Test a Flow as a caller, not only by reading the builder. A complete test covers every Menu choice, schedule, transfer result, and failure path.
Use a Safe Test Setup
Whenever possible, connect the Flow to a test persona or number before using it on a production line. Call from a separate phone so the test follows the real incoming-call route.
If you must test a live number, use a controlled time, tell the affected team, and restore the intended route immediately afterward.
Test Checklist
| Area | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Opening | The correct greeting or Menu plays first. |
| Menu | Every supported key matches the spoken prompt. |
| Invalid input | No input and unsupported keys play the correct prompts. |
| People | Each intended recipient or group rings. |
| Strategy | Multiple recipients follow the selected strategy. |
| Queue | The waiting experience and timeout are acceptable. |
| Hours | Open-hours and after-hours calls take different intended paths. |
| Failures | Declined, unanswered, unavailable, and failed destinations reach a useful fallback. |
| Voicemail | The correct recipient receives and can open the recording. |
| Ending | The caller is not trapped in a loop or left in unexplained silence. |
Flow Does Not Receive the Call
- Open the persona that owns the number.
- Open Additional settings, then Incoming calls.
- Confirm Custom Flow has the checkmark.
- Confirm the correct Flow name appears under it.
- Call the same number again from a separate phone.
See Connect a Flow to a Persona for the complete connection path.
The Wrong Path Runs
- Check the first action in the Flow.
- Review each Menu key and its nested action.
- Review the Condition timezone, enabled days, start time, and end time.
- Check every Go to destination.
- Confirm that spoken hours and the routing Condition do not disagree.
A Transfer Never Completes
- Confirm the intended people are selected in Numbers.
- Review the dialing strategy.
- Compare the action-level timeout with the global dial timeout.
- Review the waiting queue duration.
- Confirm Actions if dial fails contains a usable endpoint.
See Dial Someone, Strategies, and Waiting Queues.
The Caller Hears Silence or Repeats Forever
- Look for a Wait action without a message before or after it.
- Check whether two Go to actions send the call back and forth.
- Confirm the Menu repeat key is not also assigned to a Menu option.
- Review maximum loops and all caller prompts in Flow settings.
If the Flow still fails after a clean test, capture the Flow name, persona, called number, approximate call time, expected path, and actual result before contacting Phound Support.