Answering Machine Message Override per list in VICIdial

When VICIdial's AMD (answering machine detection) decides a call was picked up by a machine, the campaign can be set to play a recording instead of routing the call to an agent. The Answering Machine Message Override field lets one list play its own recording in that moment, separate from whatever the campaign uses.

The field is on the Modify List page and is empty by default, so the list inherits the campaign's answering-machine message. Set it and machine-detected calls to leads in that list hear your recording instead.

Why one list might need its own message

Different lists often carry different offers or brands. A renewal list might leave a friendly "your plan is up for renewal, call us back" message, while a new-prospect list leaves a short intro. If both run on one campaign, a per-list override keeps each batch's voicemail-style message on-brand without splitting them apart. It is also handy when one list targets a region or language that needs its own recording.

There is a practical reason to care about which message plays. The recording you leave on a machine is often the only contact that customer gets that day, so it has to stand on its own. A generic campaign message might say nothing useful to a renewal customer who needs a specific call-back reason, while a list-tuned message can name the offer and give a clear next step. Matching the message to the list is a small change that makes those one-shot contacts actually worth leaving, and it costs nothing but the time to record the clip.

flowchart TD
  A[Call answered] --> B{AMD detects a machine?}
  B -->|No| C[Route to agent]
  B -->|Yes| D{List AM message override set?}
  D -->|Yes| E[Play list recording]
  D -->|No| F[Play campaign recording]

It only fires when AMD is in play

This override only matters if answering machine detection is actually running and the campaign is set to leave a message on a machine. If AMD is off, or the campaign hangs up on machines instead of leaving a message, the field never gets used. So check the campaign's AMD and machine-handling settings first; the list override rides on top of them, it does not turn them on.

This is the most common reason a list override seems to do nothing. An operator sets a careful per-list recording, runs the list, and hears the campaign message anyway, or no message at all. Nine times out of ten the campaign is the culprit: detection is disabled, or the campaign is set to drop machine calls rather than leave a message. The override is a substitution, not a switch. It changes what plays when a message is going to play; it cannot make a message play where the campaign decided not to leave one. Confirm the campaign behavior first, then trust the list field to swap the clip.

Override the list or change the campaign?

If every list on the campaign should leave the same message, set it on the campaign and move on. Reach for the list override only when one batch of Lead records needs something different. Like the other per-list fields, it saves you from cloning a whole Campaign just to swap one recording. The VICIdial lists and leads guide puts this in context with the rest of list setup.

Curious how this sits beside the other list-level fields? List overrides explained runs through the whole set.

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