CINXE.COM

<!doctype html> <html lang="en"> <head> <title>IVR Definition - What is Interactive Voice Response (IVR)?</title> <link rel="canonical" href="https://techterms.com/definition/ivr"> <meta name="description" content="Learn about IVR telephone systems that respond to both touch tone and voice input."> <meta name="keywords" content="IVR, Interactive Voice Response, definition, telephone, voice input, prerecorded message, menu, options, phone"> <meta name="robots" content="max-image-preview:large"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="apple-itunes-app" content="app-id=923672016"> <meta charset="utf-8"> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://www.google-analytics.com"> <link rel="preconnect" href="securepubads.g.doubleclick.net"> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://www.googletagservices.com"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://techterms.com/css/tt.css?v=1" media="screen, print"> <link rel="icon" href="/svg/favicon.svg"> <script>window.dataLayer=window.dataLayer||[];function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments)}gtag('consent','default',{'ad_storage':'granted','ad_user_data':'granted','ad_personalization':'granted','analytics_storage':'granted'});gtag('consent','default',{'ad_storage':'denied','ad_user_data':'denied','ad_personalization':'denied','region':["NO","DE","FI","BE","PT","BG","DK","LT","LU","LV","HR","FR","HU","SE","SI","MC","SK","MF","SM","YT","IE","GF","EE","MQ","MT","GP","IS","GR","IT","ES","AT","RE","CY","CZ","AX","PL","RO","LI","NL"]})</script> <script src="https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js" data-domain-script="018decfc-da98-7112-b546-affa65c740cd"></script> <script>let adsLoaded=!1;let cmpReady=!1;let adsReady=!1;function OptanonWrapper(){cmpReady=!0;loadAds()}function loadAds(){if(!adsLoaded&&cmpReady&&adsReady){if((typeof __tcfapi!=="undefined")||(OnetrustActiveGroups.indexOf('C0004')!=-1)){googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.pubads().refresh()});!function(e,t,a,n,o,s){o=e.createElement(t),s=e.getElementsByTagName(t)[0],o.async=1,o.src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js",o.setAttribute("data-ad-client","ca-pub-0087137714961591"),s.parentNode.insertBefore(o,s)}(document,"script")}else{googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.pubads().setPrivacySettings({nonPersonalizedAds:!0}),googletag.pubads().refresh()});!function(e,t,a,n,o,s){o=e.createElement(t),s=e.getElementsByTagName(t)[0],o.async=1,o.src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js",o.setAttribute("data-ad-client","ca-pub-0087137714961591"),o.setAttribute("data-privacy-treatments","disablePersonalization"),s.parentNode.insertBefore(o,s)}(document,"script")} adsLoaded=!0}}</script> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-5K7VMN5PX3"></script> <script>window.dataLayer=window.dataLayer||[];function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments)}gtag('js',new Date());gtag('config','G-5K7VMN5PX3')</script> <script>for(var ca=document.cookie.split("; "),i=0;i<ca.length;i++){var c=ca[i];if(-1!=c.indexOf("tt_theme=")){var theme=c.substring(9,c.length),html=document.getElementsByTagName("html")[0];html.classList.add("theme-"+theme),USERTHEME=theme;}else-1!=c.indexOf("tt_size=")&&(USERSIZE=c.substring(8,c.length))}</script> <script async src="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js"></script> <script>var sizes_tlb = [[970, 90], [728, 90], [468, 60], [320, 100], [320, 50]];var sizes_ss = [[300, 600], [160, 600], [468, 60], [320, 100], [320, 50]];var sizes_ra = [[336, 280], [300, 250], [320, 100], [320, 50]];var sizes_lb = [[728, 90], [468, 60], [320, 100], [320, 50], "fluid"];window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() {function defineAdSlot(e,d,g,i){e="/1009901/"+e,g="div-gpt-ad-"+g+"-0",slot0=googletag.defineSlot(e,d,g).defineSizeMapping(i).addService(googletag.pubads())}var mapping_tlb = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1000, 0], [[970, 90], [728, 90], [468, 60], [320, 100], [320, 50]]).addSize([758, 0], [[728, 90], [468, 60], [320, 100], [320, 50]]).addSize([488, 0], [[468, 60], [320, 100], [320, 50]]).addSize([0, 0], [[320, 100], [320, 50]]).build();var mapping_ss = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([981, 0], [[300, 600], [160, 600]]).build();var mapping_ra = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([971, 