Enswitch - Feature Prefixes
This article provides an overview of the use of feature prefixes for dialing and how one can be added to an Enswitch domain.
Written by Val Campos
Updated at July 5th, 2024
Table of Contents
What is a Feature Prefix?
Feature Prefixes are codes that are dialed alone or before a telephone line or phone number to modify the behavior of a call. These prefixes can have many different functions, or Purposes.
When a Feature Prefix is dialed, the phone system reads the prefix and then strips it off before routing the call according to the Purpose of the feature prefix.
Quick Tip: A commonly used example of a feature prefix is 9.
This prefix is usually set to only allow users to make external calls when they dial a 9.
Create a Feature Prefix
To add a dialable feature prefix for a domain:
- Log into your Enswitch web portal.
- Navigate to Features → Feature prefixes.
- Click the New >> button.
- In the New feature prefix menu, enter the following information:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| * Called number prefix | Type the number(s) to be dialed and matched. |
| Called number minimum length | Minimum length of the called number to match. This includes the prefix. |
| Called number maximum length | Maximum length of the called number to match. This includes the prefix. |
| Description | Type a note to be displayed in the list of feature prefixes. |
| Purpose |
Use the dropdown to select what this feature prefix will be used for.
|
Feature Prefix Purpose Options
There are many different options available for customizing how a call should behave when a specific feature prefix is dialed. These options are called Purposes in the Enswitch web portal.
| Purpose | Description |
|---|---|
| Conference |
Using this feature prefix purpose, users can join conference calls in 4 different ways: • Conference, administrator - Allows the caller to join a conference call as an admin with more privileges. |
| External number | Users dial this feature prefix before they can place outbound calls to external numbers. |
| Hide callerid | Users can dial this feature prefix before a telephone number to prevent their caller ID from being shown to the other party. |
| Mailbox |
Dial this prefix followed by a mailbox number to directly call or transfer a call to that mailbox. Quick Tip: This is useful for transferring callers if you know the person you wish to transfer them to is unavailable. |
| Page telephone | As an alternative to using a feature code, this kind of feature prefix can be dialed along with the 7-digit extension number of the telephone line to be paged. |
| Park call | Type a feature prefix to be dialed to park a call. |
| Plugin |
To use a certain plugin for that feature prefix, select from the Plugin drop-down: Extra Info: The plugin can access the remainder of the called number after the prefix using the ${ENSWITCH-SUBNUMBER} variable. |
| Record call |
The Record call feature prefix allows users to record the dialed call. That call's recording is stored in the Record Group that is selected using the Record group drop-down:
NOTE: The record group settings (such as “percentage of calls to record”) still apply. If the settings of the recording group the user's telephone line is a part of restricts recording, then it is possible the call may not be recorded. |
| Remote access |
Create a feature prefix to be dialed to use a remote access menu. To use the remote access prefix… 1. Dial the feature prefix. |
| Replace prefix |
Using this feature prefix, callers can replace what has been dialed with what has been typed into the Replaced with box.
Quick Tip: This feature prefix purpose allows for the creation of short, speed dials to external number ranges. This can also be used for replacing an international access code. |
| SIP domain | Route the call to the URI of a SIP domain that is typed in the SIP domain box. 
|
| Set call forwarding | Dial this feature prefix followed by a number to set call forwarding for the caller's telephone line to that dialed phone number. |
|
Set call media to fax & Set call media to voice |
Route the call according to the main voice or fax routing table. |
| Spy on last call to/from telephone |
Create feature prefixes to be dialed before a telephone line (i.e. the 7-digit extension number of an agent) to spy on that telephone line's call.
|
| Telephone line | Dial this prefix followed by a telephone line's account number to directly call that telephone line. |
| Use voucher | Allow users to use a voucher to make a call to the feature prefix by dialing <prefix> <voucher>. |
- Click the Save button.
-
Repeat steps 3-5 for each feature prefix users should be able to use.
✔ You should now have a list of the different feature prefixes that have been created.
