Dial by extension from PSTN to reach a Call Queue in Microsoft Teams – supported or not?

Question

Hello,

I’m looking for an official clarification regarding dial-by-extension behavior with Microsoft Teams Auto Attendants and Call Queues, specifically for external PSTN callers.

Scenario

• Microsoft Teams Phone with Direct Routing

External callers dial a main PSTN number (answered by a Teams Auto Attendant)

Internally, users can dial 4-digit extensions (e.g. 5370) and reach a Call Queue successfully

The Call Queue has:

A properly licensed Resource Account

  A phone number assigned in the format `+E.164;ext=5370`
  
     Correct routing and agents
     
     Everything works **internally in Teams**
     

Issue

When an external PSTN caller dials the main number and enters 5370#:

The call does not reach the Call Queue

The Auto Attendant only supports *single-digit DTMF options (0–9, , #)

Documentation ambiguity

Microsoft documentation (for example Plan for Teams Auto attendants and Call queues) mentions:

“If you plan to enable dial by extension, ensure that you add your users' extension number to their Microsoft Entra ID profile.”

However:

Dial by extension appears to work only for users

Call Queues and Resource Accounts don’t seem to be valid targets for multi-digit extension dialing from PSTN

There is no clear statement confirming or denying support for dial-by-extension to Call Queues

Question

Can Microsoft officially confirm whether the following is supported or not:

Dialing a multi-digit extension from the PSTN (via Auto Attendant) to reach a Call Queue

If it is not supported, is this:

A product limitation by design?

Something on the roadmap?

Or explicitly unsupported (users only)?

A definitive answer or reference to official documentation would be greatly appreciated, as this impacts PBX parity and customer expectations.

Thank you.Hello,

I’m looking for an official clarification regarding dial-by-extension behavior with Microsoft Teams Auto Attendants and Call Queues, specifically for external PSTN callers.

Scenario

Microsoft Teams Phone with Direct Routing

External callers dial a main PSTN number (answered by a Teams Auto Attendant)

Internally, users can dial 4-digit extensions (e.g. 5370) and reach a Call Queue successfully

The Call Queue has:

A properly licensed Resource Account

  A phone number assigned in the format `+E.164;ext=5370`
  
     Correct routing and agents
     
     Everything works **internally in Teams**
     

Issue

When an external PSTN caller dials the main number and enters 5370#:

The call does not reach the Call Queue

The Auto Attendant only supports *single-digit DTMF options (0–9, , #)

Documentation ambiguity

Microsoft documentation (for example Plan for Teams Auto attendants and Call queues) mentions:

“If you plan to enable dial by extension, ensure that you add your users' extension number to their Microsoft Entra ID profile.”

However:

Dial by extension appears to work only for users

Call Queues and Resource Accounts don’t seem to be valid targets for multi-digit extension dialing from PSTN

There is no clear statement confirming or denying support for dial-by-extension to Call Queues

Question

Can Microsoft officially confirm whether the following is supported or not:

Dialing a multi-digit extension from the PSTN (via Auto Attendant) to reach a Call Queue

If it is not supported, is this:

A product limitation by design?

Something on the roadmap?

Or explicitly unsupported (users only)?

A definitive answer or reference to official documentation would be greatly appreciated, as this impacts PBX parity and customer expectations.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi @Jean-François Guénet, 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.   

From your outlined scenario, you are asking whether an external PSTN caller can enter a multi‑digit extension in a Teams Auto Attendant and be routed directly to a Call Queue. I appreciate the thorough testing and detailed configuration you shared, including the resource account and +E.164;ext=5370 format you have already validated internally. 