0], [[336, 280], [300, 250], [320, 100], [320, 50]]).addSize([551, 0], [[300, 250]]).build();var mapping_lb = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1178, 0], [[728, 90], [468, 60], [320, 100], [320, 50], "fluid"]).addSize([966, 0], [[468, 60], [320, 100], [320, 50], "fluid"]).addSize([820, 0], [[728, 90], [468, 60], [320, 100], [320, 50], "fluid"]).addSize([520, 0], [[468, 60], [320, 100], [320, 50], "fluid"]).addSize([0, 0], [[320, 100], [320, 50], "fluid"]).build();var mapping_qlb = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([758, 0], [[728, 90], [468, 60], [320, 100], [320, 50], "fluid"]).addSize([488, 0], [[468, 60], [320, 100], [320, 50], "fluid"]).addSize([0, 0], [[320, 100], [320, 50], "fluid"]).build();if (window.innerWidth >= 0) defineAdSlot('tt_tlb_2020', sizes_tlb, '1589388248615', mapping_tlb);if (window.innerWidth >= 551) defineAdSlot('tt_dra_2020', sizes_ra, '1589302365809', mapping_ra);if (window.innerWidth >= 0) defineAdSlot('tt_dlb_2020', sizes_lb, '1589236206757', mapping_lb);if (window.innerWidth >= 980) defineAdSlot('tt_dss_2020', sizes_ss, '1589233879778', mapping_ss);});googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.pubads().disableInitialLoad(),googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(),googletag.pubads().setTargeting("page_url","/definition/ivr"),googletag.enableServices()});adsReady=true;loadAds();if (window.innerWidth >= 0) googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1589388248615-0")});if (window.innerWidth >= 551) googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1589302365809-0")});if (window.innerWidth >= 0) googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1589236206757-0")});if (window.innerWidth >= 980) googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1589233879778-0")});</script> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","dateCreated":"2006","datePublished":"2006","dateModified":"2024-10-24","copyrightYear":"2006","copyrightHolder":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Sharpened Productions"},"name":"IVR","description":"A technical definition of IVR","headline":"IVR","abstract":"Definition of IVR","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Per Christensson","url":"https://techterms.com/authors/per_christensson"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TechTerms.com","logo":"https://techterms.com/img/main/techterms.png"},"teaches":{"@type":"DefinedTerm","url":"https://techterms.com/definition/ivr","name":"IVR","description":"A technical definition of IVR"},"audience":{"@type":"Audience","audienceType":"everyone"},"genre":"Technology","inLanguage":"en-US","isFamilyFriendly":"True","keywords":"telephone, voice input, prerecorded message, menu, options, phone","locationCreated":{"@type":"Place","name":"United States"},"text":"Stands for \"Interactive Voice Response.\" IVR is a telephony technology that interacts with callers through touch-tone keypresses and voice (input|input), allowing users to navigate menus and access information systems over the phone. While early IVR systems simply routed calls, modern ones are more sophisticated, leveraging natural language processing (NLP) to better understand spoken commands. These systems can handle routine queries and provide automated customer service without a human operator.","alternateName":"Interactive Voice Response","image":"https://techterms.com/img/md/ivr_352.png","url":"https://techterms.com/definition/ivr"} </script> </head> <body> <div id="full"> <header id="siteheader"> <div class="content"> <a href="#main" class="visuallyhidden">Skip to main content</a> <a href="/" class="logo"><img src="/svg/logo.svg" width="212" height="24" alt="TechTerms.com"></a> <div class="siteheader-middle"> <div class="searchwrapper collapsed"> <form id="search" class="search" action="/search" method="post"> <div class='autocomplete' role='combobox' aria-expanded='false' aria-owns='autocomplete-results'> <input type="text" id="term" name="term" placeholder="Search (e.g. ivr, CPU, GPU, RAM)" aria-label="Search (e.g. psd, docx, exe, jpg, zip)" autocomplete="off" class='autocomplete-input term' aria-autocomplete='both' aria-controls='autocomplete-results'> <button id="searchsubmit" class="searchsubmit"></button> </div> <ul id='autocomplete-results' class='autocomplete-results hidden' aria-label='Search'> </ul> </form> </div> <a href="/random" class="headerbutton