# Queue

> Hold callers in line and keep ringing your team until someone answers.

- URL: https://kb.voipcloud.online/au/pbx/mass-incoming-calls/queue/
- Section: PBX › Handling mass incoming calls
- Type: reference
- Applies to: All countries
- PBX object: queue
- Last reviewed: 2026-11-09

A **Queue** rings a team of users and keeps callers waiting in line until someone answers. If nobody answers, it tries again after a short interval, and keeps going until the call is answered, the caller hangs up, or the maximum waiting time runs out.

Use a queue for a team that takes lots of calls, such as sales or support. For a small team where callers shouldn't wait, use a [Ring group](https://kb.voipcloud.online/au/pbx/mass-incoming-calls/ring-group/) instead.

## Add it to your call flow

1. Drag **Queue** from the **Handling mass incoming calls** group onto the canvas and click the gear icon.
2. Enter a **Name**.
3. Under **Specify users to be called**, click **Add** and choose the users.
4. Choose a **Ring mode** and set the **Maximum waiting time**.
5. Click **Save**.
6. Connect the paths you need (see [Call paths](#call-paths)) and click **Apply configuration**.

![Queue settings](https://kb.voipcloud.online/au/images/pbx/mass-incoming-calls/queue-settings.webp)

## Users and ringing

| Setting | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Name | Label on the canvas, in the Webphone and in reports. |
| Internal number | Users can dial it or transfer calls to the queue. |
| Ring mode | **Ring all**: rings all users at the same time until one answers. **Linear**: rings users one at a time, top to bottom, until one answers. **Round-robin**: like **Linear**, but starts from where it left off in the previous cycle. **Least recent**: rings the last called user repeatedly until they answer; once answered, the next call goes to the next user in the list. |
| Interval between rings, seconds | How long to wait before trying the users again after a round with no answer, 5 to 60 seconds. Must be shorter than the maximum waiting time. |
| Need to accept a call after the answer on the external number | Users answering on an external number must press **1** to accept. |
| Message for accepting a call | The prompt asking them to press 1 (**Default** or **Custom**). |
| Ring time | How long each user rings in each round, 10 to 60 seconds. If a user's own ring time is shorter, their setting is used. |
| Membership | Turn a user off to stop queue calls reaching them without removing them. Users can also do this in the Webphone (see [Queues and ring groups in the Webphone](https://kb.voipcloud.online/au/phones-and-apps/webphone/queues-and-ring-groups-in-the-webphone/)) unless it's disabled on the [User](https://kb.voipcloud.online/au/pbx/accept-make-divert/user/). |

## Caller experience

| Setting | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Greeting | A message played when the caller enters the queue. |
| Play a ringing tone to the caller instead of music while waiting | Callers hear ringing instead of hold music. |
| Music on hold | Shown when the ringing tone is off: the music callers hear while waiting. Collections are set up in **Settings** › **Music on hold**. |
| Periodic announcement for callers in second position or later | A message repeated while callers wait (**Default**, **Custom** or **Disabled**). It isn't played to the caller who is first in line. |
| Periodic announcement interval, seconds | How often the announcement repeats, 15 to 120 seconds. |
| Enable exit code | Callers can press a key to leave the queue, for example to go to voicemail. Adds an **Exit code** path. |
| Maximum waiting time | How long a caller can wait (hours, minutes, seconds). |

## Advanced parameters

| Setting | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Announce the caller's position in the queue | Tells callers in second place or later where they are in line. The first caller hears it at the start of each round. Set how often with **Interval between position announcements, seconds** (15 to 120). |
| Do not route calls to users who are already on a call | Skips users who are busy. |
| Announce the caller's waiting time to the user after answering | Tells the user how long the caller waited before connecting them. |
| Rest time for the user after ending a call, seconds | A short break before the next call, 0 to 300 seconds. If a user gets calls from several **Queue** and **Queue callback** objects, the setting from the object they last answered applies. |
| Do not show notifications about missed calls in the Webphone | Hides missed-call alerts for queue calls. |
| Count each missed call in user statistics | Counts every unanswered ring as missed in **Reports** › **User statistics**, even when someone else answered. This can inflate missed-call figures. |
| Receive notifications of abandoned and timed-out calls | Emails you when callers hang up or time out. |

## Call paths

| Path | When it's used |
| --- | --- |
| **Maximum waiting time exceeded** | The caller waited longer than the maximum waiting time. |
| **All users offline or on DND mode** | Every user is offline, turned off in the queue, or on Do Not Disturb. A user with Webphone mobile, Microsoft Teams or an external number turned on always counts as online. |
| **Exit code** | Only when **Enable exit code** is on: the caller pressed the exit key. |

Connect these to [Voicemail](https://kb.voipcloud.online/au/pbx/accept-make-divert/voicemail/) or a [Queue callback](https://kb.voipcloud.online/au/pbx/mass-incoming-calls/queue-callback/). If **Maximum waiting time exceeded** isn't connected, the call ends when the time runs out.

## Related

- [Queue priority](https://kb.voipcloud.online/au/pbx/mass-incoming-calls/queue-priority/)
- [Queue callback](https://kb.voipcloud.online/au/pbx/mass-incoming-calls/queue-callback/)
- [Queue wallboard](https://kb.voipcloud.online/au/pbx/monitoring/queue-wallboard/)