VICIdial 8168 Record-Prompt Extension Explained

Extension 8168 is VICIdial's built-in phone-based audio recorder — here is exactly what it does, how the dialplan context works, and when to use it.

Most VICIdial operators know you can upload audio files through the admin interface, but fewer realize there is a completely separate path: dial a single extension from any phone on the server, speak your message, and VICIdial stores it automatically. That extension is 8168. This post explains what it is, how it fits into the Asterisk dialplan Dialplan, and what comes out the other end.

What 8168 is

Extension 8168 is a dialplan context built into every standard VICIdial installation. When you dial it, Asterisk does not route you to an agent or a queue — it launches an interactive audio recorder. The extension is part of VICIdial's phone-based function set, a small collection of special-purpose extensions that let supervisors and administrators do things through a phone that would otherwise require browser access. A related example is extension 8162, which lets you roam between agent sessions for monitoring, but 8168 is dedicated entirely to recording.

After dialing 8168, Asterisk immediately asks for an ID. You enter 4321 followed by the pound key #. This ID is a static password built into the 8168 dialplan context. It is not a VICIdial user account; it is a PIN that gates access to the recording menu. Because it is fixed, any phone registered to the server that can reach extension 8168 can use it. In most single-tenant installations that is fine. If multiple people use the same server and you want to prevent unauthorized recording, you would need to restrict the 8168 extension at the Asterisk level so only specific extensions can dial it.

flowchart TD
  A[Dial 8168] --> B[Prompted for ID]
  B --> C[Enter 4321 then hash]
  C --> D[Hear instructions and next file ID]
  D --> E[Beep sounds]
  E --> F[Speak message]
  F --> G[Press hash to stop]
  G --> H{Menu choice}
  H --> I[1 - Save file]
  H --> J[2 - Listen back]
  H --> K[3 - Re-record]
  I --> L[Filename spoken back]
  K --> E
  J --> H

Once logged in, Asterisk reads back the recording instructions. It also announces the ID number that will be assigned to your new file, so you know what the filename will be before you record. After the beep you speak your message. When finished, press # to stop. The context then presents three DTMF choices: 1 to save, 2 to listen, or 3 to re-record. DTMF (dual-tone multi-frequency) means ordinary keypad tones DTMF, which Asterisk detects in real time so there is no delay between pressing a key and getting a response.

File numbering and naming

The system starts at ID 85100001 for the first phone-recorded prompt and increments by one for every subsequent recording. These are not random names — they are sequential, predictable integers. Once you accept a recording, Asterisk speaks the filename back to you so you have the exact value to enter into VICIdial admin fields.

The recordings are stored as GSM audio files in Asterisk's sounds directory. When you paste a filename into a VICIdial field — for example the Safe Harbor Exten in the Campaigns screen, which plays a legally compliant message to callers who would otherwise be abandoned Safe Harbor message — you enter just the number, not the full path. VICIdial and Asterisk know where to look.

When to use phone-based recording vs file upload

Phone recording is best when you need something fast, when the speaker is already on-site with a phone, or when your compliance team wants the message recorded in the actual voice of the responsible party rather than a studio production. File upload (via the VICIdial admin audio store) is better when you have a professionally produced audio file or when you need to record on a device that is not connected to the VICIdial server.

For the step-by-step walk through the full recording session, see How to Record a VICIdial Audio Prompt by Phone. For the broader context of what other phone-based functions exist alongside 8168, see the VICIdial phone-based functions guide.

If you dial 8168 and hear a fast busy or an 'invalid extension' message, the dialplan context may not be loaded. Verify that your Asterisk extensions.conf or the VICIdial-managed dialplan includes the 8168 context and that a dialplan reload has been run since any recent changes.

Every VICIfast plan ships with the 8168 prompt-recording extension already configured in the dialplan, so you can record your first prompt within minutes of your server going live — no manual Asterisk edits needed.