Learn how to upload, manage, and assign inbound voicemail greetings in Shape Software so callers hear the appropriate message when a call isn’t answered.
Inbound Voicemail Recordings
Inbound Voicemail Recordings are the voicemail greetings callers hear when an inbound call reaches voicemail.
These greetings reassure callers that they’ve reached the correct business or person and invite them to leave a message. A clear, professional greeting helps reduce hang-ups while encouraging callers to provide the information your team needs to return their call.
Inbound voicemail greetings are managed separately from Outbound Voicemail Drop recordings and are assigned through your Inbound Call Routing rules.
Before You Begin
Before using Inbound Voicemail Recordings, make sure:
- Your organization’s phone system has been configured.
- You have at least one inbound call route.
- Your voicemail greeting has been uploaded.
- Your recording is saved as an MP3 file with a bitrate of 320 kbps or lower.
Creating and Managing Voicemail Greetings
Navigate to:
Settings → Inbound Voicemail Recordings
From this page you can:
- Upload new voicemail greetings
- Rename existing recordings
- Preview recordings
- Delete unused recordings
You can also manage your personal voicemail greeting from your Profile → Phone Settings.
Assigning a Voicemail Greeting
Uploading a recording does not automatically make it active.
Voicemail greetings are assigned within your Inbound Call Routing rules.
To assign a greeting:
Once assigned, callers reaching voicemail through that inbound route will hear the selected greeting.
When Is the Greeting Played?
A voicemail greeting is played whenever an inbound call reaches the voicemail step of your configured inbound call route.
Common examples include:
- Nobody answers the call.
- The call progresses through all configured routing rules.
- The call reaches an after-hours voicemail route.
- An inbound call is intentionally directed to voicemail.
What happens before the voicemail greeting is controlled entirely by your Inbound Call Routing configuration.
Best Practices
A good voicemail greeting should be short, professional, and clearly explain what the caller should do next.
We recommend including:
- ✓Your company or department name.
- ✓Confirmation that the caller has reached the correct number.
- ✓A request for the caller’s name and callback number.
- ✓Any additional information you’d like them to leave.
- ✓An estimate of when they’ll receive a return call, if applicable.
Example:
“Thank you for calling ABC Mortgage. You’ve reached our lending team. We’re unable to take your call right now, but please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message after the tone, and someone will return your call as soon as possible. We appreciate your call.”
User Access
By default, users manage their own voicemail greetings.
Users generally have access only to recordings they’ve uploaded.
Administrators can assign any available voicemail greeting to an inbound call route as needed, allowing organizations to standardize greetings across departments or configure personalized greetings for individual users.
Inbound Voicemail vs. Outbound Voicemail Drop
Although both features use audio recordings, they serve different purposes.
Inbound Voicemail Recordings
Outbound Voicemail Drop
Greeting callers when an inbound call reaches voicemail
Leaving a pre-recorded message during an outbound call
Used by Inbound Call Routing
Used from the dialer during outbound calls
Invites callers to leave a message
Plays your message after the voicemail beep
Supports missed and after-hours calls
Saves time leaving outbound voicemails
Best Practices
- ✓Keep greetings between 20 and 30 seconds.
- ✓Speak clearly and professionally.
- ✓Identify yourself or your organization.
- ✓Ask callers to leave their name and callback number.
- ✓Keep greetings updated if your business hours or contact information change.
- ✓Consider using different greetings for different departments or phone numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I upload voicemail greetings?+
Navigate to: Settings → Inbound Voicemail Recordings You can also manage your personal greeting from Profile → Phone Settings.
Does uploading a greeting automatically activate it?+
No. After uploading a greeting, it must be assigned to an Inbound Call Routing rule before callers will hear it.
Can different phone numbers use different greetings?+
Yes. Each inbound call route can have its own voicemail greeting, allowing different departments, users, or business lines to present unique messages.
Can I preview my greeting before using it?+
Yes. You can play back uploaded recordings directly from the Inbound Voicemail Recordings page.
Can I edit my recording?+
You can rename or replace recordings, but the audio itself must be edited externally before uploading a new version.
Can other users use my voicemail greeting?+
Users typically have access only to the greetings they’ve uploaded. However, administrators can configure inbound call routes to use another user’s greeting when appropriate.
Can I use this recording for Outbound Voicemail Drop?+
No. Inbound Voicemail Recordings and Outbound Voicemail Drop use separate recording libraries because they serve different purposes.
What file format is supported?+
Voicemail greetings must be uploaded as MP3 files with a bitrate of 320 kbps or lower.