| Direction |
Source of truth |
Edits |
Deletion |
| Voxbi to Google |
Voxbi |
Changes made in Voxbi reach every user's copy. Changes a user makes to their Google copy are not read back and may be overwritten on a later sync. |
Turning the direction off leaves the copies already in Google. Switching one user off, or unlinking them, removes the copies Voxbi wrote for them. |
| Google to Voxbi |
Google |
Name, company, email and numbers follow Google on every sync. Notes, VIP, blocking and call handling are Voxbi's and are never touched. |
A contact deleted in Google disappears from Voxbi. One deleted in Voxbi stays deleted until it changes in Google, then comes back as a new contact. |
The same answers are on the form itself, under How contact sync works.
| Message |
What to do |
| Google refused the authorization |
The grant was authorized in a different Workspace, or Google has not applied the change yet. Open the button again as a super administrator of this Workspace, then try again in a few minutes. If the two values were added by hand instead, check both against the form. This is by far the most common cause. |
| Google does not recognize that address in this Workspace |
The test mailbox does not exist in this Workspace, or it has no Calendar license. Try a different real address. |
| That address is not in one of the allowed domains |
Add the domain to the list and save. This is the usual case for a user on a secondary domain. |
| Google refused access for that mailbox |
The grant is usually missing the permissions listed under the message. Add them to the client identifier in the Admin console, then test again. |
| That mailbox has no primary calendar |
The account exists but has no calendar. Use a different test user. |
| Could not reach Google |
A network problem rather than a configuration one. Try again. |
| The save is refused because a domain is already in use |
That domain is already part of another customer's Google Workspace integration, and a domain can only belong to one. If it is yours, contact support. |
| Voxbi's connection to Google is not configured on this server |
Nothing on the form can fix this, and the fields stay read only until it is resolved. Contact support. |
| Google rejected our service account, or the Calendar API is not enabled on our side |
The problem is on Voxbi's side of the connection, not in your Workspace. Contact support. |
| Google returned an unexpected error |
Nothing the test could classify. Try again. If it repeats, send support the message under the failed stage. |
## One user is failing while the rest are fine
The calendar links list has a Status column per user, and a failing row names its own cause: No such account after somebody left, Domain no longer allowed after their domain came off the list in step 1, Calendar was deleted, Access refused, Rate limited, or the operation that failed. These are one account's problems, not the grant's. The rest of the roster keeps syncing, and the row clears itself on the next run once the cause is gone.
## Disconnecting the integration
Switching Enable Google Workspace integration off, or deleting the integration, stops every sync at once and leaves everything already written where it is. Nothing is cleaned up afterwards, so the order matters.
1. To get the contact copies back out, unlink the users, or switch their contacts off, **while the integration is still on**.
2. Events on a calendar always stay. A user can delete them or hide the calendar.
3. Have the super administrator remove Voxbi's client identifier from Security, Access and data control, API controls, Domain-wide delegation. Switching the integration off in Voxbi does not withdraw the Google grant.
## What Voxbi reads, and what it does not
Worth reading before you present this to your team, because it answers the questions they ask.
| Area |
What happens |
| Calendars read |
The user's primary calendar, and only the start and end of events on it. A secondary or shared calendar is read only where an administrator has added it to that user's record, up to five, on the Google Workspace tab. |
| Meeting titles |
The title of a meeting marked private, personal or confidential is never stored. |
| Calendars written |
Absence events, and published Tempus shifts, both only where you chose in step 7. Voxbi only ever edits or deletes an event it created itself. An absence event's title names the kind of absence, and its note becomes the body. |
| Contacts read |
Only if you switched on the fetch direction. Fetched contacts are the user's own and stay private to them in Voxbi. |
| Contacts written |
Only if you switched on the push direction, only contacts the user can already see in Voxbi, and only under the label you chose. |
| The shared address book |
Read only, and only if you switched on the shared import. Voxbi never writes to it. |
| User accounts |
No sign-in, no consent screen, no change to how anyone logs in. |
| Turning it off |
Switching a user off, or unlinking them, removes the contact copies Voxbi wrote for them. Switching a whole direction off, or the integration itself, leaves what is already in Google in place. Events already on a calendar always stay. |
## How often things run
| What |
How often |
| Meeting status applied and reverted |
Every minute |
| Calendars re-read for new meetings |
Every five minutes between 06:00 and 20:00, and a full pass every hour |
| Absence written to a calendar |
When the absence is approved |
| Shift written to a calendar |
When a schedule is published, or pushed from Tempus |
| Contacts synced, both directions |
Every hour, and on demand from the Contacts page |
| Authorization re-checked |
Weekly |
## Frequently asked questions
**Do users have to approve anything?**
No. Google's domain-wide delegation is granted once by a super administrator for the whole Workspace. Users see no consent screen, get no prompt, and sign in exactly as before.
