cisco onprem uc · published

Unified CM call pickup and call park

Verified 2026-09-24 · 51 sources · tier 2

In Unified CM, Call Pickup lets users answer calls that arrive on a directory number other than their own 47. Call Park lets a user on an active call press Park to hold the call at a call park extension, which another phone then dials to retrieve the call 28.

Call pickup mechanisms

Unified CM provides three pickup softkeys: PickUp for the user's own group, GPickUp for another group or a directed directory number (DN), and OPickUp for associated groups 50. With Group Call Pickup (GPickUp softkey), the user connects to the incoming call that has been ringing the longest in the target group 20. Other Group Pickup (OPickUp softkey) searches the groups associated with the user's pickup group; when several associated groups are configured, the association priority takes precedence over ringing time 27. Each Unified CM call pickup group can be associated with at most 10 other call pickup groups 21.

A user can be assigned to only 1 call pickup group 26. Cisco does not recommend assigning different lines of the same phone to different call pickup groups because it can confuse users 22. Directed Call Pickup is invoked by pressing GPickUp and entering the directory number of the device that is ringing 17. However, Directed Call Pickup cannot pick up a call ringing on a hunt list member when that call was placed to the hunt pilot number 16. With BLF Call Pickup, a flashing BLF DN indicates a call to pick up, and the picking-up line is either the next available line or a specified line 5.

Call pickup configuration and parameters

A directory number is placed in a pickup group via the Call Pickup Group drop-down in the Call Forward and Call Pickup Settings area of Directory Number Configuration 18. If call pickup group numbers are placed in a partition, only phones whose calling search space can reach that partition can use the pickup group 49. A call pickup group number assigned to lines or directory numbers cannot be deleted until those assignments are changed, and edits to the group number propagate to all assigned DNs 19.

A call pickup group's notification policy is configured as No Alert, Audio Alert, Visual Alert, or Audio and Visual Alert 24. The call pickup group notification timer accepts an integer from 1 to 300 seconds 25.

Two clusterwide service parameters manage pickup timings:

  • The Pickup Locating Timer service parameter (1 to 5 seconds) sets the maximum time Unified CM takes to identify alerting calls across all nodes in the cluster 48.
  • The Call Pickup No Answer Timer service parameter (12 to 300 seconds) controls how long before a call that was picked up but not answered is restored 23.

Auto call pickup (controlled by the Auto Call Pickup Enabled service parameter) connects the user straight to the picked-up call; without it, the user must press an additional softkey to complete the connection 4. An auto call pickup produces 2 CDRs, whereas a non-auto pickup produces 1 3. When Auto Call Pickup Enabled is False and a user presses a pickup softkey, the ringing line's configured call forwarding is ignored for that call 6.

Call park

A call park number or range uses digits plus at most 2 X wildcards, allowing 1 range (for example 80XX) to yield up to 100 park extensions 42. Unified CM can park only 1 call at each call park extension number 38. Each call park number or range is tied to 1 Unified CM node through the Unified Communications Manager field, and by default every node needs its own unique park numbers 40. The clusterwide service parameter Enable cluster-wide Call Park Number/Ranges (Feature - General) defaults to False and decides whether Call Park is cluster-wide or bound to a specific node 7.

For call park to survive failover and fallback, park numbers should be configured on the publisher and on the subscriber nodes 30. For shared lines on devices registered to different nodes, the line registers to the node on which a device registers first, meaning each node must carry park numbers 45.

The Call Park Display Timer service parameter defaults to 10 seconds and sets how long the park number is shown on the parking phone 29. The Call Park Reversion Timer service parameter defaults to 60 seconds; when it expires, an unretrieved parked call returns to the device that parked it 43. If a hunt group member parks a call that arrived through a hunt pilot, the call goes back to the hunt pilot when the Call Park Reversion Timer expires 31.

A call park range may be placed in a partition to restrict which calling search spaces can reach it, or left in <None> for unrestricted access 39. If the same park range is reused in different partitions, users should have only 1 of those partitions in their calling search space 44. Users can retrieve a call parked on another Unified CM cluster by dialling an intercluster-trunk route pattern that covers the park number (for example 80XX, dialling 8022) 32. Over QSIG intercluster trunks, the parked party does not see the "To parked number" message 41. The music on hold a parked caller hears is chosen by the parking phone's Network Hold MOH Audio Source setting 33.