random" id="random"><img src="/svg/random.svg" alt="random" width="16" height="16"></a> <button id="searchtoggle"><img src="/svg/search-white.svg" alt="search" width="18" height="18"></button> </div> <div class="siteheader-right"> <button id="menuopen"><img src="/svg/menu.svg" alt="open menu" width="18" height="16"></button> <nav id="sitemenu" class="collapsed"> <button id="menuclose"><img src="/svg/close.svg" alt="close menu" width="14" height="14"></button> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/">Terms</a></li> <li><a href="/quiz/">Quizzes</a></li> <li><a href="/help/">Help Center</a></li> <li class="mobile"><a href="/random">Random Term</a></li> <li class="settings"><button id="settings"><img src="/svg/settings.svg" alt="settings" width="22" height="22"></button> <div class="settingsmenu"> <fieldset> <legend>Theme</legend> <input id="theme-default" value="default" type="radio" name="theme" checked> <label for="theme-default">Light</label> <input id="theme-dark" value="dark" type="radio" name="theme" > <label for="theme-dark">Dark</label> <input id="theme-hc" value="hc" type="radio" name="theme" > <label for="theme-hc">High Contrast</label> </fieldset> <div class="fontsizewrapper"><label for="fontsize">Font Size<input type="range" id="fontsize" name="fontsize" min="14" max="26" step="2" value="20"></label><span class="currentsize">20</span></div> <button id="resetsettings">Reset</button> </div> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> </header> <main> <div class="adTopLB"> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1589388248615-0'> </div> </div> <div id="main" class="def"> <div id="left"> <div class="card hasheader"> <div class="cardheader"> <div class="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Home</a><svg viewBox="0 0 9 14" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="m0 14 9-7-9-7z"/></svg><a href="/category/technical">Technical Terms</a><svg viewBox="0 0 9 14" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="m0 14 9-7-9-7z"/></svg>IVR Definition</div> </div> <article> <h1>IVR</h1> <div class="adDefRect"> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1589302365809-0'> </div> </div> <p>Stands for "<b>Interactive Voice Response</b>."</p> <p>IVR is a telephony technology that interacts with callers through touch-tone keypresses and voice <a href="/definition/input">input</a>, allowing users to navigate menus and access information systems over the phone. While early IVR systems simply routed calls, modern ones are more sophisticated, leveraging natural language processing (NLP) to better understand spoken commands. These systems can handle routine queries and provide automated customer service without a human operator.</p> <p>Chances are you've interacted with IVR when calling customer support about a product or service. For example, your bank may employ IVR when you call in to check your account balance, view recent transactions, or make transfers. Credit card companies, utility providers, and stock brokerages also provide IVR for phone-based account management tasks. IVR systems also facilitate appointment scheduling, automated surveys, movie showtime inquiries, and intelligent call routing in call centers.</p> <div class="summary">A typical IVR system features a series of menus with prerecorded prompts that guide users through various options. While many selections are straightforward, involving simple number presses, others may require you to provide specific information, such as your name or account number. Advanced IVR systems now utilize voice biometrics to authenticate users securely, leading to faster service.</div> <p>In today's <a href="/definition/digital">digital</a> landscape, IVR systems are increasingly integrated with <a href="/definition/artificial_intelligence">artificial intelligence</a>, enhancing their capability to understand conversational input and creating a more human-like interaction. Still, the quality of the experience can vary depending on how effectively the system recognizes and processes voice commands, especially in more complex scenarios.</p> <div class="adBotLB"> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1589236206757-0'> </div> </div> <div class="cardfooter"> <div class="upDate"><div class="author">Updated <span class="pdate">October 24, 2024</span> by <a href="/authors/per_christensson">Per C.