**The integration was working and stopped. Why?**
A super administrator can revoke domain-wide delegation at any time, and Google does not notify Voxbi. Voxbi re-checks every authorization weekly and deactivates an integration whose grant has gone, rather than letting it look healthy while syncing nothing. Re-authorize in the Admin console and run the test again.
**A service now says reauthorization is required.**
Switching on a service that was not part of the original grant adds permissions to the list. Have the super administrator open any of the console links again and authorize. The link always carries the complete list, and authorizing replaces the old grant rather than adding a second one.
**Everything is authorized but nobody is syncing.**
Check step 9. Authorizing covers the Workspace; connecting covers the person. The General tab shows the count of connected users.
**Can I use this without the Tempus module?**
Contacts work on their own. The meeting status and absence events are Tempus features and need it active.
---
# After-hours call routing in Voxbi
> Set up time-based call routing in the Voxbi Cockpit so your phone system automatically handles open and closed hours on every incoming call.
Public AI-agent markdown version of [this guide](https://www.voxbi.com/guides/after-hours-call-routing) on the Voxbi website.
HTML page: https://www.voxbi.com/guides/after-hours-call-routing
Markdown page: https://www.voxbi.com/guides/after-hours-call-routing.md
- Published: 2026-07-20
- Category: Call routing
- Author: Marco L. Abreu (Product owner)
---
After-hours call routing means your phone system knows the difference between "we are open" and "we are closed" and treats each caller accordingly. During business hours, calls ring your team or land in a queue. Outside business hours, callers hear a friendly out-of-office message and can leave a voicemail instead of ringing an empty office. You set this up once with a time-based schedule in [Voxbi call flows](https://app.notion.com/features/call-flows), and Voxbi handles the switching automatically every day, weekend, and public holiday.
This guide walks through the full setup in the Voxbi Cockpit: creating a business-hours schedule, recording your out-of-hours message, and wiring both into a call flow so the right thing happens at the right time of day.
## What you need before you start
A few things should already be in place so the routing has somewhere to send each call:
- Administrator access to the Voxbi Cockpit.
- A queue or an extension for calls to reach during business hours.
- A voicemail box or a recorded announcement for out-of-hours callers.
If you have not built a queue or an extension yet, do that first. The schedule only decides *when* to route; the call flow decides *where*.
## Step 1: create a business-hours schedule
In the Cockpit, open **Schedules** and click **New Schedule**. Give it a clear name such as "Office_hours" so you recognise it later in the call flow.
Add your open times as time slots. For a standard week you might set Monday to Friday, with the weekend days left off. Voxbi lets you split the day into several slots, which is handy if you close over lunch: add one slot for the morning and another for the afternoon.
Save the schedule. Any time a call arrives, Voxbi checks the current time against these slots: inside a slot counts as "open", anything else counts as "closed".
## Step 2: upload your out-of-hours announcement
Go to **Sound files** and upload the message callers should hear when you are closed. Something simple works best, for example: "Thanks for calling. You have reached us outside our business hours. Please leave a message and we will get back to you." Keep it short and warm.
If you would rather send out-of-hours calls straight to voicemail without a spoken intro, you can skip this and let the voicemail greeting do the talking. Most teams prefer the dedicated announcement because it sets expectations before the beep.
## Step 3: open the call flow for your main number
Go to **Call flows** and open the flow that serves your main phone number (or create a new one if you are starting fresh). This is where you decide what happens to each incoming call, step by step.
