When a customer calls your business, what happens next matters more than most owners realise. If a single phone rings and goes unanswered, you have lost that caller. A hunt group phone system solves this by distributing the incoming call across a group of extensions — ringing the right people, in the right order, until someone picks up.
This guide explains what a hunt group is, how the four distribution modes work, how it differs from call forwarding and call queues, and how to configure one for your team.
What Is a Hunt Group?
A hunt group is a feature in a business phone system that rings a group of extensions in response to a single inbound call. Instead of one person's phone ringing, a set of phones ring — in a sequence or all at once — until someone answers.
It is the mechanism behind the "next available agent" experience that callers receive when they ring a team. The caller dials one number. Behind the scenes, the phone system works through a defined group of extensions according to rules you set. The caller never sees any of this — they simply get answered.
Hunt groups are used across every industry: trades businesses routing calls to the office then a mobile, legal firms prioritising a senior partner, sales teams sharing inbound enquiries equally, and national businesses distributing calls across state offices.
The Four Hunt Group Distribution Modes
Not all hunt groups work the same way. The distribution mode determines how the system decides which extension to ring first, next, and last. Choosing the right mode for your team structure is the most important decision in your hunt group setup.
Sequential (Linear or Fixed Order)
Sequential mode rings the first extension in the group. If that extension does not answer within the configured ring duration — typically 10 to 20 seconds — the system moves to the second extension, then the third, and so on down the list.
This mode suits teams with a clear hierarchy or a defined primary point of contact. A small legal practice might ring the senior partner's desk first, then the paralegal, then reception. A sole-trader trades business might ring the office landline first, then the owner's mobile.
The tradeoff is that the first person in the sequence bears the highest call load. If that agent is regularly unavailable, callers experience more rings before being answered.
Simultaneous (Ring All)
Simultaneous mode rings every extension in the group at the same time. The first agent to pick up takes the call; all other phones stop ringing immediately.
This is the fastest answer mode and works best for small teams — typically four agents or fewer — where any member is equally qualified to handle the call. A four-person sales team, a two-person customer support desk, or a shared reception arrangement are ideal candidates.
The limitation is noise. On a busy day, every agent's phone rings for every call. For larger teams, this creates disruption without meaningfully improving answer rates.
Round Robin (Rotating Order)
Round robin distributes calls in rotation. Call one goes to agent A, call two goes to agent B, call three goes to agent C, then the system returns to agent A for call four, and so on.
This mode is designed for workload equity. No single agent absorbs a disproportionate share of calls. It is the standard choice for sales and support teams of five or more agents where call handling time is relatively consistent.
For a national business running teams in Sydney and Melbourne, round robin can rotate across both offices — balancing volume between locations without any manual management.
Longest Idle
Longest idle sends each incoming call to the agent who has been waiting the longest since their last call ended. Unlike round robin, which follows a fixed rotation regardless of call duration, longest idle adjusts dynamically based on actual availability.
If agent B spent 12 minutes on a complex support call while agents A and C handled quick queries, agent B will be prioritised for the next call. The result is the most equitable workload distribution of any mode — particularly valuable in busy contact centre environments where call handling times vary significantly between agents.
Hunt Group vs Basic Call Forwarding
Call forwarding and hunt groups are often confused, but they solve different problems.
Call forwarding redirects a call from one number to another — your office number forwards to your mobile when you leave the building, for example. It is a one-to-one redirect. One destination. One decision.
A hunt group is a logical group of destinations that handles distribution within a team. It does not redirect a call — it routes it through a defined set of options until the call is answered.
The analogy is useful here: call forwarding is redirecting your mail to a different address. A hunt group is having a team of people who all check the same mailbox — the mail arrives at one place, and the team has a system for who deals with it first.
For more on the distinction between these features, see Simultaneous Ring vs Call Forwarding and What Is Call Routing.
Hunt Group vs Call Queue
A hunt group and a call queue are related but distinct. Understanding the difference prevents a common configuration mistake.
A hunt group rings available agents. If every agent in the group is already on a call, the incoming call hits the overflow destination — typically voicemail, another number, or a secondary group. The caller is not held. They either reach someone or they do not.
A call queue holds the caller in a virtual waiting line, playing hold music or a comfort message until an agent becomes free. The caller waits — they do not go to voicemail immediately.
For teams with predictable, low-to-moderate call volume, a hunt group alone is sufficient. For teams with high call volume where missing a call is unacceptable, a call queue is used alongside the hunt group: the hunt group distributes calls to available agents, and the queue holds callers when the team is at capacity.
