What the Default List ID does for incoming emails

Every VICIdial email account has a field called Default List ID. It is easy to skim past during setup, but it decides what happens to an email from someone you have never spoken to. When a message arrives and no existing record matches the sender, the system makes a new record, and the Default List ID is the list that record gets dropped into.

Think of it as the catch list for first-time emailers. Returning contacts attach to their existing Lead through the lookup process. Brand-new senders have nowhere to attach, so they need a home, and that home is whatever you put in Default List ID.

When it actually fires

The Default List ID only matters when the email account's lookup comes up empty. If the handle method is set to match against existing records and finds one, the email attaches there and the default list is never touched. If the lookup finds nothing, the system inserts a new record into the default list and attaches the email to that.

flowchart TD
  A["Inbound email arrives"] --> B["Look up sender address"]
  B --> C{"Existing record found"}
  C -->|yes| D["Attach to that record"]
  C -->|no| E["Create new record"]
  E --> F["Place it in Default List ID"]
  F --> G["Attach email to new record"]
  D --> H["Route to an agent"]
  G --> H

So the default list is a fallback, not the main path. On a busy support mailbox where most senders are existing customers, it might stay quiet for long stretches. On a mailbox that takes cold inbound from a public address, almost every email could land there.

Picking the right list

Because new emailers all funnel into this one list, it is worth choosing it on purpose rather than reusing whatever list was handy. A few things to keep in mind:

• Use a list that belongs to the campaign your email agents log into, so the new records sit where your Agent team is already working.
• Keep it separate from your dialing lists if you do not want these inbound emailers getting outbound calls. A dedicated email list makes that easy.
• Make sure the list actually exists before you save the account, or new emails have nowhere to land.

Once you decide where new emailers belong, the rest of routing is the system's job. The email is handed to the next available Agent in the group, who works it and applies a Disposition just like a call. From there, a new record in your default list behaves like any other record in that list, so you can filter, recycle, or follow up on it later.

If you are still deciding how matches are made before this fallback kicks in, read the email call handle method options. For how email fits next to inbound calls and chat overall, see the inbound email and chat guide. A clean default list also keeps reporting honest, since every emailed record sits in a list you chose. If you would rather not stand up lists and parsers by hand, our managed VICIdial plans come ready to run.