</a></div></div><div id="citations"> <div class="tabs"> <div role="tablist" aria-label="citations"> <button role="tab" aria-selected="false" aria-controls="apa" tabindex="-1">APA</button> <button role="tab" aria-selected="false" aria-controls="mla" tabindex="-1">MLA</button> <button role="tab" aria-selected="false" aria-controls="chicago" tabindex="-1">Chicago</button> <button role="tab" aria-selected="false" aria-controls="html" tabindex="-1">HTML</button> <button role="tab" aria-selected="false" aria-controls="link" tabindex="-1">Link</button> </div> <div class="citationwrap"> <div id="apa" role="tabpanel" class="citation" hidden> </div> <div id="mla" role="tabpanel" class="citation" hidden> </div> <div id="chicago" role="tabpanel" class="citation" hidden> </div> <div id="html" role="tabpanel" class="citation" hidden> </div> <div id="link" role="tabpanel" class="citation" hidden> <div>https://techterms.com/definition/ivr</div> </div> <button id="citecopy"><span class="visuallyhidden">Copy</span><svg enable-background="new 0 0 488.3 488.3" viewBox="-7.5 -7.5 495.8 503.3" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="m314.25 85.4h-227c-21.3 0-38.6 17.3-38.6 38.6v325.7c0 21.3 17.3 38.6 38.6 38.6h227c21.3 0 38.6-17.3 38.6-38.6v-325.7c-.1-21.3-17.4-38.6-38.6-38.6zm11.5 364.2c0 6.4-5.2 11.6-11.6 11.6h-227c-6.4 0-11.6-5.2-11.6-11.6v-325.6c0-6.4 5.2-11.6 11.6-11.6h227c6.4 0 11.6 5.2 11.6 11.6z" stroke-width="15"/><path d="m401.05 0h-227c-21.3 0-38.6 17.3-38.6 38.6 0 7.5 6 13.5 13.5 13.5s13.5-6 13.5-13.5c0-6.4 5.2-11.6 11.6-11.6h227c6.4 0 11.6 5.2 11.6 11.6v325.7c0 6.4-5.2 11.6-11.6 11.6-7.5 0-13.5 6-13.5 13.5s6 13.5 13.5 13.5c21.3 0 38.6-17.3 38.6-38.6v-325.7c0-21.3-17.3-38.6-38.6-38.6z" stroke-width="15"/></svg></button> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> <div id="defquiz" class="card"> <h2 class="heading logoheading"><img src="/img/main/quiz.png" alt="quiz" style="width:45px">Test Your Knowledge</h2> <div class="quizBox"> <div class="quizBody"> <p class="quizQuestion">What type of network is most likely to use Bluetooth communication?</p> <div class="quizTable"> <div id="ansButtonA" class="answerButton activeButton" data-answer="Anum" data-date="2022-08-02"><span class="ansLetter">A</span> <div class="answerCell"><span id="answerA" class="quizAnswer">PAN</span> <div class="answerBar"> <div id="quizBarA" class="quizBar"></div><span id="quizPercA" class="quizperc">0%</span> </div> </div> </div> <div id="ansButtonB" class="answerButton activeButton" data-answer="Bnum" data-date="2022-08-02"><span class="ansLetter">B</span> <div class="answerCell"><span id="answerB" class="quizAnswer">LAN</span> <div class="answerBar"> <div id="quizBarB" class="quizBar"></div><span id="quizPercB" class="quizperc">0%</span> </div> </div> </div> <div id="ansButtonC" class="answerButton activeButton" data-answer="Cnum" data-date="2022-08-02"><span class="ansLetter">C</span> <div class="answerCell"><span id="answerC" class="quizAnswer">CAN</span> <div class="answerBar"> <div id="quizBarC" class="quizBar"></div><span id="quizPercC" class="quizperc">0%</span> </div> </div> </div> <div id="ansButtonD" class="answerButton activeButton" data-answer="Dnum" data-date="2022-08-02"><span class="ansLetter">D</span> <div class="answerCell"><span id="answerD" class="quizAnswer">WAN</span> <div class="answerBar"> <div id="quizBarD" class="quizBar"></div><span id="quizPercD" class="quizperc">0%</span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="quizResult"><div class="qmsg"> <b class="quizPass">Correct!</b> <b class="quizFail">Incorrect!</b>   <span class="customMessage"></span>  View the <a href="/definition/pan">PAN definition</a>.</div> <a href="/quiz/#morequizzes" class="quizNext btnprimary">More Quizzes →</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="right"> <div class="prevnext"> <a href="itunes"><span class="arrow">‹</span>  <span class="linktext">iTunes</span></a><span> | </span><a href="jailbreak"><span class="linktext">Jailbreak</span>  <span class="arrow">›</span></a></div> <div class="tf card"> <h2 class="heading">Tech Factor</h2> <a href="/help/tech_factor" class="info" title="What is the Tech Factor?">?