IVR node: Wait for digit (DTMF)

The Wait for digit (DTMF) node plays a prompt and waits for the caller to press a key on their phone. It's the basic building block of any "press 1 for sales, press 2 for support" menu: each accepted digit becomes a separate output on the node, and you connect each one to a different path in the flow.

Requirements

• Have your menu prompt ready and know which digits you'll use and where each one should lead.

Steps

1. Open Settings → Channels → (your calling channel) → IVR workflow editor.
2. Drag the Wait for digit (DTMF) node onto the canvas.
3. Write the Prompt with the options (e.g. "Press 1 for sales, press 2 for support").
4. Pick a voice.
5. Fill in Accepted digits, comma-separated (e.g. 1, 2).
6. Adjust Timeout (seconds) and Max retries.
7. Optional: write a different Retry prompt for when the caller doesn't press anything or presses an invalid digit.
8. Optional: fill in Store in variable if you want to reuse the pressed digit later (e.g. in a Branch).
9. Connect each digit under Accepted digits to its own path, and also wire the "no match" and "no input" outputs to a fallback message.
10. Save and publish.

Configuration

• Prompt: what the caller hears before pressing a key.
• Timeout (seconds): how long the node waits for the caller to press a key.
• Max retries: how many times the prompt repeats before taking the "no match" path. Example: 2.
• Retry prompt: plays when the caller doesn't press anything or presses an invalid digit; if left empty, the main prompt replays.
• Accepted digits: the valid digits the caller can press; anything else triggers the "no match" output. Example: 1, 2, 3.
• Store in variable: the variable that stores the pressed digit, useful for a Branch or Condition later. Example: menu_choice.

Example

A main menu with the prompt "Press 1 for sales, press 2 for support, press 0 to speak with an agent", accepted digits 1, 2, 0, stored in the variable menu_choice, with output 1 wired to Route to team (sales), 2 to Route to team (support), and 0 to Route to user.

Tips

• Always set a shorter, more direct Retry prompt, so the caller doesn't have to hear the entire menu again after pressing the wrong key.
• Wire the "no match" output to something useful (e.g., routing to an agent) instead of leaving it disconnected, so you don't lose the caller after a few failed attempts.

Troubleshooting

• The caller presses a digit and nothing happens: check that digit is listed under Accepted digits and that its output is connected to a node.
• The menu repeats too many times: lower the Max retries value or check that the "no match" output is properly wired to break the loop.