The Release 15 Call Park task flow runs: clusterwide Call Park, partition, call park number, softkey template, associate template with common device configuration, associate softkey with phone, Call Park button, then Park Monitoring 46.

Park monitoring

Park Monitoring is an optional Call Park feature in which Unified CM watches a parked call and, once its timer expires, forwards it to a preassigned number, sends it to voicemail, or returns it to the parker 35. Park Monitoring uses 3 timers: Reversion (wait before prompting the parker), Periodic Reversion (interval between reminders), and Forward No Retrieve (reminder period before forwarding) 37. These timers can be set on a directory number, hunt pilot, or universal line template, and a value of 0 or empty falls back to the corresponding service parameter 36. When the Park Monitoring Forward No Retrieve destination is left empty, the call returns to the parker once the Forward No Retrieve timer expires 34.

Directed call park

Directed Call Park is transfer-based: the user presses Transfer, dials a directed call park number, and completes the transfer, rather than using the Park softkey 15. Directed call park numbers exist cluster-wide, unlike default Call Park numbers, which are bound to a node 11. The Retrieval Prefix is a required directed call park field, and a parked call is retrieved by dialling the retrieval prefix followed by the directed park number 12.

Parking to a directed call park number that already holds a call gives the user busy tone and the message "Park Slot Unavailable" 10. If a directed call park number has no Reversion Number, an unretrieved call reverts to the parker after the Call Park Reversion Timer expires 13. Phones that support directed call park BLF buttons can monitor the busy or idle state of specific directed call park numbers 9.

Cisco recommends not configuring both Directed Call Park and the Park softkey, and if both are used, their number ranges must not overlap 8. The Release 15 Directed Call Park task flow runs: clusterwide Directed Call Park, directed call park number, BLF/Directed Call Park buttons, then synchronize with affected devices 14.

Endpoint-specific settings

On Cisco IP Phone 8800 enterprise firmware, the Dedicate One Line for Call Park setting decides whether a parked call stays on the user's line (resumable with Resume) or moves to a call park line 2. Assisted Directed Call Park on 8800 phones lets a user park a call with a single button press using the Direct Park feature 1.

WarmTransfer's reading of the sources is that core pickup and park parameters (timer ranges and defaults, XX limit, 1 call per slot, directed park retrieval prefix) likely hold across Release 12.5(1), Release 14, and Release 15 because they read identically across those guides 51.

See also

See also Unified CM hunt pilots and hunt lists and line groups. See also Unified CM dial plan partitions and calling search spaces. See also Unified CM service parameters that change transfer behaviour.

Applicability

Applies to: Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series on Unified Communications Manager. Deployments: on-premises. Sources checked 2026-09-24. The Release 15 Call Park task flow and Directed Call Park task flow specifically define the configuration sequences for Release 15 46​14.

What remains uncertain

  • Mapping Unified CM pickup groups and park ranges to Webex Calling call pickup and call park groups during migration is not covered by the sources below.
  • Call pickup and call park support in Jabber and Webex App registered to Unified CM is not covered by the sources below.
  • The default value of the Auto Call Pickup Enabled service parameter is not covered by the sources below.
  • Current phone models supporting Park Monitoring (such as desk phones on Unified CM) are not covered by the sources below.
  • CTI and JTAPI park events for attendant consoles and park monitoring on third-party applications are not covered by the sources below.
  • The default values of the Park Monitoring Reversion, Periodic Reversion, and Forward No Retrieve timers are not covered by the sources below.
  • Reconciling the hunt-pilot pickup group rule with the directed pickup hunt pilot restriction is not covered by the sources below.
  • Call pickup and call park behaviour under SRST and Unified SRST Manager is not covered by the sources below.

