How to make a VICIdial agent field read-only

Sometimes you want agents to see a value but never change it. A Vendor Lead Code, a verified phone number, or a security identifier should stay exactly as loaded. VICIdial lets you lock individual fields on the agent screen so they are visible but not editable, all through a screen label template tied to a Campaign. It is the middle ground between renaming a field and hiding it altogether.

Use the ---READONLY--- value

Open the screen label template, find the field among the 19 editable labels, and enter ---READONLY--- as its value. The field will display to the Agent but will not allow them to modify it. This option is available for most fields, so you can lock several at once: load the data through the Lead loader, and the agent can read it for context without the risk of an accidental edit. Compare that with leaving a label blank, which shows the default editable field, or typing custom text, which renames an editable field.

flowchart TD
  A[Set field label value] --> B{Value}
  B -->|Empty| C[Default editable field]
  B -->|Custom text| D[Renamed editable field]
  B -->|READONLY| E[Field shown but locked]
  B -->|HIDE| F[Field removed entirely]

The diagram lines up the choices for a single field. Read-only is the option that keeps the value on screen for reference while taking editing off the table.

Read-only versus hide versus required

Read-only is the middle setting in a family of three keyword options that most fields accept. Set ---HIDE--- and the label and field disappear entirely. Set ---READONLY--- and the field is visible but locked. Set ---REQUIRED--- and the agent must populate that field on every call before they can hang up and disposition it, though that last one only works if the Campaign has Allow Required Fields enabled. Read-only is unique in that it shows the data and protects it at the same time, with no campaign-level prerequisite to switch on. That makes it ideal for values that came in through a load and should be treated as authoritative. If you find yourself wanting agents to add data rather than just read it, required is the option to look at instead.

When read-only is the right call

Reach for ---READONLY--- when the data matters to the conversation but should be protected from edits. Verification fields, externally sourced codes, and anything an agent needs to read aloud but not rewrite are good candidates. If a field is purely internal and the agent never needs to see it, hiding is the better move; for that, see how to hide a field on the agent screen. Read-only pairs naturally with a clear Agent script, where the script tells the agent what a locked value means without inviting them to change it.

Make it live

Saving the template is not enough on its own. Attach it through the Agent Screen Labels pulldown on the Campaign modification page, then open an agent session and try to edit the locked field to confirm it will not accept changes. For how this fits alongside renaming, hiding, and required fields, see the agent screen configuration guide.

Locking the right fields protects your data without hiding context from agents. If you would rather run a hosted VICIdial that is already configured for clean agent workflows, take a look at VICIfast pricing.