How to configure Zoom Phone shared line groups

Configuring Zoom Phone shared line groups allows multiple users to answer and make calls from a single phone number. To set this up, access the Zoom web portal, navigate to the Phone System Management section, create a new shared line group, and assign members and settings like business hours and call handling.

Prerequisites

• A Zoom Pro, Business, Education, or Enterprise account.
• A Zoom Phone license.
• Admin access to the Zoom web portal.
• Familiarity with Zoom Phone role management.
• An understanding of call queues and how they differ from shared line groups.
• Consideration for shared lines privacy mode.

Create a New Shared Line Group

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Phone System Management > Shared Line Groups.
3. Click Add.
4. Enter a Name for the shared line group. This should be descriptive so users understand its purpose.
5. Assign a Site to the shared line group, if your account uses multiple sites.
6. In the Extension Number field, assign an extension number to the shared line group.
7. Click Save.

Add Members to the Shared Line Group

1. In the Zoom web portal, navigate to Phone System Management > Shared Line Groups.
2. Click the name of the shared line group you want to modify.
3. Click the Members tab.
4. Click Add.
5. Search for and select the users you want to add to the shared line group.
6. Click Save.
7. (Optional) You can adjust the order of members. Select a user, then click Up or Down to change their position in the list. The order determines the order in which members are alerted.

Configure Call Handling Settings

1. In the Zoom web portal, navigate to Phone System Management > Shared Line Groups.
2. Click the name of the shared line group you want to modify.
3. Click the Settings tab.
4. In the Business Hours section, click Edit to specify the days and times the shared line group is available to receive calls. You can set different hours for each day of the week.
5. In the Closed Hours section, click Edit to configure how calls are handled outside of business hours. You can play a message, route calls to voicemail, or disconnect the call.
6. In the Call Handling section, select a call distribution method:
   • Simultaneous: All members of the shared line group will be alerted at the same time.
   • Sequential: Members of the shared line group will be alerted one at a time, in the order they are listed in the Members tab. Configure the alert duration (in seconds) before the call moves to the next member.
   • Rotating: Calls are distributed to members in a rotating fashion, ensuring that each member receives an equal number of calls.
7. Set the Maximum Wait Time to specify how long the system should try to connect the call to a member of the shared line group.
8. Specify where to route calls if no members answer within the maximum wait time. Options include routing to voicemail, another user, a call queue, or disconnecting the call.
9. (Optional) Enable Overflow to route calls to another destination if all members are busy.
10. (Optional) Enable Shared Line Group Privacy to prevent members from picking up calls on hold by other members. This uses the shared lines privacy mode feature.
11. (Optional) If you have desk phones that support multiple line keys, you can customize the line keys. See the article on Customizing line keys and positions settings.

Configure Voicemail Settings

1. In the Zoom web portal, navigate to Phone System Management > Shared Line Groups.
2. Click the name of the shared line group you want to modify.
3. Click the Voicemail tab.
4. Configure the following settings:
   • Greeting: Choose the voicemail greeting that will be played to callers. You can use the default greeting or record a custom greeting.
   • Notification: Enable email notifications to be sent when a new voicemail is received. Specify the email address(es) to receive the notifications.
   • Transcription: Enable voicemail transcription to automatically transcribe voicemail messages into text.

Enabling calls from shared line groups by IP phone

1. Advise users that they can opt in or out of shared line groups by manually dialing via their IP phone. This requires users to manually change their settings each time they want to opt in or out.

Common Issues

• Calls are not routing to the shared line group: Verify that the business hours and call handling settings are configured correctly. Ensure that the shared line group is active and that members are assigned to it. Double-check that the inbound call routing is properly configured to direct calls to the shared line group’s extension.
• Members are not receiving call notifications: Ensure that members have their Zoom Phone app open and are logged in. Check that the Zoom Phone app notifications are enabled in the device’s settings. Verify that the call distribution method is appropriate for the team’s needs.
• Voicemail notifications are not being received: Confirm that the email address(es) specified for voicemail notifications are correct. Check the spam folder for the email account. Ensure that the voicemail notification setting is enabled in the Voicemail tab of the shared line group settings.
• Users cannot access the shared line group voicemail: Verify that the user has the correct permissions to access the shared line group voicemail. Consider using Zoom Phone role management to grant appropriate access.
• Shared Line Group Privacy is not working as expected: Ensure that the Shared Line Group Privacy setting is enabled. Inform members of the shared line group that this feature is enabled and that they will not be able to pick up calls on hold by other members.