How VICIdial Numbers Phone-Recorded Prompt Filenames

Every audio prompt you record through VICIdial's extension 8168 gets a numeric filename assigned automatically. The first recording on a fresh server is always 85100001. The second is 85100002. This scheme continues indefinitely. Understanding how it works helps you keep track of which file is which, find recordings later, and enter the right value into VICIdial's prompt fields without guessing.

Why the numbers start at 85100001

The 851 prefix keeps phone-recorded files in a distinct numerical range that does not overlap with Asterisk's own built-in sound library or with files uploaded through the VICIdial audio store in the admin interface. Asterisk's built-in sounds use short descriptive names, not eight-digit numbers. Files uploaded through the admin store end up in a different subdirectory. So an eight-digit number beginning with 851 is an unambiguous signal that the file came from the phone-recording system, which makes it easier to audit what is on the server.

What increments the counter

flowchart TD
  A[Dial 8168 and log in] --> B[Hear next file ID announced]
  B --> C[Record after beep]
  C --> D[Press hash to stop]
  D --> E{Decision}
  E --> F[Press 1 - Save]
  E --> G[Press 3 - Re-record]
  F --> H[Counter increments]
  H --> I[Next caller gets ID plus one]
  G --> C
  G --> J[Counter stays the same]

The counter increments only when you press 1 to save a recording. Using option 3 (re-record) does not increment the counter. You can re-record a take ten times and still save it as, say, 85100004 — re-recording just replaces the unsaved temporary audio. Only a confirmed save moves the counter forward. This means your file numbering accurately reflects how many prompts you have permanently stored, not how many recording attempts you made.

Where the files live on disk

Phone-recorded prompts are stored as GSM-format audio files in the Asterisk sounds directory, typically under /var/lib/asterisk/sounds/ on a standard VICIdial installation. The file for recording 85100001 will appear as 85100001.gsm. When you enter 85100001 into a VICIdial prompt field, Asterisk strips the extension itself when loading the file — you enter the number only, not the full filename with extension.

Finding a recording number you forgot

If you did not write down the filename when Asterisk spoke it back, you have two options. First, list files in the sounds directory ordered by modification time — the most recently saved recording will be at the top. Run ls -lt /var/lib/asterisk/sounds/851*.gsm | head over SSH. The newest file in the 851 range is your latest recording. Second, you can dial 8168 again, log in with ID 4321#, and listen to the ID that the system announces as the next available slot — the previous slot is that number minus one.

Knowing the exact filename is critical for fields like the Safe Harbor Exten in the Campaigns screen Safe Harbor message (the message played to callers who would otherwise be abandoned as an abandoned call Abandoned call) or the Drop Exten in an In-Group Ingroup. If you enter a number that has no matching file, Asterisk plays silence or throws an error, and callers hear nothing — which looks like a hang-up from their end.

One important operational detail: if your server has been running for a while and you do not know how many phone-recorded prompts already exist, you can count the files in the sounds directory with ls /var/lib/asterisk/sounds/851*.gsm | wc -l. That count tells you how many accepted recordings have been saved. The highest-numbered file will be 85100001 plus that count minus one. Knowing the current ceiling is useful when you plan a batch recording session: if you are about to record five new prompts for a new campaign Campaign, you can predict the filenames before you even pick up the phone, write them into your admin plan, and confirm after recording that each file arrived as expected. This also protects you from entering a stale filename in a field: if the number you expected does not appear in the directory listing after recording, the write failed and you need to check disk space before the campaign goes live.

For a practical guide to every VICIdial field that accepts one of these prompt filenames, see Where to Use VICIdial Phone-Recorded Prompts. For the full overview of phone-based dialer functions, see the VICIdial phone-based functions guide.

Every VICIfast plan ships a fully configured VICIdial box in under 40 seconds, with the Asterisk sounds directory pre-configured and the 8168 recording extension already in the dialplan.