How to create an inbound group and start taking calls

Taking your first inbound call in VICIdial feels like a lot of steps, but it is really four parts clicking together: a queue to hold the calls, a number that feeds it, a campaign that lets agents work it, and an agent who logs in. Miss any one and calls go nowhere. Here is the whole path in order, with no detours. Before you start, ask your carrier what they send you as the called number, because some only send the last few digits and you need to match that.

Step 1: Create the in-group

flowchart LR
  A[Create in-group] --> B[Point a DID at the in-group]
  B --> C[Campaign allows the in-group]
  C --> D[Agent logs in]
  D --> E[Agent selects the in-group]
  E --> F[Inbound call hits DID]
  F --> G[Routed to in-group queue]
  G --> H[Agent answers live call]

In the inbound section, click add a new in-group. Give it a Group ID with no spaces, two to twenty characters, letters numbers and underscores only, and unique from every other in-group and campaign ID. You cannot rename the ID later, so pick well. Add a group name and a color so calls stand out on the agent screen. Submit, and you land on the full settings page where you can set hours and on-hold music later. For now the defaults are fine.

Step 2: Point a DID at it

Still in the inbound section, click add new DID. The DID extension is the number your carrier delivers, so if they send all ten digits, enter all ten. Submit, then set Active to Y, set the DID route to IN_GROUP, and choose the in-group you just made. Pick a call handle method (CID is the simple default, which adds a record with the caller's number) and leave the rest at their defaults. This is the wire from your phone number to your queue.

Step 3: Make a campaign that allows the group

Agents log into a Campaign, not into an in-group, so you need one that is inbound or closer capable. Add a new campaign, set Allow Closers to Y, then open its detail view and set Allow Inbound and Blended to Y with a dial method of RATIO and a dial level of at least one. Scroll to the allowed inbound groups section and check your new in-group. This last step is the one everyone forgets: a new in-group is invisible to a campaign until you tick it here.

Step 4: Log an agent in and take the call

Have the agent open the VICIdial client, enter their phone login and password, then their agent username and the campaign you just built. Because the campaign is inbound capable, they get the green session screen listing every allowed in-group. They tick yours and submit. Since the dial level is one, they then click resume to become available. When a call hits your number, the caller ID appears on screen and the status bar turns your in-group's color. The Agent handles it, then hits hangup and picks a Disposition.

That is the entire chain. If something does not connect, the guide to inbound calls not reaching agents walks the same four parts in reverse to find the break. For the deeper why behind each setting, the inbound call handling guide is your reference. And if you have not got a server yet, you can get a branded, managed VICIdial box from our pricing page in under a minute.