How to Set Up a Teams Auto Attendant

To set up an auto attendant in Microsoft Teams, create a resource account, assign it a licence, then build the auto attendant in the Teams admin centre — setting a greeting, menu options, and call routing before assigning it a phone number. Unlike personal calling settings, this is done entirely from the admin centre, so you'll need administrator access.

Before You Start

An auto attendant needs a few things in place before you begin:

• Admin access to the Teams admin centre
• A resource account created specifically for the auto attendant
• A licence assigned to that account — either a Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licence, or Communication Credits if you want the auto attendant to transfer calls to external numbers
• A phone number to assign to it, if you want it reachable directly from outside your organisation

Step 1: Create a Resource Account

1. In the Microsoft 365 admin centre, go to Teams admin centre > Voice > Resource accounts.
2. Select Add, give the account a clear display name (for example, "Main Reception"), and set the account type to Auto attendant.
3. Save the account.

Step 2: Assign a Licence

1. In the Microsoft 365 admin centre, go to Users > Active users.
2. Find the resource account you just created.
3. Assign a Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licence. If you want the auto attendant to be able to transfer calls to numbers outside your organisation, also add Communication Credits or a Calling Plan.

Step 3: Build the Auto Attendant

1. Go to Teams admin centre > Voice > Auto attendants.
2. Select Add, and give the auto attendant a name.
3. Set your operating hours, including time zone, so callers get a different greeting during and outside business hours.
4. Record or upload a greeting — you can use text-to-speech or upload an audio file.
5. Build the dial menu, mapping each option to a destination: a call queue, a specific person, another auto attendant, or voicemail.
6. Set an after-hours greeting and routing for calls received outside your operating hours.

Step 4: Assign a Phone Number

1. Go back to Resource accounts, select the account you created, and assign a phone number to it — either a new number or one ported in from your existing provider.
2. Save your changes.

Step 5: Test It

Call the number from an external line and check the greeting plays correctly, the menu options route to the right place, and after-hours behaviour works as expected. It's worth testing this properly before relying on it, since a wrongly configured menu option can send callers somewhere unhelpful without anyone noticing for weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a licence for the auto attendant itself, or just the people it routes calls to? Both. The resource account running the auto attendant needs its own licence, separate from the licences assigned to individual users.

Can an auto attendant route calls to a mobile number outside my organisation? Yes, but only if the resource account has Communication Credits or a Calling Plan assigned, since routing to an external number counts as an outbound call.

Can I have more than one auto attendant? Yes. Many businesses set up a main auto attendant that then routes to department-specific auto attendants, particularly useful for multi-site or multi-department organisations.

What happens if nobody's set up the after-hours menu? Calls outside your operating hours will use whatever default behaviour is configured, which might not be what you want. It's worth checking this explicitly rather than assuming it's handled.

Getting the menu structure and routing right the first time avoids a lot of confused callers later. Request a quote if you'd like T2K to set this up properly, or read our guide to how Teams Phone works for the wider picture.