> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.astradial.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create a queue

> Set up call queues so callers wait in line and get connected to available agents.

A **call queue** is a waiting line for callers. When someone calls and all your agents are busy, the caller hears hold music and waits until an agent becomes available. Queues are essential for support teams, sales teams, and any group that handles incoming calls.

## Create a new queue

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Queues page">
    Click **Queues** in the sidebar under **Configure**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Add Queue">
    Click the **Add Queue** button (plus icon) in the top-right corner.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in the basic settings">
    | Field         | What to enter                                     | Example       |
    | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | ------------- |
    | **Name**      | A name for this queue                             | Support Queue |
    | **Extension** | A unique number for this queue                    | 5001          |
    | **Strategy**  | How calls are distributed to agents               | Ring All      |
    | **Timeout**   | How many seconds to ring before trying next agent | 15            |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Create">
    The queue is created. Now you need to add agents to it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Queue strategies

The strategy determines how Astradial picks which agent to ring:

| Strategy         | How it works                                                                 |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Ring All**     | Rings every available agent at the same time. First to answer gets the call. |
| **Least Recent** | Rings the agent who has gone the longest without taking a call.              |
| **Fewest Calls** | Rings the agent who has taken the fewest calls overall.                      |
| **Random**       | Randomly picks an available agent.                                           |
| **Round Robin**  | Cycles through agents in order, remembering who was last.                    |
| **Linear**       | Goes through agents in a fixed order, always starting from the first.        |

<Tip>
  **Ring All** is the best choice for small teams. For larger teams, **Round Robin** or **Least Recent** distributes calls more evenly.
</Tip>

## Edit queue settings

Click the three-dot menu on any queue and select **Edit** to open the full settings dialog:

### Basic settings

* **Name** and **Extension** — Change the queue's identity
* **Strategy** — Change how calls are distributed
* **Ring Timeout** — How many seconds to ring agents before giving up (default: 15)
* **Max Wait** — Maximum seconds a caller will wait in the queue (default: 45)
* **Status** — Active, Inactive, or Paused

### Timeout routing

When no agent answers within the timeout, you can route the call somewhere else:

* **Extension** — Send to a specific person's extension
* **Queue** — Send to another queue
* **Phone Number** — Forward to an external number

### Music on hold

Choose what callers hear while waiting:

* **Default** — The system's built-in hold music
* **Custom classes** — Music you have uploaded (see [Music on hold](#music-on-hold))

### Greeting

Select a greeting that plays when a caller first enters the queue. You can create custom greetings using text-to-speech.

### Members

View and manage the agents assigned to this queue:

* See all current members with their names and extensions
* Remove a member by clicking the X button
* Add new members from the dropdown (only shows active users not already in the queue)

## Music on hold

You can upload custom audio files for callers to hear while waiting.

### Upload audio

1. Click the **Upload Audio** button at the top of the Queues page
2. Enter a **class name** (like "custom" or "jazz")
3. Choose an audio file (MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, M4A, or AAC)
4. Click **Upload**

The file is automatically converted to the correct format for Asterisk.

### Preview audio

Click the **Play** button next to any audio file to hear it. A player bar appears at the bottom of the screen.

### Delete audio

Click the **Trash** icon next to a custom audio file to remove it. System default files cannot be deleted.

## Greetings (text-to-speech)

Create spoken greetings that play when callers enter a queue.

### Create a greeting

1. Click **Create Greeting** at the top of the Queues page
2. Enter a **name** for the greeting
3. Type the **greeting text** — what you want the voice to say
4. Select a **language** (English India, English US, Hindi, or Tamil)
5. Select a **voice** (male or female options)
6. Click **Create**

Astradial generates the audio using Google's Wavenet voices. Once generated, you can:

* **Preview** it by clicking the Play button
* **Enable/Disable** it by clicking the status badge
* **Select** it in any queue's edit dialog under the Greeting dropdown
* **Delete** it from the dropdown menu

### Example greeting text

> "Welcome to Grand Estancia. Please hold while we connect you to a team member. Your call is important to us."