The two features are complementary, not interchangeable. See What Is a Call Queue for a full breakdown of when and how to use one.
Real-World Hunt Group Examples
A 4-Person Sales Team Using Simultaneous Ring
An e-commerce business receives 15 to 25 inbound sales enquiries per day. Every member of the sales team is equally capable of handling any call. The team sets up a simultaneous hunt group — all four phones ring for every call. Whoever is free picks up. Answer rates improve because no single agent acts as a bottleneck.
A Legal Firm With a Senior/Junior Structure Using Sequential
A boutique legal practice wants client calls answered by the senior partner where possible. The hunt group is configured sequentially: the senior partner's extension rings first. After 15 seconds with no answer, the call moves to the junior solicitor's extension, then to reception. Clients with complex matters are more likely to reach the right person immediately, and no call falls through to voicemail without first passing through the team.
A National Business Using Round Robin Across State Offices
A B2B services company operates in Sydney and Melbourne. Rather than maintaining separate inbound numbers for each city, they use a single 1300 number with a round-robin hunt group distributed across both office teams. Call load is shared automatically. Neither office becomes overwhelmed when the other is in a meeting-heavy period.
A Trade Business Using Sequential With Mobile Failover
A plumbing business has one admin in the office and one working owner in the field. The hunt group rings the office landline first. If there is no answer within 12 seconds, it forwards to the owner's mobile. No call goes unanswered during business hours, even when the office is unattended. For more on this pattern, see Call Overflow and Failover.
How to Set Up a Hunt Group
Hunt group configuration is typically handled inside your phone system's admin dashboard. The process follows four consistent steps regardless of provider.
1. Define the group members. Add the extensions or mobile numbers that belong to the group. Members do not need to be on the same physical handset or even in the same location — cloud-based systems support remote agents, mobiles, and softphones equally.
2. Choose the distribution mode. Select sequential, simultaneous, round robin, or longest idle based on your team structure and call handling priorities. The right mode depends on your team size, hierarchy, and how evenly you want call load distributed.
3. Set the ring duration. For sequential mode, configure how many seconds each extension rings before the system moves to the next. Ten to fifteen seconds is the practical minimum — enough for an agent to notice and answer without making the caller wait too long.
4. Configure the overflow destination. Decide what happens if nobody in the group answers. Options typically include voicemail, a secondary group, another number, or a call queue. An unresolved overflow path is one of the most common hunt group configuration errors — always set one. See Round Robin Call Routing for detail on configuring rotation-based groups specifically.
Hunt Groups With Pickle
Pickle's cloud phone system supports hunt groups with sequential, simultaneous, and round-robin distribution modes. Groups are configured entirely from the Pickle dashboard — no technician required, no physical hardware to reconfigure.
Hunt groups work with any number type on the Pickle platform: geographic numbers (02, 03, 07, 08), 1300 numbers, and 1800 numbers. Members can be desk phones, softphones, or Australian mobile numbers — meaning remote workers and field staff can be included in a group alongside office-based team members.
If you are upgrading an existing phone system or setting up a new one, the Pickle team can advise on the right hunt group structure for your call volume and team layout.
Call 1300 688 588 or email [email protected] to talk through your setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many extensions can be in a hunt group?A: This depends on your phone system provider, but most cloud-based systems — including Pickle — support at least 20 members per group. For larger teams, it is common to nest multiple groups or use a call queue ahead of the hunt group to manage volume more precisely.
Q: Can a hunt group include mobile numbers, not just desk phones?A: Yes. Cloud-based phone systems route calls to any number — including Australian mobile numbers — just as they do to desk extensions. This makes hunt groups practical for field teams, remote workers, and sole traders who are rarely at a fixed desk.
Q: What happens if nobody in the hunt group answers?A: The call is sent to the overflow destination you configure during setup. Common options are a voicemail box, a secondary hunt group, another direct number, or a call queue. If no overflow destination is set, the caller may receive a busy signal or be disconnected — which is why configuring overflow is an essential part of any hunt group setup.
Q: Can I have multiple hunt groups for different departments?A: Yes, and this is standard practice. A business might maintain separate hunt groups for sales, support, and accounts — each with its own members, distribution mode, and overflow destination. Calls are directed to the correct group via an auto-attendant (IVR) menu: press 1 for sales, press 2 for support, and so on.
Q: Is a hunt group the same as a ring group?A: Functionally, yes. The terms are used interchangeably across different phone system providers. Some platforms call the feature a "ring group," others call it a "hunt group." The underlying behaviour — ringing multiple extensions in response to a single inbound call — is the same. Pickle uses the term hunt group, consistent with the broader telephony industry.