Drop Inbound Group Override: Catch Dropped Outbound Calls per List

In predictive dialing, the dialer sometimes connects a live person before any agent is free to take the call. That call is a drop, and VICIdial does not just hang up on the person. It hands the call somewhere, usually an in-group queue or a safe-harbor message. By default that destination is set on the campaign. The Drop Inbound Group Override lets you change it for one list.

It is a single field on the list modification page. Set it to a valid in-group and outbound calls from this list that drop will be sent to that in-group instead of the campaign's drop in-group. Leave it blank and the campaign setting applies, which is the default.

What counts as a drop

A drop is an outbound predictive call that connected to a live answer but had no agent ready to take it. The Drop Action on the campaign decides what happens next: send the caller to a recording, hang up, or push them into an Ingroup queue so a free agent can still pick up. This override only matters when that action routes to an in-group.

Why route drops by list at all? Because not every list deserves the same recovery path. A high-value list might be worth pushing into a staffed queue so the contact is not wasted, while a bulk list can fall back to a generic message. The override gives you that split without separate campaigns.

How the destination is chosen

flowchart TD
  A[Outbound predictive call] --> B{Live answer, no agent free?}
  B -->|No| C[Normal agent handling]
  B -->|Yes| D[Call is a drop]
  D --> E{List Drop In-Group Override set?}
  E -->|Yes| F[Send to list in-group]
  E -->|No| G[Send to campaign drop in-group]

The per-list field is only consulted once a call is already classified as a drop, and only when the Drop Action sends drops to an in-group in the first place. If your Drop Action plays a recording or hangs up, this field has nothing to override.

Related per-list overrides

This field sits next to two siblings that also deal with where dropped or after-hours calls go: the Inbound Drop Voicemail Override, which sets the voicemail box for inbound calls that drop from an in-group queue, and the Inbound After Hours Voicemail Override, which handles after-hours routing. Do not confuse them. The Drop Inbound Group Override is specifically about outbound calls that drop, while the voicemail overrides are about Voicemail drop destinations for inbound traffic.

• Drop Inbound Group Override: outbound drops go to this in-group.
• Inbound Drop Voicemail Override: inbound queue drops go to this voicemail box.
• Inbound After Hours Voicemail Override: after-hours inbound calls go to this voicemail box.

All three are documented together in the full per-list overrides walkthrough, which is worth a read so you do not set the wrong one.

Setting it safely

Pick an in-group that is actually staffed during the hours this list dials, or you are just moving the dead air around. Confirm the campaign's Drop Action routes to an in-group, set the override, then watch a few live drops land where you intended. Check the Disposition on the recovered calls afterward to make sure agents are closing them out cleanly.

For the whole map of lists, leads, and their settings, see our lists and leads guide. Want a dialer that is already tuned and secured before you load your first list? VICIfast hands you a live VICIdial box in under 40 seconds. Compare plans.