Zoom Phone is introducing an updated workflow for managing Common Area phones, analog telephone adapters (ATAs), and Zoom Phone Appliances in the web portal. Learn more about the New Common Area Experience. 

If you have this experience enabled on your account, follow this article to learn how to define Common Area, assign devices, configure settings like the extension number.

A Common Area can be any area in an office that is available for use by more than one employee. For example, if your organization has a hybrid office space, you can define each hoteling station as a Common Area, then assign phones to this area so that employees can use them.

This article covers:

• How to add a Common Area and assign devices
• How to change Common Area settings
  • Profile tab
  • Policy tab
  • Settings tab
  • Call handling settings
• How to add a Common Area to a call queue
• How to add a Common Area to an auto receptionist
• How to add a Common Area to an IVR
• How to add Common Areas in batch
• How to export a list of Common Areas

Prerequisites for managing Common Areas

• New Common Area Experience enabled on your account
• Pro, Business, Education, or Enterprise account
• Account owner or admin privileges
• Common area license to add a common area and use minimal features
• Zoom Phone Pro or higher license to use auto receptionist, call queue
• Certified device added and provisioned

How to add a Common Area and assign devices

Follow these steps if you want to add a desk phone that can be used by anyone. You can also batch add several Common Area phones at once.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management then Users & Rooms.
3. Click the Common Areas tab.
4. Click Add and enter the following information:
   • Site (only visible if you have multiple sites): Select the site you want the Common Area phone to belong to.
   • Display Name: Enter a display name to identify the Common Area phone.
   • Description (Optional): Enter a description to help identify the Common Area phone.
   • Extension Number: Enter an extension number to assign.
   • Package: Assign an outbound calling package.
   • Country/Region: Select the country/region of the phone's emergency address. The country determines the reserved extension numbers that you can't use for the phone.
   • Time Zone: Select a time zone to set the time displayed on the assigned devices..
5. Click Save. 
6. Click the Settings tab.
7. In the Desk Phone(s) section, click Add.
8. Select the provisioned desk phones or ATAs to add to the Common Area, then click Confirm.
9. In the Zoom Phone Appliance section, click Assign.
10. Select the Zoom Phone Appliance to add to the Common Area.

How to change Common Areas settings

Follow these steps if you want to edit the settings of a Common Area phone you have added.

Note: There are also global phone settings, and policy settings that enable or disable certain phone features.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management then Users & Rooms.
3. Click the Common Areas tab.
4. Click the display name of the Common Area you want to edit.
   You will see the following information and options:

Profile tab

• Display name: Click Edit next to the display name to change it.
• Site: Displays the site that the phone user belongs to. Select another site using the drop-down menu to move the phone to another site.
• Package: Click Assign to assign an outbound calling package. Click × next to an assigned package to remove it.
• Extension Number: Click Edit to change the extension number assigned to the phone.
  Note: Extension numbers can be up to 6 digits. If you have multiple sites and enabled site codes, extension numbers can be 2 to 5 digits and site codes can be 1 to 2 digits.
• Number(s): Click Assign to assign direct phone numbers to the Common Area phone. This setting is only visible if you assign a package.
• Outbound Caller ID (only visible if you assign a package): Select the outbound caller ID when the phone calls out. You can choose from phone numbers assigned to the main auto receptionist.
• Country/Region (only visible if you assign a package): Displays the country of the phone's emergency address. The country determines the reserved extension numbers that you can't use for the phone.
• Area Code (only visible if you assign a package): Displays the default area code for outbound dialing. Click Edit to change it, or Set if you haven't added the area code.
• Emergency Address: Click Manage to edit the emergency address assigned to the Common Area phone. If you have multiple sites, you can select any address assigned to the site or the site's default address.
• Time Zone: Select a time zone to set the time displayed on the Common Area phone.
• Department / Cost Center: Assign a department or cost center. 
• Communications Content Storage Location: Manage the storage location of Communications Content.

Policy tab

Policy settings allow you to enable or disable certain Zoom Phone features.

Note: Common Areas have access to the same policy settings as Common Area phones, except for hot desking. You can enable or disable hot desking for specific devices by using the Settings tab.

Settings tab

Note: After setting custom hours, you can customize how inbound calls are routed during these hours. 