See also

Related to

Referenced by

Sources

  1. 1
    Assisted Directed Call Park on 8800 phones lets a user park a call with a single button press using the Direct Park feature.
  2. 2
    On Cisco IP Phone 8800 enterprise firmware, the Dedicate One Line for Call Park setting decides whether a parked call stays on the user's line (resumable with Resume) or moves to a call park line.
    Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series Administration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager - Phone Features and Setup · Product-specific configuration table (Dedicate One Line for Call Park) · Checked 2026-09-24
  3. 3
    An auto call pickup produces two CDRs while a non-auto pickup produces one.
    Feature Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Call Pickup · Call Pickup Interactions (Call Accounting) · Checked 2026-09-24
  4. 4
    Auto call pickup (Auto Call Pickup Enabled service parameter) connects the user straight to the picked-up call; without it the user must press an additional softkey to complete the connection.
  5. 5
    With BLF Call Pickup a flashing BLF DN indicates a call to pick up, and the picking-up line is either the next available line or a specified line.
  6. 6
    When Auto Call Pickup Enabled is False and a user presses a pickup softkey, the ringing line's configured call forwarding is ignored for that call.
    Feature Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Call Pickup · Call Pickup Interactions (Call Forwarding) · Checked 2026-09-24
  7. 7
    The clusterwide service parameter Enable cluster-wide Call Park Number/Ranges (Feature - General) defaults to False and decides whether Call Park is cluster-wide or bound to a specific node.
  8. 8
    Cisco recommends not configuring both Directed Call Park and the Park softkey, and if both are used their number ranges must not overlap.
  9. 9
    Phones that support directed call park BLF buttons can monitor the busy or idle state of specific directed call park numbers.
    Feature Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Call Park and Directed Call Park · Directed Call Park Overview; Configure BLF/Directed Call Park Buttons · Checked 2026-09-24
  10. 10
    Parking to a directed call park number that already holds a call gives the user busy tone and the message Park Slot Unavailable.
  11. 11
    Directed call park numbers exist cluster-wide, unlike default Call Park numbers, which are bound to a node.
  12. 12
    The Retrieval Prefix is a required directed call park field, and a parked call is retrieved by dialling the retrieval prefix followed by the directed park number.
    Feature Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Call Park and Directed Call Park · Directed Call Park Configuration Fields (Retrieval Prefix); Directed Call Park Overview · Checked 2026-09-24
  13. 13
    If a directed call park number has no Reversion Number, an unretrieved call reverts to the parker after the Call Park Reversion Timer expires.
    Feature Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Call Park and Directed Call Park · Directed Call Park Configuration Fields (Reversion Number) · Checked 2026-09-24
  14. 14
    The Release 15 Directed Call Park task flow runs: clusterwide Directed Call Park, directed call park number, BLF/Directed Call Park buttons, then synchronize with affected devices.
  15. 15
    Directed Call Park is transfer-based: the user presses Transfer, dials a directed call park number, and completes the transfer, rather than using the Park softkey.
  16. 16
    Directed Call Pickup cannot pick up a call ringing on a hunt list member when that call was placed to the hunt pilot number.
  17. 17
    Directed Call Pickup is invoked by pressing GPickUp (Group Pickup) and entering the directory number of the device that is ringing.
  18. 18
    A directory number is placed in a pickup group via the Call Pickup Group drop-down in the Call Forward and Call Pickup Settings area of Directory Number Configuration.
    Feature Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Call Pickup · Assign a Call Pickup Group to Directory Numbers · Checked 2026-09-24
  19. 19
    A call pickup group number that is assigned to lines or directory numbers cannot be deleted until those assignments are changed, and edits to the group number propagate to all assigned DNs.
  20. 20
    With Group Call Pickup (GPickUp softkey) the user is connected to the incoming call that has been ringing the longest in the target group.
  21. 21
    Each Unified CM call pickup group can be associated with at most 10 other call pickup groups.
  22. 22
    Cisco does not recommend assigning different lines of the same phone to different call pickup groups because it can confuse users.
  23. 23
    The Call Pickup No Answer Timer service parameter (12 to 300 seconds) controls how long before a call that was picked up but not answered is restored.
  24. 24
    A call pickup group's notification policy is one of No Alert, Audio Alert, Visual Alert, or Audio and Visual Alert.
  25. 25
    The call pickup group notification timer accepts an integer from 1 to 300 seconds.
  26. 26
    A user can be assigned to only one call pickup group.
  27. 27
    Other Group Pickup (OPickUp softkey) searches the groups associated with the user's pickup group, and when several associated groups are configured the association priority takes precedence over ringing time.
  28. 28
