If you’re missing calls and the voicemails are piling up, you’re not alone. Nobody likes digging through a clunky voicemail menu or forgetting to call someone back. This guide is for anyone who wants to get voicemails out of Cloudtalk and into their inbox—so you can respond faster, stay organized, and stop letting messages fall through the cracks.
Here’s how to set up voicemail-to-email notifications in Cloudtalk, what actually works (and what’s just extra clicks), and a few tips for not drowning in notifications.
Why bother with voicemail-to-email?
Let’s get this out of the way: Voicemail is a pain, but it’s not going anywhere. People leave messages, and if you’re not checking them, you’re missing out. Here’s why routing voicemails to your email can actually make life easier:
- No more missed messages. Your inbox is where you live. Voicemails in email are harder to ignore.
- Faster responses. You see messages as they come in, not hours later.
- Easier to share. Forward a voicemail to a teammate in two clicks.
- Searchable. Find that message from two weeks ago without playing “guess the extension.”
Is this going to change your life? No. But it will save you time, and that adds up.
Before you start: What you’ll need
Let’s keep it simple:
- An admin account in Cloudtalk (if you can’t see the dashboard, you’re not an admin)
- The email addresses for people who should get notified
- A few minutes—this isn’t rocket science
If you’re using a third-party email filter that loves to eat notifications, heads up: you may need to whitelist Cloudtalk’s sender address.
Step 1: Log into Cloudtalk as an admin
This sounds obvious, but it’s the first place people get stuck. You need admin rights to set up system-wide notifications. If you’re not sure, poke your IT person, or try logging in and see if you have access to the “Settings” or “Numbers” section.
Step 2: Find your phone number settings
Cloudtalk organizes voicemail notifications by phone number (not by user or queue). Here’s how to get where you need to go:
- In the left sidebar, click on Numbers.
- You’ll see a list of all your company’s phone numbers.
- Click the Edit button (usually a pencil icon) next to the number you want to set up.
Pro tip: If you have a ton of numbers, use the search bar at the top. Don’t waste time scrolling.
Step 3: Set up voicemail if it’s not already on
Some Cloudtalk numbers come with voicemail enabled. Some don’t. Here’s what to check:
- In the number’s settings, look for a Voicemail section.
- If you see a toggle or checkbox for voicemail, make sure it’s ON.
- If you don’t see voicemail options, you might need to assign a voicemail box or create one. Click Add new voicemail and follow the prompts.
Don’t overcomplicate this—just make sure a voicemail box exists for the number.
Step 4: Configure voicemail-to-email notifications
Now for the part that actually matters:
- In the voicemail section, look for Notifications or Send voicemails to email.
- Enter the email address(es) that should receive notifications. You can usually add more than one—separate them with commas or semicolons. Double-check for typos.
- Choose if you want to attach the voicemail audio file to the email. (You probably do, unless you like logging into dashboards.)
- Some versions let you include a transcription. Don’t expect magic—transcriptions are rarely perfect, especially if the caller mumbles or there’s background noise. Still, it’s worth turning on for a quick scan.
What actually works:
- Email with audio attached.
- Transcription if you want a rough summary.
- Skip SMS or internal Cloudtalk notifications unless you know you need them—most people just want the email.
What to ignore:
- Fancy templates and branding. No one cares what your voicemail notification looks like.
- “Mark as urgent.” Everything’s urgent until it isn’t. Focus on getting the message.
Step 5: Save and test
Don’t trust that it works until you see it in your inbox.
- Click Save or Update (it’s usually at the bottom).
- Call the number from your mobile and leave a test voicemail.
- Check your email. You should get a new message from Cloudtalk with the audio file attached (and a transcription, if you turned that on).
If you don’t see the email:
- Check your spam folder.
- Make sure you typed the email address correctly.
- If you’re using a corporate email system, the message might be blocked. IT can help.
Pro tip: Set a filter or label in your email client for these notifications. Otherwise, your inbox will get messy fast.
Step 6: Fine-tune (or don’t)
You can get fancy with rules, filters, or sending notifications to a shared team inbox. But don’t overthink it at first.
- Solo users: Just send voicemails to your own inbox.
- Small teams: Use a shared email address (like support@ or sales@) so everyone sees new messages.
- Big teams: You might want to use distribution lists or automation tools to route messages based on who’s on call.
Honest take: Most teams just dump everything into a shared inbox and call it a day. That’s fine. If you start missing messages, then it’s time to get more organized.
What if you want to turn it off or change it later?
Easy. Just go back to the number’s settings, find the voicemail section, and remove or update the email addresses. There’s no penalty for changing your mind. If you try notifications for a week and hate them, turn them off.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Lots of guides skip this part. Here’s what actually trips people up:
- Too many notifications. If you send voicemails to everyone, nobody pays attention. Use a shared inbox or be selective.
- Transcription overhype. Automated voicemail transcriptions are helpful, but they mishear names, numbers, and noisy calls. Don’t rely on them for critical info.
- Wrong email address. Typos here are brutal. Always test with a real message.
- Not checking your email. This sounds dumb, but it happens. Make sure your notification system matches the way you actually work.
Alternatives and workarounds
Cloudtalk’s built-in voicemail-to-email is the path of least resistance.
Still, if you want more control, you could use:
- Integrations: Cloudtalk connects with tools like Slack or help desk software, but these take more setup and can be overkill for basic voicemail.
- Forwarding rules: You can set up email forwarding or filters in your email client for more complex workflows.
- Third-party automation: Tools like Zapier can do fancier things, but you probably don’t need them unless your team is huge or you’re drowning in calls.
Keeping it simple
Voicemail-to-email in Cloudtalk is easy to set up and, honestly, that’s the point. Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be. Start with basic notifications, test them, and tweak if you need to.
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s just to make sure you’re not missing messages you actually care about. Set it up, see how it works, and iterate if you need to. You’ve got better things to do than babysit voicemails.