How call branching works

Last updated: June 24, 2026

Call branching lets you turn your Noto phone number into a simple press-a-key menu, so inbound callers can choose where their call goes. For example, a caller can press 1 to reach the front desk or 2 to reach billing, and Noto forwards the call to the right people based on the keypress.

This is a single-level menu — useful for splitting incoming calls across a few destinations without setting up a separate phone system.

How a call flows through the menu

  1. A caller dials your Noto number.

  2. Noto plays the greeting you've configured and reads out each option ("press 1 for…, press 2 for…").

  3. The caller presses a key.

  4. Noto matches the key to the menu option you set up and forwards the call to the forwarding numbers assigned to that option.

  5. If the caller doesn't press anything, or presses a key you haven't configured, the menu replays up to 3 times. If no valid key is pressed after that, the call goes to voicemail.

The forwarding behavior itself — how the call is handed off and connected — is the same as a Noto number without branching. Branching only decides which set of forwarding numbers receives the call.

If you only have one branch configured, Noto skips the menu entirely — no greeting is played and no keypress is required. The call goes straight to the forwarding numbers assigned to that branch.

Setting up a menu

In the call branching admin screen, you can:

  • Define menu options. For each option, set the digit the caller presses and a short label (such as "front desk" or "billing"). The label is what callers hear in the prompt.

  • Assign forwarding numbers to each option. Each menu option can route to its own set of forwarding numbers, so different keys reach different people.

  • Write the greeting message. This is what callers hear before the menu options are read out.

Forwarding Hours

If a forwarding number has specific forwarding hours set, it will only ring during those times. Calls received outside these hours will not ring that forwarding number. If all forwarding numbers are outside their forwarding hours, the call will be directed straight to voicemail.