IVR Menus

The "press 1 for sales" phone menu, rebuilt on WhatsApp: the caller taps instead of listening.

What it does

A traditional IVR answers the phone and reads out a menu: press 1 for sales, press 2 for support. The caller listens to all of it, presses a key and hopes they picked the right one.

On WhatsApp the menu is tappable. The contact sees every option at once, picks one and lands where they wanted, and the whole exchange stays in your inbox as a written record.

Where the menu comes from

A missed call. Someone rings your WhatsApp Business number and nobody picks up. Instead of losing the lead, they get a menu straight away:

1. The call goes unanswered.
2. The Missed WhatsApp call trigger fires.
3. A workflow sends a menu: Call me back · Sales & pricing · Help with an order · Ask a question.
4. The contact taps one, and the workflow does the rest: sends the answer, tags them, or hands them to a person.

The same menu also reaches anyone who uses WhatsApp's own request a callback button on your number.

Set one up in two minutes

1. Go to Workflows and create a new workflow.
2. Open Load a use-case sample and pick Missed-Call IVR Menu (under Support).
3. Change the wording, hours and links so they're yours.
4. Turn the workflow on.

The next missed call gets the menu.

Building your own menu

The menu step is Ask: Pick One. Give it a question and a list of options; each option can lead to its own next step.

• Up to 3 options: WhatsApp shows them as big tappable buttons.
• 4 to 10 options: WhatsApp shows a scrollable list with a short description under each row.

Sub-menus

Point an option at another Ask: Pick One step and you have a second level, just like "press 2, then press 1". Add a Back to main menu option that points at the first menu step so the contact can start over.

Ending a branch

Every branch should finish somewhere:

• Send a message with the answer, then Stop.
• Tag the contact (callback-requested, needs-human) so your team can pick them up from the inbox.
• Use an AI reply to answer a free-form question from your knowledge base.

Keeping it usable

• Four options per menu, at most. Longer menus are where callers give up, just like on the phone.
• Name the outcome, not the department. "Where is my order?" beats "Logistics".
• Always leave a way to a person. One option should always reach your team.
• Keep option labels short. WhatsApp cuts a button off at 20 characters and a list row at 24.
• Tag every branch. The tag tells your team why the person called.

What it can't do (yet)

• No keypad tones. WhatsApp calls don't carry "press 1" digits, so the menu is tapped, not dialled.
• The menu is text, not voice. Nothing is spoken to the caller while the phone rings; the menu arrives as a WhatsApp message right after.
• Spoken menus, where AIM Automate answers the call and talks to the caller, are on our roadmap but not available today.

Good to know

• If your plan includes a voice greeting (Setup → Conversation Defaults), pair it with the menu so a first-time caller hears a friendly hello and then gets the menu.
• Running more than one number? Choose the account on the trigger, and your sales line and support line can each answer with their own menu.
• Watch which option gets tapped most. That's the call your team misses most often.

A missed call used to be a lost lead. With an IVR menu it becomes a tap, a tag, and a conversation your team can finish.