• Business Hours: Click Edit to change the times when the user can answer calls. You can set business hours to span past 11:30 PM. You can also set business hours in increments of 10 mins by manually entering a time; for example, 11:10 PM.
• Closed Hours: If you customized business hours, you can also set closed hours. 
• Holiday Hours: Click Manage to designate certain days are holidays. 
• Keys & Positions: Change line key settings.
• Desk Phone(s): Add desk phones or ATAs to the Common Area.
• Zoom Phone Appliance: Add Zoom Phone Appliances to the Common Area
  • Calendar (optional): Add a calendar resource.
  • Location (optional): Assign the appliance to a Workspace.
• Blocked List: Set rules for blocking external calls.

Call handling settings

• Ring the Device: Enable or disable the ring for inbound calls.
• Ring Duration: If you enabled Ring the Device, set the maximum ring duration before the call is handled as specified in the setting below (When a call is not answered).
• When a call is not answered: Select how unanswered calls are handled during the specified hours.
  • Play a message, then disconnect: Plays a custom message for the caller then hangs up the call. Click Audio Library to select, record, or upload custom audio.
  • Disconnect: The call will be disconnected without playing a message.
  • Forward to another extension: Route calls to another extension in the account.
  • Forward to External Contact: If the account has a directory of external users, you can route calls to an external contact.

How to add a Common Area phone to a call queue

You can add a Common Area phone to be a member of a call queue.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management then Call Queues.
3. Click the name of the call queue you want to add the phone to.
4. In the Member(s) section, click View or Edit.
5. Click Add.
6. Click the Common Areas tab.
7. Select the Common Area phone and click OK.

How to add a Common Area to an auto receptionist

You can route to a Common Area phone during an auto receptionist's business or closed hours.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation, click Phone System Management then Auto Receptionists.
3. Click the name of the auto receptionist you want to add the phone to.
4. In the Business Hours or Closed Hours section, click Edit next to Route to.
5. Select Common Areas, enter the Common Area's name, then select the Common Area.
6. Click OK.

How to add a Common Area to an IVR

If you have an a IVR system, you can provide an IVR menu option for callers to route to a Common Area .

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation, click Phone System Management then Auto Receptionists.
3. Click the name of the auto receptionist with an IVR you want to add the phone to.
   Note: Set up an IVR if the auto receptionist if it doesn't have one.
4. In the Business Hours or Closed Hours section, click Edit under Interactive Voice Response (IVR).
5. Click Edit next to one of the key.
6. Select Forward to Common Area, enter the Common Area's name, then select the Common Area.
7. Click Save.

How to add Common Areas in batch

You add several Common Areas at once using a CSV file.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management then Users & Rooms.
3. Click the Common Areas tab.
4. Click Import at the top of the page.
5. If you have multiple sites, select the target site you want the users to belong to.
6. Click CSV Sample. You can download a sample CSV file and view the required fields.
   Note: Click Zoom Phone Certified Hardware to view a list of acceptable entries. Fill in the Manufacturer and Model columns using this list for the CSV file to import correctly.
7. Click Download. 
8. Fill out the fields in the CSV sample using spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel.
   Note:
   • Do not delete the first row with the field names. Make sure the manufacturers and models are correctly filled in.
   • If you have multiple sites, but haven't enabled site codes, leave the Site Code column blank. The phone will import to the target site you selected.
9. Click Upload CSV and select your completed CSV file to start the batch process.
   Note: If there's an error in one or more fields, the batch process will not complete. You will have these options:
   • Click Details to see a description of fields that were not filled in correctly.
   • (If applicable) Click Ignore Issues and Upload Others to continue the batch process. Any rows in the CSV with errors will not be imported. You won't see this option if all rows have errors.
   • If all rows in the CSV have errors, the batch process will not complete. Click Reupload after you fix the CSV file.
   • Click Close to cancel the batch import process.
10. Click Close if the batch process is successful.

How to export a list of Common Areas

You can also export a CSV file containing a list of all Common Areas for your own records.

Note: The Zoom web portal doesn't support batch updating Common Areas using a CSV file. You cannot edit the exported CSV then import it.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management then Users & Rooms.
3. Click the Common Areas tab.
4. (Optional) Use the search bar and drop-down menus to filter Common Areas.
5. Click Export to download a CSV file of the current list of Common Areas in the web portal.