How to add a custom disposition in VICIdial

When the built-in call outcomes do not match your workflow, you add a custom Disposition. In VICIdial a disposition is just a system Status (lead status) that agents can select at the end of a call, so adding one means creating a new status with the Agent Selectable flag turned on. You do this in the SYSTEM STATUSES sub-section of the Admin area, and the new code becomes available across your campaigns and in-groups.

The fields that matter

Start with the Status code. It must be 1 to 6 characters, so something like WRONG or VMAIL works while a long phrase does not. Next is the description, which must be 2 to 30 characters and is the friendly text that appears on the screen. Then set Agent Selectable to Y so the disposition shows up as a button on the agent screen. The remaining flags decide how the call is counted. Set human_answered to Y if a real person answered, because that field feeds the drop percentage and abandon rate. Use Sale for codes that should count toward total sales, DNC for do-not-call outcomes, and Callback set to Y when you want choosing the status to pop a calendar that prompts the agent for a callback date and time.

If those flag names feel unfamiliar, the agent screen configuration guide explains how each one ripples through the rest of the agent experience and your reports.

Adding it step by step

1. Open Admin and go to the System Statuses sub-section.
2. Enter a Status code of 1 to 6 characters that no existing status already uses.
3. Enter a description of 2 to 30 characters that reads clearly on the agent screen.
4. Set Agent Selectable to Y so agents can pick it.
5. Set the behavior flags such as human_answered, Sale, DNC, or Callback to match the outcome.
6. Save, then confirm the new disposition appears on a test agent screen.

flowchart LR
  A[Open System Statuses] --> B[Set 1 to 6 char code]
  B --> C[Set 2 to 30 char description]
  C --> D[Agent Selectable Y]
  D --> E{Set behavior flags}
  E --> F[human_answered]
  E --> G[Sale]
  E --> H[DNC]
  E --> I[Callback Y]
  F --> J[Save and test]

The diagram tracks the whole path from opening the screen to a saved, testable disposition. The branch in the middle is the part people skip: the flags are what make the new code report correctly instead of just looking pretty on a button.

Choosing the right flags

It helps to picture how the disposition will be used before you commit. If the code means a person agreed to buy, you almost certainly want both human_answered and Sale set to Y, so the call counts as answered and lands in your total sales. If the code means a person asked never to be contacted again, set DNC to Y so the lead feeds your do-not-call totals and, depending on the campaign setting, can be added to the internal and campaign DNC lists. There are also softer outcomes: Not Interested marks a lead that should not be called again but is not added to any DNC list, while Unworkable flags a lead that simply is not viable regardless of interest. You can also assign a Category so the new disposition groups with related statuses for statistical analysis later. Matching the flags to the real meaning is what separates a tidy report from a confusing one.

A common gotcha

The most frequent mistake is setting Agent Selectable to Y but forgetting the behavior flags, so a sale code never counts as a sale or an answered call never counts toward your Answer rate. Decide what the disposition means for reporting before you save it. If you also want agents to see matching talk-track wording when they pick the code, lining it up with your script helps, and our guide to modifying a VICIdial script shows how to keep the two in sync for a smoother Agent session.

Add the disposition once and it is available everywhere, which is the whole point of a system-wide status. If you would rather skip the setup grind entirely, check VICIfast pricing for a hosted VICIdial that ships with sensible dispositions ready to tweak.