Deploy Your Iris AI Assistant
Learn how to effectively deploy your Iris AI Assistant within your call routing so that Iris can start handling calls.
Table of Contents
If you have enabled Iris and have had Iris train itself, you will be taken to its Call Inbox. The Call Inbox will show a prompt that states that calls will need to be forwarded to Iris. This means that Iris will need to be set as a destination for calls so that it can start handling calls.
Click this prompt's Deploy instructions button to view the Deploy tab.

In the Deploy Iris section, there will be a list of steps to follow to implement Iris within your business' call routing.

Step 1: Create a User for Iris
In order for Iris to be able to receive and route calls, a user will need to be created for it. This can be done by clicking the Create user button

Clicking this button will have a user named “Iris AI Assistant” created with the extension number 40000.

Once this user is created, its answering rules will automatically be set to have calls it receives directly forwarded to your Iris agent's Vee address.

✔ Since these changes were made automatically, steps 1 and 2 of the Deploy Iris list will now be completed.

Step 2: Forward Calls to Iris
Different businesses can have very differing call flows to meet their unique needs. It is recommended to review how your business' calls route before deciding how Iris should be implemented.
More Info: To learn more about the different ways businesses may have their call routing set up, read the guide below:
Making Sense of Call Routing: A Visual Routing Admin Guide
To review how you can manage and adjust your call routing, read this guide below:
Stratus Basic Inbound Call Routing Guide
Method 1: As a Destination for Calls During a Specific Time
Some companies may prefer that Iris only be used during a specific time, such as their business hours or times they are busy (e.g., meetings, lunches, etc.). This can be done by adjusting the answering rules of a user or Inbound Routing User, which are utilized to perform time-of-day routing.
- Navigate to the Users page.
- Use the search bar to find the user that receives calls from your main phone number.

Quick Tip: For a whole business or a specific site/location, an Inbound Routing User is usually the first destination for calls to a phone number. This routing user's sole purpose is to handle the time-of-day routing of the business/site.
To review your phone numbers and check the destinations for calls going to them, navigate to the Inventory page.

- Click the Edit
icon next to the user and select Answering Rules.
- Click the Edit
icon next to the answering rule of a specific time frame where Iris should handle calls.
- In Call Forwarding section of the Edit menu, select User - 40000 (Iris AI Assistant) for the Always box.
- Click the Save button.
- Repeat steps 4-6 for any other answering rules that need to be updated.
- Place a test call to your phone number during the time Iris is active to confirm calls are routing as intended.
Method 2: For Unanswered Calls from a Call Queue
Some business may prefer to have an AI Agent used as a last resort for when all of their team members are busy. To do this, Iris can be set as a queue's destination for unanswered calls.
- Navigate to the Call Queues page.
-
Click the name of the queue or the Edit
icon next to the queue needing adjustment.
- Go to the In Queue Options tab.
- Adjust the following to set Iris as the destination for unanswered calls:
- Queue Ring Timeout (sec) - If needed, use the slider to adjust how long agents in the queue should ring (in seconds) before a call is counted as unanswered.
- If unanswered - Make sure Forward to destination is selected.
-
Forward Destination - Type and select User - 40000 (Iris AI Assistant).
- Click the Save button.
- If needed, repeat steps 2-5 for any other call queues needing this change.
- Place a test call to the queue and have your team not answer your call to check that your unanswered call routes to Iris.
Method 3: As the Only Destination for a Phone Number
If you are not concerned with your business needing time-of-day routing, you can set a phone number you own to solely route calls to Iris.
- Navigate to the Inventory page of the web portal to view your list of phone numbers.
- Click the phone number or the Edit
icon next to the phone number that needs adjustment.
- in the Edit menu, adjust the following to set Iris as the phone number's destination for calls.
- Treatment - Select User.
- User - Type and select 40000 (Iris AI Assistant).
-
Notes - If needed, add any special notes about this phone number.
- Click the Save button.
- If needed, repeat steps 2-4 for any other phone numbers needing this change.
- Place a test call to the phone numbers that were changed to confirm that Iris is in use.