How to add a new VICIdial lead filter

Adding a Lead filter in VICIdial takes a minute once you know which fields matter. A Filter is a saved rule that trims which leads a campaign or user can dial, so the create screen is short — an ID, a name, an optional comment, the admin group, and the SQL rule itself. Here is the order to fill it in.

Open the Add Filter screen

From the admin menu, open the Filters section using the FILTERS link on the left. You will see a list of every filter already in the system, each with its ID, its name, and a link to its modification page. At the top of that list is an ADD FILTER link — click it to open a blank create form. There is no wizard here; it is a single short page you fill in once and submit.

Fill in the fields

1. Filter ID: a short code, letters and numbers only, no spaces or punctuation. This is required, and you cannot change it later, so pick something stable like CA_FRESH. On the add screen it must be 2 to 10 characters.
2. Filter Name: a longer, human-readable label such as California fresh leads. This is also required, and submission is rejected without both the ID and the name.
3. Filter Comments: optional notes, like calls all unworked California leads. Useful for the next admin who opens it.
4. Admin User Group: leave it at --ALL-- so any admin can view the filter, or scope it to one group if you want it hidden from others.
5. Filter SQL: the rule itself, written as a query fragment such as state IN('CA') and called_count < 3. Do not start it with WHERE or AND.

Save, then test before you trust it

flowchart TD
  A[Click ADD FILTER] --> B[Set Filter ID]
  B --> C[Set Filter Name]
  C --> D[Write the SQL fragment]
  D --> E[Submit the form]
  E --> F[Open TEST ON CAMPAIGN]
  F -->|Leads remain| G[Enable on campaign or user]
  F -->|Zero leads| H[Loosen the SQL and retest]

Submit the form and the new filter appears in the list. Do not enable it on a Campaign yet. Open the filter again and use the TEST ON CAMPAIGN form at the bottom — pick a campaign and it tells you how many leads would still be callable with this rule applied. If the count looks healthy, attach the filter to your campaign or user. If it comes back near zero, your SQL is too tight; loosen it and test again.

That single test step saves a lot of grief. A filter that lets nothing through will starve the Hopper and leave agents idle, and from the outside it looks like the dialer broke. Testing first turns a guess into a number. It is worth doing on every new filter, even a simple one, because a small SQL mistake is easy to make and invisible until calls stop flowing.

Once the filter is live, you can revisit it any time. For where filters sit alongside the rest of your call-quality tools, the quality-control guide puts them in context, and the QC setup walkthrough shows the broader configuration around them.

VICIfast gives you a managed VICIdial box with the Filters section ready to use, live in under 40 seconds. See our plans and pricing.