Managing Call Responses in Workflows: Stop on Response and Disable Voicemail Detect
Understanding Workflow Call Behavior
Two settings in your CRM work together to determine how automated phone calls from a workflow interact with your contacts: the workflow-level Stop on Response setting and the Disable Voicemail Detect option found within a Call action. By configuring these, you can control whether your workflow prioritizes accurately identifying a human answer or achieving the fastest possible call connection time.
It is important to note that the Stop on Response setting only considers the contact's phone line (or their voicemail). The behavior of a business line, if one is also dialed in the Call action, does not influence this setting.
Stop on Response
This is a global setting for the entire workflow. When Stop on Response is turned on, the system will automatically remove a contact from the current workflow if they respond to any automated communication sent from it, such as an SMS, email, or a phone call. This feature prevents your automation from continuing to message a lead who has already engaged.
Disable Voicemail Detect
This is an advanced setting located within the configuration of a Call action. It controls whether the system attempts to determine if a call was answered by a person or by an answering machine (voicemail).
Configuration Combinations and Outcomes
The table below outlines the results of different combinations of these two settings.
- Stop on Response: ON, Disable Voicemail Detect: ON
The workflow will stop if the call is answered by the contact's voicemail. To help prevent calls from reaching voicemail, set the call timeout on the action to less than 20 seconds. - Stop on Response: ON, Disable Voicemail Detect: OFF
The system will detect voicemail. Calls that go to voicemail will not be treated as a response, so the contact will continue moving through the workflow. - Stop on Response: OFF, Disable Voicemail Detect: OFF
The workflow will continue for the contact regardless of their responses or if a call goes to voicemail. This configuration will be slightly slower because voicemail detection is active. - Stop on Response: OFF, Disable Voicemail Detect: ON
The workflow will continue regardless of contact responses or voicemail. This will be slightly faster because voicemail detection is turned off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my workflow stop after a call, even when the person didn't answer?
This usually occurs when Stop on Response is enabled for the workflow and Disable Voicemail Detect is enabled on the Call action. In this case, if the call goes to voicemail, the system interprets the voicemail answer as a "response" and stops the workflow. To avoid this, set the Call Timeout on that specific action to 20 seconds or less.
What causes the delay when voicemail detection is enabled?
When voicemail detection is active (the default state), the system pauses briefly after the call is answered to analyze the audio. It listens for signs of a live person versus a pre-recorded voicemail message. This analysis creates a short delay before the call is fully connected.
What is the recommended 'Call Timeout' to avoid triggering voicemail?
A timeout of 20 seconds is generally recommended. Most phone services and mobile carriers will ring for longer than 20 seconds before diverting the call to a voicemail service.
Does 'Stop on Response' apply to manual calls I make from the Conversations tab?
No. The Stop on Response setting only applies to automated communication sent from within that specific workflow. Manual calls or messages, or communications from other workflows, do not trigger it.