Dial‑by‑Extension in Microsoft Teams Auto Attendants is a directory search feature that targets Teams users, not voice apps such as Call Queues or their resource accounts. As a result, multi‑digit extension entry by external callers will not route to a Call Queue; callers can only select single‑digit menu keys (0–9, *, #) that you assign to destinations like Call Queues, users, or other Auto Attendants. Auto attendant and Call queue dialing and voice recognition reference - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft… 

Microsoft’s planning guidance also calls out that if you enable “dial by extension,” you must add users’ extension numbers in Microsoft Entra ID, further confirming its scope is user‑centric rather than resource accounts or call queues. Plan for Teams Auto attendants and Call queues - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn 

Below are a few practical solutions that could best fit your current needs:  

1/ Route PSTN callers to Call Queues via menu keys or give the queue a direct number 

• In Teams admin center > Voice > Auto attendants, set Play menu options and assign a dial key to the Call Queue (Destination: Voice app or the Queue’s resource account). 
• Alternatively, assign a PSTN service number to the Call Queue resource account so external callers can dial the queue directly. 
• Test the full call flow end‑to‑end. 
• Routing calls with Auto attendants and Call queues for Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Teams | Microsof… 

2/ Use dial‑by‑extension for users only 

• Populate users’ extension values in Microsoft Entra ID/AD using supported formats (e.g., +15555550123;ext=5678, +15555550123x5678, or x5678). 
• Allow directory updates to propagate (can take up to 24 hours) before expecting dial‑by‑extension to work in the Auto Attendant. 

3/ If you need multi‑digit input that ultimately reaches queues 

• Implement a custom IVR (e.g., Azure Communication Services or a partner solution) to capture multi‑digit input and then transfer the call into the Teams Call Queue. 
• For Direct Routing, use SBC pattern routing (number maps/ranges) to send calls to the right Auto Attendant or resource account without relying on dial‑by‑extension for queues. 

Moreover, dialing a multi‑digit extension from PSTN via Auto Attendant to reach a Call Queue is not supported; dial‑by‑extension is designed for users only.  

Additionally. I strongly recommend submitting your suggestion through the Microsoft Teams · Community, where the Microsoft product team actively reviews user input. Many improvements have been made based on community suggestions, and your idea could help prioritize this feature for future updates. 

You have clearly identified a real-world challenge, and your suggestion reflects a deep understanding of user needs. Feedback like yours plays an important role in shaping the future of Microsoft products.

Once you submit your feedback, please feel free to share the link here. I would be happy to upvote it to help increase its visibility. 

Please note: As community moderators, our access to internal development details is limited. Our primary role is to guide users toward the appropriate resources and support channels. While we cannot influence product design decisions, we will continue to do our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities. 

Additionally, as other users have raised similar concerns and may not be aware of where to share their feedback, I hope this response helps clarify the situation and suggests a potential next step. Highlighting this information can make it more visible to others in the community who may be facing the same issue, making it easier for them to find guidance and contribute their feedback as well.

Thank you again for your time and for raising this important usability concern. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Wishing you a smooth rest of your day.

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Answer 2

Hey just for information it's possible to do what ia asked

#Assigne extension number to CA (Call Attendant or Call Queue)

Set-CsPhoneNumberAssignment -Identity ******@domain.com -PhoneNumber '+1yyyyyyyyyy;ext=5370' -PhoneNumberType "DirectRouting"

#Validate extension

Get-CsOnlineApplicationInstance -Identity ******@domain.com | Select DisplayName, UserPrincipalName, PhoneNumber

#Next, it's very important not to forget to put it in the Microsoft Entra, otherwise the extension won't work.

Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "User.ReadWrite.All" -TenantId "xxx

Set-MgUser -UserId ******@domain.com -BusinessPhones @("+1yyyyyyyyyyx5370")

It take about 4 hours to get this to work in my environement

Answer 3

Dialing a multi-digit extension from the PSTN via Auto Attendant to reach a Call Queue in Microsoft Teams is not supported. The documentation indicates that the Auto Attendant only supports single-digit DTMF options (0-9, *, #) for external callers. Therefore, external PSTN callers cannot dial multi-digit extensions to reach Call Queues or Resource Accounts.

This limitation appears to be by design, as the functionality for dial-by-extension is primarily intended for users within the organization, not for external callers. Currently, there is no indication that this feature is on the roadmap for future updates or changes.

For a definitive answer, you may want to refer to the official Microsoft documentation regarding Auto Attendants and Call Queues for further clarification.