## Step 4: add a Check schedule step
Add a **Check schedule** step as the very first step in the flow, and select your "Office_hours" schedule. This step splits the flow into two branches:
- **Match**: the call arrived during your business hours.
- **No match**: the call arrived outside your business hours.
Every call now takes one path or the other, automatically, based on the clock.
## Step 5: configure the business-hours path
In the **Match** branch, add a **Dial** step that forwards the call to your queue or extension. This is the normal daytime experience: the caller reaches a real person or waits in your queue.
You can chain more steps here if you like, the same way you would in any call flow: try one group, then another, then fall back to voicemail if nobody answers.
## Step 6: configure the out-of-hours path
In the **No match** branch, add a **Playback** step that plays the out-of-office announcement you uploaded. Follow it with either a **Voicemail** step (so callers can leave a message) or a **Hangup** step (if you simply want to close the line politely).
That is the whole switch: open hours ring your team, closed hours play the message and take a voicemail.
## Step 7: save and test
Save the call flow and remember to push the configuration if the Cockpit prompts you. Then test it by calling your number. If you can, test once during your open hours and once outside them so you see both branches behave.
## Troubleshooting
**Calls always take the closed path, even during open hours.** Check the time slots on your schedule. A common cause is a slot that does not actually cover the current time, or the wrong days being toggled on. Also confirm the call flow is pointing at the right schedule.
**Calls always take the open path, even at night.** Usually this means the Check schedule step is not the first step, or a Dial step earlier in the flow is answering the call before the schedule is checked. Move Check schedule to the top.
**Callers hear nothing on the closed path.** Confirm the Playback step points at the sound file you uploaded, and that the file uploaded successfully under Sound files.
**Changes are not taking effect.** If the Cockpit shows a pending configuration, push it. Routing changes go live once the configuration is pushed.
## Frequently asked questions
**What is after-hours call routing?**
It is a rule in your phone system that treats calls differently depending on the time of day. During business hours, calls reach your team; outside business hours, callers get an announcement and voicemail instead of ringing an unattended office. In Voxbi this is built with a time-based schedule inside a call flow.
**Can I route calls differently for public holidays?**
Yes. The cleanest approach is a separate schedule for holidays and company closures, then a second Check schedule step in your call flow. Check the holiday schedule first, so holiday routing takes priority over the normal weekly hours.
**Do I need a separate phone number for out-of-hours calls?**
No. The whole point of time-based routing is that one number behaves differently depending on when someone calls. A single Check schedule step handles both the open and closed experience on the same number.
**Can I split my open hours across the day?**
Yes. Add more than one time slot to the same schedule, for example a morning slot and an afternoon slot, to cover a lunch break when the office is closed. Any time that falls outside every slot counts as closed.
**What happens to a call that comes in exactly as we close?**
Voxbi checks the time the moment the call arrives against your schedule slots. A call that connects one minute after your last slot ends takes the closed path; a call that connects while a slot is still active takes the open path.
**Can I use after-hours call routing on multiple phone numbers?**
Yes. You can apply the same schedule to multiple call flows, or build separate flows for each number with their own schedule. If your main line and a direct number should behave differently outside hours, give each its own flow.
## Route every call to the right place, around the clock
A time-based schedule is one of the quickest wins in your phone setup: no more missed after-hours calls, no more ringing an empty office, and callers always know what to expect. Once it is in place it runs itself.
Want to go further with how calls move through your system? See how everything fits together on the [call flows hub](https://app.notion.com/features/call-flows), or add a menu so daytime callers can pick the right team with our guide to [creating an IVR menu](https://app.notion.com/blog/create-an-ivr-menu).
---
# Business SMS gateway: send and receive texts from your phone system
> A complete walkthrough of the Voxbi business SMS gateway: what it does, the three sending routes, how a message travels, and how to get it set up.
Public AI-agent markdown version of [this guide](https://www.voxbi.com/guides/business-sms-gateway) on the Voxbi website.
