Campaign CID Override per list in VICIdial

Caller ID is the number a customer sees when your dialer rings them. In VICIdial the CID (caller ID) usually comes from the campaign, so every list on that campaign shows the same number. The Campaign CID Override field lets a single list break from that and present its own caller ID.

It lives on the Modify List page and is empty by default. Put a number in it and every outbound call to a Lead in that list goes out with that caller ID instead of the campaign's.

Why override caller ID at the list level

The classic reason is geography. If a list is full of leads in one area code, presenting a local-looking number tends to lift answer rates. Another reason is separating brands or offers that share a campaign: the renewal list shows your support line, the new-business list shows your sales line. A third is keeping a single problem list off your primary number while you sort out reputation issues.

It also gives you a clean way to test. Put the same kind of leads in two lists, give each a different caller ID, and let them run side by side on one campaign. Because everything else stays equal, the difference in answer rate is a fair read on the number itself rather than on dial pacing or call times. That is much harder to do if you have to spin up two whole campaigns just to compare two numbers, and it is exactly the sort of small experiment list overrides make easy.

flowchart TD
  A[Outbound call] --> B{CID Group Override set?}
  B -->|Yes| C[Pick CID from group]
  B -->|No| D{Campaign CID Override set?}
  D -->|Yes| E[Use list CID]
  D -->|No| F[Use campaign CID]

Single number versus a CID group

Campaign CID Override sets one fixed number for the list. If you want the list to rotate through a pool of numbers instead, that is the job of the separate Campaign CID Group Override field, which points at a CID group. When a CID group override is set, it takes over all caller ID number choices for the list, so a single-number override and a group override are not meant to stack.

So the rule of thumb is simple. Use the single-number override when a small, focused list should always show one specific number, like a regional list with a matching local line. Reach for the group override when a high-volume list needs to spread its dials across many numbers so no single line gets hammered. Most operators end up using the single override for niche lists and the group for the heavy hitters, and they keep the two apart on any given list to avoid confusion about which value is actually winning.

Override the list or split the campaign?

If caller ID is the only thing that differs between two batches, override the list. Everything else, your Disposition set, dial pacing, and call times, stays shared with the campaign. Cloning a whole campaign just to change one number means double the upkeep for no real gain.

For how lists connect to campaigns in the first place, the VICIdial lists and leads guide has the full map, and the CID Group Override walkthrough covers the rotating-numbers case.

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