</a> <a href="/techfactor/9"><span class="factor">9</span><span class="denom"> / 10</span></a></div> <div class="listBox card related"> <h2 class="heading">Related Terms</h2> <div class="rlists"> <ol> <li><a href="/definition/pots">POTS</a></li> <li><a href="/definition/telecommunications">Telecommunications</a></li> <li><a href="/definition/artificial_intelligence">Artificial Intelligence</a></li> <li><a href="/definition/input">Input</a></li> </ol> <ol start="5"><li><a href="/definition/output">Output</a></li> <li><a href="/definition/database">Database</a></li> <li><a href="/definition/nui">NUI</a></li> <li><a href="/definition/voip">VoIP</a></li> </ol> </div> </div> <div class="card"> <h2 class="heading">IVR Images</h2> <div class="baguetteBox gallery"> <figure> <a href="https://techterms.com/img/xl/ivr_352.png"><img src="https://techterms.com/img/sm/ivr_352.png" alt="IVR systems accept touch tone and voice commands" width="225" height="225" srcset="https://techterms.com/img/md/ivr_352.png 450w, https://techterms.com/img/sm/ivr_352.png 225w" sizes="(max-width: 748px) 225px, (max-width: 970px) 162px, 225px"></a> <figcaption class="caption">IVR systems accept touch tone and voice commands</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="adRightSky"> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1589233879778-0'> </div> </div> </div> <div class="techterms card"> <h2 class="heading">The Tech Terms Computer Dictionary</h2> <p>The definition of IVR on this page is an original definition written by the <a href="/authors/">TechTerms.com team</a>. If you would like to reference this page or cite this definition, please use the green citation bar directly below the definition.</p> <p>Our goal to explain computer terminology in a way that is easy to understand. We strive for accuracy and simplicity with every definition we publish. If you have feedback about this definition or would like to suggest a new technical term, please <a href="/contact">contact us</a>.</p> <h2 class="heading">TechTerms Newsletter</h2> <p>Improve your technical knowledge with our daily or weekly newsletter! Subscribe today and get new terms and quizzes delivered to your inbox.</p> <button id="ttn_open" class="btnprimary">Subscribe</button> </div> </div> <div class="popupwrapper"> <div id="newsletter_popup"> <button class="close">×</button> <div id="ttnform"> <h3 class="heading">Sign up for the free TechTerms Newsletter</h3> <form id="subscribe"> <div class="field"><label for="newsletter_email">Email (required):</label> <input type="email" id="newsletter_email" name="newsletter_email" required aria-label="email address"> </div> <div class="row1"> <div class="field"><label for="first_name">First Name:</label> <input type="text" name="first_name" id="first_name"></div> <div class="field"><label for="first_name">Last Name:</label> <input type="text" name="last_name" id="last_name"></div> </div> <fieldset class="row2"> <legend>How often would you like to receive an email?</legend> <input type="radio" name="frequency" id="daily" value="d" checked><label for="daily">Daily</label> <input type="radio" name="frequency" id="weekly" value="w"><label for="weekly">Weekly (Every Tuesday)</label> <input type="text" id="newsletter_message" name="message" class="cfieldhid" aria-hidden="true" aria-label="If you are a human, please do not fill in this field." tabindex="-1"> </fieldset> <input type="submit" class="btnprimary" value="Subscribe"> <div id="ttnerror"> </div> <p>You can unsubscribe or change your frequency setting at any time using the links available in each email.<br><br>Questions? Please <a href="/contact">contact us</a>.</p> </form> </div> <div id="ttnconfirm" style="display: none;"> <h3>Thank You</h3> <p>We just sent you an email to confirm your email address. Once you confirm your address, you will begin to receive the newsletter.</p> <p>If you have any questions, please <a href="/contact">contact us</a>.</p> <button class="ok btnprimary">Ok</button> </div> </div> </div> </main> <footer id="sitefooter"><a href="https://sharpened.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span class="copyright">© 2025 Sharpened Productions</span></a>  |  <a href="/terms">Terms of Use</a>  |  <a href="/privacy">Privacy Policy</a>  |  <button id="ot-sdk-btsn" class="ot-sdk-show-settings">Cookie Settings</button>  |  <a href="/about">About</a>  |  <a href="/contact">Contact</a></footer> </div> <script defer src="https://techterms.com/js/tt.js"></script><script> var cterm = 'IVR'; var curl = 'ivr'; quizDate = '2022-08-02'; T = cterm; C = "6906db804086f92534a29980e886e2ed"; </script> <script defer src="https://techterms.com/js/quiz.js?v=1"></script> </body> </html>