IVR & Call Flows

Calls not routing to the correct agent or queue

Fix IVR routing mismatches in SparkTG — overlapping keypress conditions, wrong queue names, agent availability issues, and SIP error codes in call logs.

6 min readLast updated 20 May, 2026By SparkTG Support Team

Routing failures are the most common IVR issue after go-live. Callers pressing 1 for Sales end up in Support, or get a busy tone when agents are available. Here's how to diagnose it systematically.

Step 1: Check the flow logic

1
Open the IVR flow in the builder
Dashboard → IVR → select your flow → click Edit. Look at each DTMF branch and verify the destination (number, queue name, or SIP extension) is correct.
2
Look for overlapping keypress conditions
If you have branches for both Keypress = 1 and Keypress = 1* (any key starting with 1), the order matters. The first matching condition wins. Reorder branches so specific conditions come before catch-all ones.
3
Check queue names
Dial nodes that reference a queue by name are case-sensitive. "Sales_Queue" and "sales_queue" are different. Go to Contact Center → Queues and copy the exact queue name.

Step 2: Check agent availability settings

Even if routing is correct, calls won't connect if no agents are available and overflow is misconfigured.

Check that agents are logged in and status is set to Available (not Busy or Away).
Go to Contact Center → Queues → your queue → Overflow Settings. Make sure overflow is set to Voicemail or a backup number, not Drop Call.
Check Max Wait Time. If it's set to 10 seconds and your agents take 15 seconds to answer, calls are overflowing before they can be picked up.

If Queue Max Agents is set to a number lower than your actual logged-in agents, calls will be rejected even when agents are free. Verify this setting under Queue → Advanced.

Step 3: Use Call Logs to trace the routing path

1
Go to Reports → Call Logs
Filter by the number and time of the test call.
2
Expand the call record
Each call shows a routing trace: which IVR node was entered, which keypress was detected, and which destination was dialled. This will immediately show you where the wrong turn happened.
3
Check for SIP 4xx/5xx errors
If the log shows SIP error 486 (Busy Here) or 503 (Service Unavailable) at the Dial step, the issue is downstream — the agent's SIP device or the queue server, not the IVR logic.

Frequently asked questions

Why are callers pressing 1 ending up in the wrong queue?

The most common cause is overlapping keypress conditions or an incorrect queue name. Check your IVR flow for duplicate DTMF branches and verify the queue name is an exact case-sensitive match to the name in Contact Center → Queues.

How do I trace exactly where a call went wrong in my IVR?

Go to Reports → Call Logs, find the affected call, and expand the record. SparkTG shows a full routing trace — every IVR node entered, every keypress detected, and every destination dialled. This pinpoints the wrong turn immediately.

Calls are routing correctly but agents aren't receiving them — why?

Check that agents are logged in with status set to Available (not Busy or Away). Also verify Queue Max Agents in Contact Center → Queues → Advanced — if this is set lower than your actual agent count, calls will be rejected even when agents are free.

What does SIP error 486 mean in my call log?

SIP 486 means the destination is Busy. The IVR routing is correct but the agent's device or SIP extension is busy or has Do Not Disturb enabled. Check the agent's softphone or handset. SIP 480 means temporarily unavailable, and SIP 404 means the number was not found.

My Max Wait Time is causing calls to overflow too quickly — what should I set it to?

Set Max Wait Time to at least 30–45 seconds for most call centers. If agents typically take 10–15 seconds to answer, a 10-second Max Wait Time will overflow nearly every call. Adjust under Contact Center → Queues → your queue → Max Wait Time.

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