VIDEO: Building an IVR with the Telnyx API and Ruby SDK

Do you need to build an IVR?

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems are foundational to every leading contact center and unified communications platform. Modern customers expect a fully-featured IVR, capable of advanced telephony functions:

• Self-service requests: IVRs should be able to independently handle the majority of simple customer requests like checking account balances and details. Removing call center agents from these high-volume calls dramatically reduces operational overhead for contact centers, but can result in a poor customer experience (CX) if the IVR is slow to respond or misunderstands user intentions.
• Intelligent call routing: efficient IVR implementations should route calls to the agent best positioned to serve the caller’s needs, based on a combination of their phone number and their IVR inputs. This is a core step in minimizing average handle time (AHT) as agents are better prepared to solve cases quickly.
• Natural language processing: advanced IVRs should leverage Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology to interpret spoken responses from the user for a more authentic, natural interaction and better CX. Telnyx customers like Replicant are leveraging NLP to build the contact center of the future.

Building IVRs that meet these specifications can seem like a gargantuan task, linking together voice APIs, SIP trunks, and much more.

Luckily, Telnyx is here to help with a super-simple tutorial, which demonstrates the foundations of an IVR system built using the Telnyx API and our Ruby SDK. Check out the video below:

Video tutorial for building an IVR with the Ruby SDK

Prefer to follow the tutorial at your own pace? Check out the step-by-step guide with ready-to-run code snippets in our Developer Center.

Ready to take your IVR to the next level? Talk to our voice API experts today.

FAQ

What is an IVR and how does it work? An interactive voice response system answers incoming voice, plays prompts, and routes callers based on keypad tones or speech. It connects to back-end systems to authenticate users, retrieve information, and complete tasks without a live agent.

What is Telnyx used for? Telnyx provides programmable voice, messaging, and connectivity so teams can build IVRs, call routing, and automation. Engineers rely on its developer documentation to integrate APIs, manage numbers, and orchestrate real-time workflows.

Does Telnyx support building IVR systems? Yes, you can build IVR call flows with programmable voice APIs and event hooks, starting from the developer documentation. Typical steps include provisioning numbers, defining menus with keypad tones, adding speech recognition, and routing to agents or Voice AI.

What is Twilio IVR? Twilio IVR is Twilio’s programmable capability for creating automated voice menus and call flows through APIs and visual tools. It supports speech and DTMF routing, recordings, integrations, and transfers similar to other CPaaS platforms.

What is Verizon IVR? Verizon IVR refers to the automated voice menus Verizon uses to handle customer support, account lookups, and self-service tasks. It is a carrier-operated IVR, not a toolkit for building your own IVR application.

Which company has the best IVR? There is no single best IVR because needs vary by call volume, regions served, compliance, and integration complexity. Evaluate vendors on latency, audio quality, reliability, global numbering, transparent pricing, and the depth of developer tooling.

Can an IVR send SMS or MMS follow-ups? Yes, many IVRs trigger post-call texts for confirmations, links, or receipts, and the choice between SMS and MMS depends on content type and size as clarified in this SMS vs. MMS comparison. Plan opt-in, consent, and content limits carefully if you send images or video via MMS.