voicemail | A greeting followed by a recording of their message | Capturing messages when nobody can answer |
| Call forwarding | The call simply rings at another phone number | Reaching a person on a different device or line |
Does SMS Conecta offer it?
To be clear, IVR itself is not part of what SMS Conecta provides. What every SMS Conecta number comes with, though, is SIP credentials, letting a SIP-compliant PBX that you run register the number and build menus on it, alongside forwarding calls to any phone if all you need is for calls to find you elsewhere.
How it applies to SMS Conecta
IVR does not feature on the list of things SMS Conecta provides. SMS Conecta hands you the phone numbers and SIP credentials; menu-building happens in a PBX of your own, such as Asterisk, FreePBX or 3CX.
Related terms
- DTMF
- PBX
- SIP trunk
- Toll-free number
Frequently asked questions
Is DTMF required for IVR?
Keypad-driven menus depend on DTMF; IVR built around speech instead uses voice recognition.
Will SMS Conecta set up IVR menus for me?
No — IVR isn't among the listed SMS Conecta features; you would build it inside your own PBX.
Can I register a SMS Conecta number on a PBX that runs IVR?
Yes, SMS Conecta is compatible with any SIP-compliant software, Asterisk, FreePBX and 3CX included.
How does an auto attendant differ from IVR?
An auto attendant is the stripped-down version of IVR — it answers and transfers calls by extension or department, while more complete IVR setups can also pull up data and carry out tasks.
Is IVR able to process spoken replies?
Yes — a lot of IVR systems include speech recognition, so a caller can simply say the option rather than dial it.
Why do keypad presses sometimes get ignored by an IVR menu?
Keypad entry only works if DTMF is passed through correctly, for example via RFC 2833 events or SIP INFO; devices that don't agree on the method can lose the digits.
Related pages
- DTMF
- PBX
- SIP trunk
- 3CX integration
- FreePBX integration
- call centers use case
- E.164 International Phone Number Format
- Local (Geographic) Phone Number
Sources
- W3C: Voice Extensible Markup Language (VoiceXML) 2.0 (as of September 2026)
- Wikipedia: Interactive voice response (as of September 2026)