Create inbound phone scripts

8x8 Contact Center inbound phone scripts are grouped under Scripts > Phone in 8x8 Configuration Manager. 8x8 Contact Center administrators can create a user-defined script or use one of the system default scripts:

System default script

8x8 Contact Center offers the following default scripts:

  • IVR script default: The default phone script provided by the system. You can copy and then edit the default script when creating a new user-defined script.
  • Agent Extension script: The default script for an agent PBX extension number associated with the agent's extension. This default script is for transferring the calls to the agent whether offline or logged in. You can edit the default script to configure it for an agent's work schedule, such as breaks or off hours. This script supports extension-to-extension dialing. You can choose the above scripts as your tenant's default for an agent's DID and extension numbers.
  • Agent DID script: The default script for an agent public number associated with the agent's DID. This default script is for transferring the calls to the agent whether offline or logged in. You can edit the default script to configure it for an agent's work schedule, such as breaks or off hours. This script directs external callers to agents who are assigned to the channels. The default agent scripts are introduced to allow direct agent routing from a public telephone number and an agent's extension number. These default scripts can be edited by administrators.

User-defined script

A phone script created by the user. It can be Inbound phone, Outbound phone, or Post Call Survey script. You can create, edit, or delete a user-defined phone script by going to Scripts > Phone.

To create or edit a user-defined phone IVR script:

  1. From the Configuration Menu, open Scripts.
    Scripts are grouped by media in separate tabs: Phone, Chat, Email, and Social.
  2. Go to the Phone tab.
  3. Click or Add new phone script.
  4. Enter the properties for the phone script.
    The following table summarizes the options under Scripts > Phone > Properties:

    Phone/ Chat/Email Script Property Description
    Script Type
    • Phone: Select a script type: Inbound phone, Post Call Survey, or Outbound phone.
    • Chat and Email: A read-only reminder of the script type. It displays if it is a phone, chat, or email script.
    Script Name Enter a unique name for the script.
    Category A category helps you organize your scripts better. For example, if you have multiple scripts serving Support and Sales needs, you can group scripts under separate categories. You can select an existing category or create a new one.

    To create a new category:

    1. Select Edit Categories from the drop-down menu.
    2. In the Category dialog box, add a new category by clicking .
    Copy script from Choose this option to place a copy of the default or an existing IVR script into this channel. This option appears when you are creating a new script.
    Comment Add comments or additional notes, if desired.
    This script is enabled Select to place this script definition into service.
    Assigned Channels /Assigned Queues
    • When you select Script Type > Outbound Phone, you must assign one or more new outbound phone queues.
    • When you select Script Type > Post Call Survey or Script Type > Inbound phone, you must assign one or more channels to the script.

      Note: It is not mandatory to assign a channel while creating a script.

      To assign new channels:

      1. Click on the link to bring up the list of channels.
      2. Select the desired channels from the list.
      3. Click Assign.

      Note: All channels in the list are associated with a script whether default or user-defined. If you assign and save a new script, the old script is permanently replaced by the new selected script.

      Note: It is recommended to restrict your assignment to 100 channels at a time.

  5. Click Save.
    Upon saving the properties, 8x8 Configuration Manager takes you to the Script tab, where you can define the script.
  6. In the Script tab, click MainIVR.
    The [add] option appears.
  7. Add the desired IVR Objects such as Schedule, Check ANI, and Get Value.
    See Summary of Phone IVR Script Objects for the complete list of available objects and their description.
  8. Click Save.
  9. To edit the details, click any object and select edit. An edit window opens up. To view the details, double-click any object. The View details window appears. You can also click edit from inside the View details window.
  10. To undo the changes click Revert.
    For a primer on writing IVR scripts, refer to the guide on Interactive Voice Response for samples, refer to IVR Phone Script Examples.
  11. If enabled for your tenant, you can click the on the script page to download the PDF output and save it locally. The PDF contains the script name, date, and time of print. Supervisors and administrators can review and modify the script as needed. Contact 8x8 Support if you do not see the download icon.

    Note: When creating or modifying a script, disable the script by clearing This script is enabled in the channel's Properties tab. This ensures that 8x8 Contact Center does not run an incomplete script. After completing the script, enable it again.

Define a direct agent routing default script

The Direct Agent Routing script can be used for transferring the calls to the agent whether offline or logged in. You can select a default script for the agents DID or extension number and save it in your tenant. The next time you create a new agent via Account Manager, the default script is automatically assigned to the new agent.

Edit an agent's phone DID or extension script

When you create a new agent in Account Manager and assign a DID or extension number to the agent, the default script selected for your tenant is automatically assigned to that DID or extension number. You can, however, edit the script later via 8x8 Configuration Manager and assign a different script to it via the Users > Phone page.