How to forward Zoom Phone calls to GreetKeeper
Zoom Phone routes calls by the hours you keep. Add GreetKeeper as an outside number, then choose how long your devices ring first.
The four forwarding modes on Zoom Phone
Zoom Phone doesn't use star codes for this. You build a call-handling list for four kinds of hours (business, closed, break and holiday) and decide what happens when a call goes unanswered. GreetKeeper can sit at the end of that list or take the whole slot.
| Mode | Where it lives in Zoom Phone | How to point it at GreetKeeper |
|---|---|---|
| All calls | Closed hours and holiday hours | Add Phone Number with your GreetKeeper number as the only entry |
| Busy | Business hours, with Call waiting on | Sequential ring, your devices first, GreetKeeper last in the list |
| No answer | Business hours, Max Wait Time or Ringing Duration for Each Device | Add Phone Number as the last step once your devices have rung |
| Unreachable | Break hours, for the stretch when nobody is at a desk | Add Phone Number with GreetKeeper as the only entry |
Zoom offers two ring modes. Simultaneously rings everything on the list at once for a Max Wait Time, and Sequential rings each entry in turn for its Ringing Duration. Put GreetKeeper last in a sequential list when you want your team to answer first.
Settings read on Zoom's support article Customizing call handling settings, https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0069180, on 24 September 2026.
Set up forwarding on Zoom Phone
Five steps, from copying the number to switching it off again.
Check the user has a direct number
Zoom's article says a user needs a Direct Inward Dial number to forward to an outside line. A user with only an extension gets one assigned first.
Open call handling in the Zoom web portal
Sign in, click Zoom Phone in the side menu and open the Settings tab. Admins can reach the same screen through Admin Center, Phone system, then Users & Rooms.
Add GreetKeeper for the hours you want covered
Under business, closed, break or holiday hours, click Add Phone Number, pick United States and enter your GreetKeeper number. In business hours, set Sequential and drag GreetKeeper to the bottom.
Call in during each set of hours
Test during business hours and let your devices ring out, then test again once closed hours begin. Each test should end with a transcript and summary from GreetKeeper.
Remove the entry to undo it
Delete GreetKeeper from the call-handling list and save. Your Zoom number, your extensions and your auto receptionist stay exactly as they were.
Using Zoom's hours to decide who answers
Imagine a six-person accounting firm on Zoom Phone in the middle of tax season. Staff answer during business hours with GreetKeeper last in a sequential list. Clients who can't get through at 11am still get their question logged, and the partner reads the summary between meetings.
Break hours are made for lunch. Set 12 to 1 as a break with GreetKeeper as the only entry. The whole office can eat together while the phone keeps booking appointments.
Holiday hours cover the long weekends. Add July 4th and Thanksgiving once, point them at GreetKeeper, and nobody has to remember to change anything on the day.
Closed hours are the evening shift. A client calling at 8pm hears your greeting, books a slot into your calendar, and gets one text with the confirmation.
Zoom Phone settings that decide whether it works
External forwarding needs a direct number on that user. Zoom's article states it plainly, and it's the most common reason an Add Phone Number entry never rings.
Pick the country in the drop-down before you type. Zoom asks for the right country or region, and GreetKeeper numbers are US lines.
Call waiting keeps a second caller moving. Zoom describes it as receiving the call even while you're busy on another, so the sequential list still reaches GreetKeeper.
Desk phones join closed and holiday hours only if you add them. Zoom's article says so, which is handy: leave them off and GreetKeeper takes those hours alone.
Zoom Phone forwarding questions
Why won't Zoom Phone forward to an external number?
Zoom's article says a user needs a Direct Inward Dial number to forward outside Zoom. Users with only an extension can't reach an external line until a DID is assigned to them.
How do I make Zoom Phone ring my team before GreetKeeper?
Set the call-handling ring mode to Sequential, put your devices at the top and GreetKeeper at the bottom. Each device rings for its Ringing Duration before the call moves on.
Can Zoom Phone send only after-hours calls to GreetKeeper?
Yes. Add GreetKeeper under closed hours and holiday hours only, and leave business hours as they are. Zoom switches between the lists on the schedule you set.
Do spam calls from my Zoom number count toward my GreetKeeper plan?
No. GreetKeeper drops robocalls and silent callers before the greeting, and screened calls don't count toward your plan.
Add one phone number in Zoom
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