HTML page: https://www.voxbi.com/guides/business-sms-gateway
Markdown page: https://www.voxbi.com/guides/business-sms-gateway.md
- Published: 2026-07-20
- Category: Messaging & fax
- Author: Marco L. Abreu (Product owner)
---
A business SMS gateway lets you send and receive text messages straight from your phone system, without handing anyone a personal mobile. You get a real mobile number that lives in the Voxbi platform, so security codes, server alerts, and customer notifications all flow through one dependable channel. Replies come back to you too, so it works both ways with no dead-end broadcasts.
This guide explains what the business SMS gateway does, the three ways to send a message, how a message travels end to end, and how to get it switched on for your account.
## Why a business SMS gateway is worth setting up
SMS is not glamorous, but it lands. A text is read within minutes, needs no app, and works on any phone. That makes it the right channel for the messages you cannot afford to have ignored.
**Security and authentication.** Forward two-factor authentication codes automatically to email, so a code for banking or an email account still reaches you when the phone is out of reach. You can also route those codes to a shared inbox so more than one person on the team can act on them.
**System monitoring and alerts.** Let administrators receive server or application errors by text message inside their email, which makes escalation and logging far easier. Internet of Things devices that fire off alerts, such as a low-battery warning, can forward them to email for central monitoring too.
**Convenience and reach.** People in areas with patchy coverage can still get important messages by email, and anyone working on a laptop or tablet can read incoming texts without reaching for a phone.
## What you need before you start
The business SMS gateway is provisioned by the Voxbi team rather than self-served, so the setup is short on your side. Before you begin, have the following ready:
- A dedicated mobile number to use as the sender, or a request for one to be assigned.
- Proof that you own any mobile number you want to use as the sender (a mobile invoice is usually enough). This keeps the channel compliant.
- The email address or shared inbox that should receive incoming and forwarded messages, if you plan to use the email-to-SMS route.
- An application programming interface key, if you plan to send messages programmatically. See [how to create a Voxbi API key](https://app.notion.com/blog/create-a-voxbi-api-key) to generate one.
## The three ways to send an SMS
Voxbi gives you three routes to send and receive messages through the gateway. Pick the one that fits how your team works, or mix them.
### 1. Email to SMS (and SMS to email)
The most hands-off option. Send an email and it goes out as a text; when someone replies, the response arrives back in your inbox as an email. This is the route to choose for automated processes and escalations because it slots into email workflows you already run. No new tool to learn, and replies are captured for you.
### 2. The my.voxbi portal
For manual, one-off sends, open the my.voxbi portal and send from the Contacts tab. Contact management is built in, and there is no technical setup to worry about. This suits occasional messages and staff who prefer a screen over a script.
### 3. The SMS API
For developers and automated systems, the API gives you programmatic control to send messages from your own applications. It is a RESTful API with full documentation, so you can wire SMS into a product, a workflow, or an internal tool. Start at the [Voxbi API hub](https://app.notion.com/api) and generate credentials with the [create a Voxbi API key](https://app.notion.com/blog/create-a-voxbi-api-key) guide.
## How a message travels through the gateway
Once the gateway is live, the journey is the same whichever route you choose to send from.
1. **You send a message** from one of the three channels: email to SMS, the my.voxbi portal, or the API.
2. **The backend applies your sender number.** The message goes out with a number stored in the gateway as the sender, not a personal mobile number. The recipient sees your business identity rather than a staff member's handset.
3. **The SMS server delivers the text** to the recipient's mobile phone.
4. **The recipient replies.** Their response is routed back through the SMS server.
5. **You receive the reply** by email (for the email-to-SMS route), keeping the whole exchange in one place.
Because the sender is a fixed business number rather than a person's handset, the conversation stays consistent even if the staff member behind it changes.
### An alert-system example
For escalation processes, the gateway can act as an extra notification channel. Your backend sends a text alert to a defined mobile number, the person on call gets the alert, and they can reply straight back to that number. The screenshot below shows incoming alert messages arriving on a recipient's phone.
## Getting the gateway set up
Setup is handled by the Voxbi team. The moving parts and rough timings are:
- **Mobile gateway hardware.** A SIM card is installed and configured in the corresponding device. This takes about ten minutes.
- **Mail to SMS.** Included in the SIP trunk and Voxbi setup fees.
