Phone lines and the softphone

How calling works in GoDesk

GoDesk has a phone built into the browser, connected to GoDesk Voice. Each person who makes or takes calls needs an extension: their own phone line on your GoDesk Voice phone system. The browser phone rings on that extension.

Calling is part of the Voice & contact centre add-on. If your plan does not include it, there is no Extension field, no phone and no Calls page.

Extensions themselves are created in your GoDesk Voice administrator panel, or by GoDesk when your workspace is set up. In GoDesk you give each extension to a person.

Give someone a phone line

In Settings, open Agents under Users & access and select the pencil icon next to the person.

Open the Extension list. It shows the extensions on your GoDesk Voice phone system that nobody has yet, with their names. Extensions set up for a desk phone are marked desk phone.

Choose one and select Save changes. GoDesk reads the extension's phone login from GoDesk Voice when you save, so nobody needs to copy a password from the voice panel.

If the list says all extensions are already assigned, free one up by removing it from someone who no longer needs it, or create a new extension in your GoDesk Voice administrator panel.

To take a line away, choose no extension and save.

What each person needs

A computer with Chrome or Edge, a headset, and a stable internet connection. The phone signs in by itself when the person signs in to GoDesk. There is nothing separate to install or log in to.

The browser must be allowed to use the microphone. Ask people to select the lock icon in the address bar and set Microphone to Allow, so the browser never asks in the middle of a call.

Keep GoDesk in one tab. A second tab takes the phone over from the first.

Browsers put idle tabs to sleep, and a sleeping tab drops the phone. Once per computer, add godesk.co.ke to the sites that are always kept active (Memory Saver in Chrome, Sleeping tabs in Edge). GoDesk shows these steps under Browser setup.

If the phone is not connected, the top bar shows an amber Phone registering…, Phone reconnecting… or Phone offline chip with Reconnect, Check and Browser setup. Each person can also choose a ringtone and automatic answering in Settings, Softphone under Calls.

The phone not set up label

On the Agents page, the Extension column shows a phone not set up label when a person has an extension but GoDesk holds no phone login for it. Their phone cannot connect until this is fixed.

Select the label to open the Phone line check for that person, then use Repair phone login.

Use the Phone line check

On the Agents page, select the phone icon next to anyone with an extension. The Phone line check opens and checks the line straight away. Select the refresh icon to check again.

At the top is a list of findings in plain words: green when something is right, amber for a warning, red for a problem. For example, it tells you when the login GoDesk gives the phone does not match the phone system, when GoDesk is open on their computer but the phone is not signed in, or when nobody has GoDesk open at all.

Below the findings you see the login GoDesk gives their browser phone, what their browser last reported (whether GoDesk is open now, the phone's state, their address and browser), where the line is signed in on GoDesk Voice right now, and Sign-in attempts from the last 48 hours with each outcome: signed in, wrong password or unknown username.

Repeated wrong password or unknown username attempts usually mean another phone or app is still trying to use old details for that line. Find that device by its address and update or remove it.

Test and repair a line

Select Test sign-in to make a real sign-in to GoDesk Voice with exactly the login the person's phone is given. The result tells you whether the login works.

Select Test call to ring the person's phone and play a short message. It rings for up to 30 seconds, so ask them to answer.

Select Repair phone login when the findings say the login is missing or wrong. GoDesk reads the login again from the phone system and saves it. Then ask the person to refresh GoDesk (Ctrl+F5) so their phone signs in with it.

When the line is fine but calls are poor

Ask the person to open Help at the bottom of the menu and run Network check. It tests everything a call needs from their computer in about 20 seconds, including the microphone, and says what to do. They can send the result to GoDesk support from there.

Admins and supervisors can open Connection health under Insights to see what each agent's browser saw of the network and how every call sounded, grouped by the office connection people use. It helps you tell an office line, a computer or a browser problem apart.

If something does not work

If the Phone line check says GoDesk Voice could not be reached, try again in a minute. If a line still will not sign in after Repair phone login and a refresh, email GoDesk support at help@godesk.co.ke with the person's name and extension, and what the Phone line check showed.