Automatic Hopper Level vs a fixed hopper level

There are two ways to decide how many leads VICIdial keeps staged for dialing: pick a fixed number yourself, or let the system recalculate it every minute. The second option is Automatic Hopper Level, and it is on by default. Knowing how it works helps you decide whether to trust it or override it, and the answer is not the same for every campaign.

What the automatic mode does

When Automatic Hopper Level is set to Y, VICIdial sizes the Hopper based on your live campaign conditions rather than a number you typed once. It recomputes the target each minute when the refill script runs, so the hopper grows when more agents log in and shrinks when they leave. You are no longer guessing at a number that has to fit the whole day.

The formula it uses is straightforward: active agents, multiplied by your Auto dial level, multiplied by how many call cycles fit in a minute given your Dial timeout, multiplied by the hopper multiplier. In words, it tries to stage exactly as many leads as your current pace will burn through, plus a little adjustment you control with the multiplier. Because each of those inputs is measured live, the result moves with reality instead of with a guess you made before the shift started.

Why automatic usually wins

A fixed Minimum Hopper Level is a single number that has to fit your whole day. But your day is not flat. Agents trickle in at shift start, take breaks, and log out early. With Predictive dialing, your Dial level also moves on its own as contact rates change. The automatic mode tracks all of that, so you do not end up with a hopper that is huge at 9am and starving at 2pm.

For most outbound campaigns this is the right default, which is why VICIdial ships with it enabled. You set a sensible Minimum Hopper Level as a floor and let the formula handle the minute-to-minute sizing above it. Most people who fight with hopper sizing are fighting a fixed number that no longer matches their floor.

When a fixed level is the better choice

There are cases where you want a predictable, fixed number. If you run a tiny team where the formula would compute a hopper of two or three leads, a fixed floor keeps a healthier buffer so the dialer is not constantly running dry. If you are diagnosing a dialing problem, freezing the hopper size removes one moving part so you can reason about the rest without the number shifting under you each minute. And if your campaign uses settings that complicate per-lead loading, a known fixed value is easier to predict and explain to whoever audits the campaign later.

If you do stick with automatic, the one dial you have over its behavior is the multiplier, which nudges the formula up or down without changing its shape. That is its own topic in what the Automatic Hopper Multiplier does. And for the bigger picture of how hopper sizing fits pacing as a whole, see the VICIdial dialing strategies guide.

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