Configure default business hours, closed hours, and holiday schedules for your organization, plus define how calls are routed during each time period.
⏱️ Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes
👤 Who's This For
Zoom Phone administrators configuring call routing policies for their organization.
💼 Use Case
Use this guide during initial account setup or when updating organizational call handling policies. These settings establish default behaviors for all phone users, call queues, auto receptionists, and other extensions across your sites.
✔️ Prerequisites
Account owner or admin access to Zoom web portal
Sites and locations configured (if using multiple sites)
Understanding of your organization's operating hours and holiday schedule
Knowledge of where calls should route during closed/holiday hours
Understanding Business Hours vs Overflow
Business hours determine when your organization is "open" for calls. Overflow settings control what happens to calls during different time periods:
Business Hours Overflow: How calls are handled during your normal operating hours
Closed Hours Overflow: Call routing when you're outside business hours
Holiday Hours Overflow: Special handling for designated holidays and force major events
These default settings apply organization-wide but can be customized by individual users, call queues, and other extensions.
Setting Default Business Hours
1
Access Account Settings
Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin
Navigate to Phone System Management > Company Info
If you have multiple sites enabled: Click the site name, then click the Settings tab
If multiple sites are disabled: Click Account Settings
2
Configure Business Hours
In the Hours section, locate Default Business Hours
Click Edit
Set your operating hours for each day of the week
For 24/7 operations or night shifts: Business hours can span past 11:30 PM
3
Save Your Settings
Review the hours for accuracy
Click Save
Note: Phone users can override these defaults with their own specific business hours if needed.
🎮 Click-Through Demo
▶️ Watch: Configuring Business Hours
See how to navigate to Hours settings and configure default business hours for the organization.
Configuring Overflow Settings
Overflow settings determine how incoming calls are routed during business hours, closed hours, and holidays.
1
Set Business Hours Overflow
In the Hours section, locate Default Overflow for Business Hours
Click the dropdown menu
Select from available options:
Forward to voicemail
Route to specific extension
Allow callers to reach an operator
2
Configure Closed Hours Overflow
Locate Default Overflow for Closed Hours
Select routing behavior for after-hours calls
Common options: Direct to voicemail or play custom message
3
Set Holiday Hours Overflow
Locate Default Overflow for Holiday Hours
Choose how calls are handled on designated holidays
Optional settings:
Allow callers to reach an operator: Configure IVR menu and operator settings
Allow callers to check voicemail: Set up voicemail access options
Operator Setup Tip: When enabling "Allow callers to reach an operator," the operator can be any phone user, call queue, auto receptionist, or shared line group.
Managing Holidays and Force Major Events
1
Access Holiday Settings
From Account Settings > Settings tab
Under Hours, locate Default Holiday & Force Major Events Group
Click Manage
2
Add Holidays
Click the group name you want to manage
Click the Holidays tab
In the top-right corner, click Add Holiday
Choose from two options:
Add new holidays: Configure date/time, select all-day option, set recurrence pattern if needed
Copy holidays from existing group: Select source group and holidays to copy
Click Save
3
Enable Automatic Cleanup (Optional)
At the top of the Holidays page, select Automatically delete holidays that have ended
This keeps your holiday list current without manual cleanup
4
Edit or Remove Holidays
From the Holidays tab, click on any existing holiday
Make changes or click Remove to delete it
Important: If holidays conflict, Zoom prioritizes the holiday with the most immediate time in call handling settings.
🎮 Click-Through Demo
▶️ Watch: Adding and Managing Holidays
See how to add individual holidays, set recurrence patterns, and copy holidays from existing groups.
Assigning Holiday Groups to Extensions
1
Add Targets to Holiday Group
In the holiday group settings, click the Target tab
Click Add Targets in the top-right corner
Choose what to add:
Add Sites: Assign entire sites to this holiday group
Add Extensions: Assign specific users, call queues, auto receptionists, common areas, or shared line groups
2
Verify Inheritance
Added sites and extensions appear in the Target tab
All users and extensions under assigned sites automatically inherit the holiday group
Setting Holiday Call Handling Policies
Customize how calls route during holidays for different extension types:
1
Access Call Handling Settings
In the holiday group settings, click the Call Handling tab
2
Configure Default Overflow by Extension Type
Default overflow for Sites: Set behavior for directly assigned sites
Default overflow for Users: Define routing for individual phone users
Default overflow for Common Areas: Set handling for common area phones
Default overflow for Call Queues: Configure queue behavior during holidays
Default overflow for Auto Receptionists: Set receptionist routing
Default overflow for Shared Line Groups: Define shared line behavior
3
Customize Audio Prompts (Optional)
Access Audio Prompt settings to configure custom messages
Create holiday-specific greetings to inform callers of closures
💡 Configuration Best Practices
See Details
Start with Organization-Wide Defaults Configure account-level settings first, then customize exceptions for specific users or departments. This ensures consistent call handling across your organization.
Test During Off-Hours Make changes to closed hours and holiday overflow settings during regular business hours, then test by calling extensions to verify routing works as expected.
Plan for Force Major Events Set up force major event overflow in advance for emergencies (severe weather, power outages, etc.). Having this configured before you need it ensures business continuity.
Review Holiday Settings Annually Update your holiday calendar at the start of each year and enable automatic deletion of past holidays to keep settings current.
🚀 Quick Wins
See Details
Enable Operator Fallback Configure "Allow callers to reach an operator" for closed and holiday hours so urgent calls can still reach someone, even outside business hours.
Use Recurring Holidays Set major holidays (New Year's Day, Independence Day, etc.) as recurring events so you don't have to reconfigure them annually.
Leverage Holiday Groups If you have multiple departments with different schedules, create separate holiday groups and assign them to specific extensions rather than using one organization-wide calendar.
⚠️ Common Issues
See Details
Users can't customize their own hours → Verify the user has proper permissions. Default business hours are templates—users should be able to override them in their personal settings.
Conflicting holidays causing unexpected routing → When holidays overlap, Zoom prioritizes the most immediate time. Review your holiday calendar and remove or adjust conflicting dates.
Overflow settings not applying to all extensions → Check that extensions are properly assigned to the holiday group in the Target tab. Sites must be added for automatic inheritance to work.
Changes not taking effect immediately → Some settings may take a few minutes to propagate across the system. Wait 5-10 minutes and test again before troubleshooting further.
🎯 What's Next
✨ Call routing configured! You now have:
Default business hours set for your organization
Overflow policies for business, closed, and holiday hours
Holiday calendar configured with proper call handling
Foundation for consistent call routing across all extensions