- **Send SMS.** Included in the SIP trunk and Voxbi setup fees.
- **Custom integration for Voxbi clients.** Setup and testing take at least 30 minutes, depending on how involved your project is.
To start, contact your Voxbi representative or support and tell them which sending routes you need. Have your ownership proof ready so provisioning is not held up.
## Troubleshooting
**Messages are not arriving.** Confirm the gateway has been provisioned for your account (this is a team-assisted setup, not self-serve) and that the recipient's number is correct and reachable.
**Setup is stalled on the sender number.** You must prove you own the mobile number used as the sender, usually with a mobile invoice. Provisioning cannot complete until that proof is on file.
**API calls are rejected.** Check that your API key is valid and included in the request. If you have not created one yet, follow the [create a Voxbi API key](https://app.notion.com/blog/create-a-voxbi-api-key) guide, then retry against the endpoints listed in the [Voxbi API hub](https://app.notion.com/api).
**Replies are not coming back to email.** Replies return by email only when you send through the email-to-SMS route. If you sent through the portal or the API, check where responses are configured to land.
## Frequently asked questions
**What is a business SMS gateway?**
A business SMS gateway is a service that lets your company send and receive text messages through your phone system instead of a personal handset. Messages go out from a dedicated business number, and replies can be routed back to you by email, making it a two-way channel for codes, alerts, and notifications.
**Can I send SMS from my existing phone system?**
Yes. The Voxbi business SMS gateway connects to your telephony setup and lets you send texts by email, through the my.voxbi portal, or through the API. You do not need a separate messaging platform.
**Do I need coding skills to use the SMS gateway?**
No. Two of the three routes need no code at all: email to SMS works from any inbox, and the my.voxbi portal sends messages from a simple screen. The API is there when you want to automate sending from your own applications.
**Why do I have to prove I own the sender number?**
The number you use as the sender identifies your business on every message, so ownership has to be verified (usually with a mobile invoice) before the gateway goes live. This keeps the channel compliant and protects the number from misuse.
**Can recipients reply to messages I send?**
Yes. The gateway is bidirectional. When you send through email to SMS, the recipient's reply comes back to your inbox as an email, keeping the full conversation in one place.
## Ready to switch on SMS?
A business SMS gateway turns text messaging into a reliable, two-way channel for the alerts and codes your team relies on. Talk to your Voxbi representative or support to get it provisioned, and if you plan to automate sending, start with the [Voxbi API hub](https://app.notion.com/api) and the [create a Voxbi API key](https://app.notion.com/blog/create-a-voxbi-api-key) guide.
---
# Set your phone status from your calendar
> Connect your Microsoft 365 calendar to Voxbi and your phone status updates itself every time a meeting starts or ends. No manual toggling, always accurate.
Public AI-agent markdown version of [this guide](https://www.voxbi.com/guides/calendar-driven-presence) on the Voxbi website.
HTML page: https://www.voxbi.com/guides/calendar-driven-presence
Markdown page: https://www.voxbi.com/guides/calendar-driven-presence.md
- Published: 2026-07-20
- Category: Mobility & presence
- Author: Marco L. Abreu (Product owner)
---
Imagine your phone always tells the truth. You walk into a meeting and, without touching a single button, your line switches to "In a Meeting", calls stop ringing at your desk, and callers hear the right message. That is what happens when you set your phone status from your calendar in Voxbi: your Microsoft 365 calendar becomes the one source of truth for your availability.
Instead of remembering to flip a status every time your day changes, you let your calendar do it for you. A meeting starts, your status updates. The meeting ends, you are back to "Available". Colleagues see accurate presence, callers get routed sensibly, and nobody has to think about it. This guide walks you through connecting your calendar, mapping events to statuses, and controlling how each status handles incoming calls. Start with the [Microsoft 365 integration hub](https://app.notion.com/integrations/microsoft-365) if your organization has not connected that yet.
