A hunt group is a phone system feature that lets several phones or users share one number. When a call arrives, the system “hunts” through the group’s members, ringing them in a set order or all at once, until someone answers or the call overflows to voicemail, another group or an auto attendant. Hunt groups are found on traditional PBXs, hosted PBX services and most cloud phone systems, and they are the usual way small teams cover a sales line, support line or front desk without a full contact center.
At a glance
- One number rings a defined set of phones, desk phones, softphones or mobile apps depending on the platform.
- Common ring patterns are simultaneous (all at once), linear (always in the same order) and circular or round robin (rotating the starting point).
- Calls that nobody answers overflow to a destination you choose, such as voicemail or another group.
- A basic hunt group rings members and moves on; it usually does not hold callers in line the way a call queue does.
- Vendors name the feature differently, including “ring group” or “call group”, and ring options vary by platform.
What problem it solves
Without a hunt group, a published number usually rings a single phone. If that person is on another call, away from the desk or out sick, the caller gets a busy signal or voicemail even though colleagues are free. Customers notice, and so does the sales team.
A hunt group spreads calls across a team. The caller dials one number, the system rings whoever is available according to the rules you set, and the call has a clear fallback if nobody picks up. It gives small and mid-sized teams shared coverage of a line without buying contact center software, and it keeps the published number stable when people join or leave the team.
How it works
Members. An administrator adds extensions or users to the group. On a hosted PBX or cloud phone system, members can usually be desk phones, softphone apps and mobile apps; on an on-premises PBX they are typically extensions on that system.
Number. The group gets its own extension and, often, a direct inward dialing (DID) number that callers reach directly. An auto attendant menu option (“press 1 for sales”) can also send callers to it.
Ring pattern. The most common options are:
- Simultaneous: every available member rings at once and the first to answer takes the call.
- Linear or top-down: the system rings the first member, then the next, always in the same order. Useful when there is a primary person and backups.
- Circular or round robin: each new call starts with the member after the one who took the last call, spreading calls more evenly.
- Longest idle or uniform: some platforms ring whoever has been free longest. This starts to overlap with what an automatic call distributor (ACD) does.
Timers and overflow. You set how long each member rings and how long the whole group hunts before the call overflows. Overflow destinations commonly include a shared voicemail box, another hunt group, a call queue, an auto attendant or an external number. Time-of-day rules often send calls to a different destination after hours.
Busy and logged-out members. Depending on the platform, members who are on a call, set to do-not-disturb or logged out of the group are skipped. Some systems let members log in and out of a group themselves; others need an administrator to change membership.
For help choosing a phone platform with the call handling your teams need, see our unified communications as a service solution page.
When it matters for buyers
- Moving from an old PBX to a cloud phone system. Existing hunt groups, ring orders and overflow rules have to be documented and rebuilt; they are often undocumented and easy to miss.
- Comparing platforms. Ring pattern options, member limits, whether mobile and external numbers can be members, and reporting on missed calls vary widely.
- A team’s call volume grows. When callers regularly overflow to voicemail, a hunt group may no longer be enough and a call queue with hold music and position announcements may suit better.
- Staff turnover. Groups that still ring departed employees, or that have no overflow, are a common cause of missed calls.
Questions to ask vendors
- Which ring patterns do you support, and how are busy, do-not-disturb and logged-out members handled?
- Can mobile apps, softphones and external numbers be group members, and do external numbers use extra licenses or trunk capacity?
- What overflow destinations are available, and can they change by time of day or holiday schedule?
- Is there a limit on members per group or groups per account?
- Can members log themselves in and out of a group?
- What reporting do we get on calls answered, missed and overflowed for each group?
- Will you migrate our existing hunt groups and overflow rules, and who documents them before cutover?
How it differs from a call queue
A hunt group and a call queue both share calls across a team, but they behave differently when nobody is free. A hunt group rings members and then overflows, usually after a short time. A call queue holds callers in line, often with music, announcements and position or wait-time messages, and connects each one to the next available agent, with reporting on wait times and abandoned calls. Many platforms offer both, and a common setup uses a hunt group for a small team and a queue for a busy line.