    Call Park lets a user on an active call press Park to hold the call at a call park extension, which another phone then dials to retrieve the call.
  29. 29
    The Call Park Display Timer service parameter defaults to 10 seconds and sets how long the park number is shown on the parking phone.
  30. 30
    For call park to survive failover and fallback, park numbers should be configured on the publisher and on the subscriber nodes.
  31. 31
    If a hunt group member parks a call that arrived through a hunt pilot, the call goes back to the hunt pilot when the Call Park Reversion Timer expires.
  32. 32
    Users can retrieve a call parked on another Unified CM cluster by dialling an intercluster-trunk route pattern that covers the park number (for example 80XX, dialling 8022).
  33. 33
    The music on hold a parked caller hears is chosen by the parking phone's Network Hold MOH Audio Source setting.
  34. 34
    When the Park Monitoring Forward No Retrieve destination is left empty, the call returns to the parker once the Forward No Retrieve timer expires.
  35. 35
    Park Monitoring is an optional Call Park feature in which Unified CM watches a parked call and, once its timer expires, forwards it to a preassigned number, sends it to voicemail, or returns it to the parker.
  36. 36
    Park Monitoring timers can be set on a directory number, hunt pilot or universal line template, and a value of 0 or empty falls back to the corresponding service parameter.
  37. 37
    Park Monitoring uses three timers: Reversion (wait before prompting the parker), Periodic Reversion (interval between reminders) and Forward No Retrieve (reminder period before forwarding).
  38. 38
    Unified CM can park only one call at each call park extension number.
  39. 39
    A call park range may be placed in a partition to restrict which calling search spaces can reach it, or left in <None> for unrestricted access.
  40. 40
    Each call park number or range is tied to one Unified CM node through the Unified Communications Manager field, and by default every node needs its own unique park numbers.
    Feature Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Call Park and Directed Call Park · Call Park Overview; Call Park Configuration Fields (Unified Communications Manager) · Checked 2026-09-24
  41. 41
    Over QSIG intercluster trunks the parked party does not see the To parked number message.
  42. 42
    A call park number or range uses digits plus at most two X wildcards, so one range (for example 80XX) gives up to 100 park extensions.
  43. 43
    The Call Park Reversion Timer service parameter defaults to 60 seconds; when it expires an unretrieved parked call returns to the device that parked it.
  44. 44
    If the same park range is reused in different partitions, users should have only one of those partitions in their calling search space.
  45. 45
    For shared lines on devices registered to different nodes, the line registers to the node on which a device registers first, so each node must carry park numbers.
  46. 46
    The Release 15 Call Park task flow runs: clusterwide Call Park, partition, call park number, softkey template, associate template with common device configuration, associate softkey with phone, Call Park button, then Park Monitoring.
  47. 47
    In Unified CM, Call Pickup lets users answer calls that arrive on a directory number other than their own.
  48. 48
    The Pickup Locating Timer service parameter (1 to 5 seconds) sets the maximum time Unified CM takes to identify alerting calls across all nodes in the cluster.
  49. 49
    If call pickup group numbers are placed in a partition, only phones whose calling search space can reach that partition can use the pickup group.
  50. 50
    Unified CM uses three pickup softkeys: PickUp for the user's own group, GPickUp for another group or a directed DN, and OPickUp for associated groups.
    Feature Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Call Pickup · Configure a Softkey Template for Call Pickup (softkey table) · Checked 2026-09-24
  51. 51
    Core pickup and park parameters (timer ranges and defaults, XX limit, one call per slot, directed park retrieval prefix) read the same in the 12.5(1), 14 and 15 guides, so answers based on them likely hold across those releases.inferred
    Feature Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 12.5(1) - Call Park and Directed Call Park · Configure Clusterwide Call Park; Directed Call Park Overview (compared with Release 15 chapter) · Checked 2026-09-24

Documents

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series Administration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager - Phone Features and Setup

Cisco Systems · 2025-11-06 · accessed 2026-09-24

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Feature Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Call Park and Directed Call Park

Cisco Systems · 2026-09-16 · accessed 2026-09-24

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Feature Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Call Pickup

Cisco Systems · 2026-09-16 · accessed 2026-09-24

Cite this page

APA

WarmTransfer. (2026, September 24). Unified CM call pickup and call park. WarmTransfer. https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/cucm-call-pickup-park

BibTeX

@misc{warmtransfer-cucm-call-pickup-park,
  title  = {Unified CM call pickup and call park},
  author = {{WarmTransfer}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/cucm-call-pickup-park},
  note   = {Verified 2026-09-24}
}