Why the agent recording button does nothing and how to fix it

The most common reason the Call recording button on the Agent screen does nothing is that the Campaign recording mode is set to NEVER. In NEVER mode the button is visible but completely inert — clicking it has no effect at all.

Cause 1: Campaign Recording is NEVER

Go to Admin > Campaigns, edit the campaign, and check the Campaign Recording field. If it is set to NEVER, change it to ONDEMAND (agents control recording) or ALLCALLS (recording starts automatically but agents can stop it). Save and reload the agent screen.

Cause 2: Campaign Recording is ALLFORCE

In ALLFORCE mode the recording button is present on the agent screen, but agents cannot use it to stop the recording. The button is intentionally locked. If your intention is to let agents start and stop recording, switch to ONDEMAND or ALLCALLS instead.

Cause 3: DTMF muting is enabled, hiding the Mute Recording Button

If agents are reporting the MUTE RECORDING button specifically is missing (not the main recording button), check whether DTMF muting is enabled on the campaign. When Recording DTMF Muting is active, VICIdial automatically hides the Mute Recording Button. The two features are mutually exclusive by design.

Cause 4: Mute Recording Button not enabled

The MUTE RECORDING button is separate from the main recording button and must be explicitly enabled. Find "Mute Recording Button" in the campaign settings — its default is N (disabled). Set it to Y and save. The button appears below the main recording button on the agent screen. Also note it should not be used for more than 15 minutes continuously.

Troubleshooting decision tree

flowchart TD
    A[Agent recording button does nothing] --> B{Campaign Recording mode}
    B -- NEVER --> C[Change to ONDEMAND or ALLCALLS]
    B -- ALLFORCE --> D[Recording is locked on - button cannot stop it]
    B -- ONDEMAND or ALLCALLS --> E{Is it the Mute Recording Button missing?}
    E -- Yes --> F{Is Recording DTMF Muting enabled?}
    F -- Yes --> G[DTMF muting disables Mute Button by design]
    F -- No --> H{Is Mute Recording Button field set to Y?}
    H -- No --> I[Enable Mute Recording Button in campaign settings]
    H -- Yes --> J[Check agent screen reload or browser cache]
    E -- No --> K[Check browser console for JS errors]

Quick reference

• Campaign Recording NEVER → button does nothing, change the mode
• Campaign Recording ALLFORCE → button present but locked, expected behavior
• DTMF Muting enabled → Mute Recording Button hidden automatically
• Mute Recording Button field defaults to N → must be explicitly enabled

For the full recording mode breakdown, see VICIdial call recording explained. For details on when agents can start or stop recording, see how to let agents start and stop recording.

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