A virtual PBX without the switchboard
Connect your business numbers to the right people and actions. Line gives you the useful parts of a PBX in the cloud: ring groups, hours, transfers, voicemail, missed-call texts, and an AI receptionist. No box on the wall.
From £4 a month. Pay only for the calls and texts you use. No minimum term.
- Incoming call · 08:55 MondayRule: office hours
Ring group
Rang the office group. Nobody answered in 20 seconds.
Overflow
Rang Steve's mobile. Answered.
Hi Steve, it's Mrs Patel. The scaffolders haven't turned up.
Leave it with me. I'll ring them now and call you back in ten.
Steve · from the main line
Quick answers
- What does PBX mean?
- Private branch exchange. It's the switchboard that takes calls to your business number and sends them to the right person or department.
- What makes a PBX virtual?
- The switchboard runs on the provider's servers instead of hardware in your office. You manage it online.
- Do I need extensions?
- Usually not. Small teams work better with ring groups, direct routes, and a shared inbox. Add a menu only if callers genuinely need one.
Route by purpose, time, and who's free
One public number can reach several people without giving out anyone's personal mobile.
Set up in an afternoon
No engineer, no hardware, no contract. Three steps from sign-up to your first call.
- 1
List where calls should go
The people, groups, and automatic handlers that can take a call.
- 2
Set the rules
Which number was dialled, what time it is, and who's available decide the route before the call connects.
- 3
Add a fallback
Choose what happens when the first option doesn't answer, and test it.
Example routes
The same number, a different destination depending on the moment.
| When this happens | Line does this | So you get |
|---|---|---|
| A sales call on a weekday | Rings the sales group, then texts the caller if nobody picks up. | A person, or a useful next step. |
| A known customer calls support | Goes to the support handler with the conversation history attached. | The team starts with the context, not from scratch. |
| A call out of hours | Molly, the on-call phone, or voicemail, depending on the schedule. | Predictable behaviour when the office is dark. |
Worth knowing
Questions people ask
Straight answers on setup, limits, and what it costs.
Never miss another customer
Pick a UK number, add your team, and choose what happens when you can't answer. Live in minutes, on the phone already in your pocket.