Create Your First IVR

This walkthrough takes you from zero to a live IVR using the Simple Forward template — the simplest option. The same process applies to every template; only the fields change.

Step 1: Select a Client

Before creating a flow, make sure you’ve selected the right client from the client picker in the top bar. Flows are created inside whichever Twilio sub-account you have selected.

If you’re working with Eqho’s primary account, choose Main Account.

Step 2: Go to Create Flow

Click the Create Flow tab in the top navigation. You’ll see a grid of available templates, grouped by category. Each card shows:

The template name and a short description
Complexity dots — more dots means more fields to configure

Click a template card to start configuring it. For this walkthrough, click Simple Forward.

Step 3: Name Your Flow

At the top of the form, give your flow a name. This is how it will appear on the dashboard. Use something descriptive like “Acme Corp — Main Line Forward.”

Step 4: Fill In the Fields

Each template has its own set of fields. For Simple Forward, you’ll see:

Greeting — What the caller hears when they call. You can type a text-to-speech message or upload audio (see Audio Options)
Forward To — The phone number to forward calls to (e.g., +15551234567)

Other templates have additional fields like department menus, business hours, voicemail settings, etc. Every field includes a description to explain what it does.

Advanced Settings

Some templates have an Advanced Settings section (collapsed by default). These include options like:

Pause Between Repeats — Adds a silence gap when a prompt loops (TTS only)
Input Wait Time — How long to wait for the caller to press a key
Record Calls — Enable call recording on the forwarded call

You can leave these at their defaults for most setups.

Step 5: Choose a Phone Number

Below the fields, you’ll see a Phone Number section with three options:

Use an existing number

Search or browse the list of phone numbers already in the client’s Twilio account. Numbers show a color-coded badge:

Available — Not currently in use
Eqho Agent — Assigned to an Eqho AI agent
IVR Flow — Assigned to another Studio flow
In Use — Assigned to something else

You can pick any number, but be aware that reassigning a number will disconnect it from whatever it’s currently attached to.

Search for a new number

Search for a new number by area code, city, or keyword. Select one from the results and the app will provision it for you.

Skip for now

You can create the flow without a phone number and assign one later from the dashboard.

Step 6: Deploy

Click Create Flow at the bottom. The app will:

Build the Twilio Studio flow from your template settings
Create and publish the flow in the client’s Twilio account
Assign the phone number (if you selected one)

You’ll be redirected to the dashboard where your new flow appears.

What’s Next

Edit the flow — Click the flow on the dashboard to change phone numbers, update audio, or adjust settings. See Editing Deployed Flows.
Try other templates — Browse the Templates page to see all available options.
Use AI voices — Generate professional voice prompts with ElevenLabs. See ElevenLabs Voice Generation.