Create an Alternate Menu for an Auto-Attendant in 8x8 Admin Console

Updated: 03/27/2025

Objective

Create an alternate menu in Admin Console for when you need to handle unexpected events that require you to be closed (or open) beyond scheduled hours.

Applies To

  • Admin Console
  • Auto-Attendant
  • Alternate Menu

Procedure

  1. Log in to Admin Console.
  2. Click Auto Attendants.
  3. Click Edit (pencil icon) to the right of the Auto Attendant you wish to edit.
    2019-08-23_10-41-12.png
  4. Under Details, toggle Apply Alternate Menu ON. 
    clipboard_e086bc241911323478fd430c6d007fa79.png
  5. Go to Call Handling Menus.
  6. Select Alternate > Alternate hours menu to begin setting up your Alternate Menu options.
    2019-08-23_10-48-13.png
  7. Click Add key.
  8. Select your Key number, then the action for that key to take. In this example, I want key 1 presses to go to my Voicemail System.
    2019-08-23_10-52-56.png
    • Note: When a key press has been used, it will not show as "empty" any longer. Click on the key press option to edit the already selected behaviour for that key.
      2019-08-23_11-00-00.png

Example Menu

Below is an example of what an Alternate Menu might look like. For this particular menu, I want this to be applied in the event of internet disruption, so I've entered some text to explain this using text-to-speech (you may also upload your own audio recording by clicking play audio file > Select File, to play to the caller).
2019-08-23_11-11-26.png