## What you need before you start
Calendar-driven status is an admin setup first, then a per-user connection. Before you begin, make sure you have:
- Administrator access to the Voxbi Cockpit
- The Microsoft 365 calendar integration configured for your organization
- At least one user account ready to link a personal calendar
- Your statuses defined in the system (for example "In a Meeting", "Away", and "Available")
If your Microsoft 365 connection is not set up yet, go to the [Microsoft 365 integration hub](https://app.notion.com/integrations/microsoft-365) and come back here once it is live.
## Step 1: Connect your calendar to set your phone status
First, connect Voxbi to your calendar provider at the organization level.
1. In the Cockpit, go to PBX and open Integrations.
2. Select Microsoft 365 as your calendar provider.
3. Click Connect and authorize access when prompted.
4. Confirm the connection, then run a quick test to make sure Voxbi can read calendar data.
Once the integration reports as connected, your organization is ready to map calendar events to statuses.
## Step 2: Set which statuses respond to calendar events
Now decide which of your statuses should be driven by the calendar. This is where you tell Voxbi, for example, that a meeting event should switch someone to "In a Meeting".
1. In the Cockpit, open Organization and go to Statuses.
2. Edit an existing status or create a new one.
3. Enable the calendar sync option for that status.
4. Choose the event types that should trigger this status.
5. Save your changes.
The Statuses list gives you the full picture: each status shows its availability level (available, busy, meeting, unavailable) and any telephony behavior attached to it. This is the map every calendar-driven change follows.
## Step 3: Link each user's calendar
The organization setup is shared, but each person still connects their own calendar once.
1. The user opens their Voxbi client settings.
2. They go to Integrations (or Calendar).
3. They click Connect Calendar and select Microsoft 365.
4. They authorize access to their calendar.
5. They pick the calendar that should drive status synchronization.
From that point on, that user's meetings and appointments start steering their phone status automatically.
## Step 4: Map calendar events to statuses
This is the heart of the setup: deciding which kind of calendar entry produces which status. Voxbi reads the event and applies the matching status without any manual input.
| Symptom |
Likely cause |
Fix |
| Status never turns to Connected |
Wrong Odoo URL or database name |
Use the full address including `https://`, and the exact database name (the subdomain for Odoo Online). |
| "Authentication failed" |
The API key is wrong, or you used your password |
The API key is not your Odoo password. It is shown only once, so regenerate a new one if you are unsure and paste it again. |
| Voxbi module not visible in Odoo |
Install still running, or Apps list not refreshed |
Wait for the log to end in a success message, then refresh Apps in Odoo. |
| No calls syncing at all |
First sync not finished, or status not Connected |
The first full sync completes within about an hour. Confirm the integration shows Connected in the Cockpit. |
| One person's calls not syncing |
Email mismatch |
Users are matched by email address. Make sure that person's email is identical in Voxbi and Odoo. |
| Self-hosted Odoo cannot connect |
Firewall blocking Voxbi |
Allow inbound access from Voxbi to your Odoo instance, or ask your system administrator to open it. |
## Frequently asked questions
**How long until calls appear in Odoo?**
The connection is instant. The first full sync completes within about an hour, and after that calls log in near real time.
**Do I need to install anything in Odoo myself?**
No. Once you save the integration in the Voxbi Cockpit, Voxbi installs and configures its Odoo module automatically. You can verify it afterwards under Apps.
**Is the API key the same as my Odoo password?**
No. It is a separate security token you generate in your Odoo profile, and Odoo shows it only once. Copy it straight away.
**What happens when I upgrade Odoo?**
Your integration comes along. Settings, logged calls, and synchronization carry over, and Voxbi supports Odoo 16 through 19.
**Can I use Odoo Community Edition?**
Yes. The same module and setup work on Community deployments. See the [Voxbi for Odoo Community](https://www.voxbi.com/integrations/odoo-community) page for details.
## Need help?
If you get stuck or see an error during setup, email us at [hello@voxbi.com](mailto:hello@voxbi.com). Include a screenshot of the Cockpit log panel and any Odoo error messages so we can help you faster. For more on what the integration does day to day, see the [Odoo VoIP integration overview](https://www.voxbi.com/integrations/odoo). Running Odoo Community Edition? The [Voxbi for Odoo Community](https://www.voxbi.com/integrations/odoo-community) page covers the details.