How DNC scrubbing works when you dial

Scrubbing is the safety check that keeps your dialer from calling numbers it shouldn't. A DNC (do not call) (Do-Not-Call) list is just a collection of phone numbers you've promised never to dial again. VICIdial keeps two kinds: one shared Internal DNC list that covers every campaign, and per-campaign lists for numbers blocked only on a specific job. The clever part is that the check happens automatically, the moment a number is about to be dialed.

If you're still mapping out how lists, leads, and dialing fit together, the lists and leads guide walks through the full picture before you wire in scrubbing.

Where the check happens

Records don't get dialed straight from your Lead list. They first flow into the Hopper, a short queue of numbers ready to call next. When DNC scrubbing is turned on for a Campaign, VICIdial compares each number against the relevant DNC lists as it loads the hopper. Anything that matches is held back, so the agent never sees it and the dialer never rings it.

sequenceDiagram
  participant L as Lead List
  participant D as Dialer
  participant N as DNC Check
  participant H as Hopper
  participant A as Agent
  L->>D: Next number
  D->>N: Is it on a DNC list?
  N-->>D: Yes - block it
  N-->>D: No - allow it
  D->>H: Allowed number to hopper
  H->>A: Agent dials

Because the comparison runs in real time, you don't have to re-scrub a list by hand every time you add numbers to your DNC. Add a number now, and the very next hopper load already respects it.

How numbers land on the list

There are two main ways a number gets blocked. The first is automatic: when an agent saves a call with a Disposition whose DNC flag is set to Y, that number is immediately written to the internal and campaign DNC lists. The second is manual, through the Add-Delete DNC Number link in the LISTS section.

• Type a phone number, click submit, and it's added. If it's already there, you get a duplicate notice instead of a second copy.
• The same screen removes numbers, and you can apply a change across all campaigns, all active campaigns, or all DNC campaigns at once.
• A DNC Log Search shows exactly when a number was added and which user added it, which is handy when you need to prove a number was honored.

Internal vs campaign lists

The internal list is global: a number on it is blocked everywhere. A Campaign DNC list is scoped to one campaign, so a number can be off-limits for your sales line but still dialable on a separate service callback. Pick the narrower list when a block should only apply to one job, and reach for the internal list when nobody should ever call that number again.

If the idea of a list as a container is still fuzzy, the explainer on what a VICIdial list is covers the basics that DNC scrubbing sits on top of.

Real-time scrubbing only matters if your dialer is dependable enough to act on it instantly. VICIfast gives you a single-tenant VICIdial server, branded and online in under 40 seconds, so your DNC settings take effect the moment you save them. See the plans and start dialing safely.