List reset vs lead recycling: what's the difference

Two controls in VICIdial bring already-dialed numbers back into play, and people mix them up constantly. A list reset recalls an entire list at once. Lead recycling redials only specific statuses on a timer. They look similar from the outside, but they solve different problems, and using the wrong one is a common way to over-dial a Lead by accident.

Both feed the same destination, the dial pool, so the Campaign ends up dialing the numbers either way. The difference is scope and timing. For the wider context, the lists and leads guide ties it all together.

Reset: the blunt instrument

A reset is a list-level action. It flips every record in the list back to callable in one move, no matter the status. You trigger it from the list screen, schedule it with Reset Times, or vary it by day with a weekday container. A reset is the right tool when you genuinely want the whole list worked again from the top, for instance once it has run dry.

Recycle: the scalpel

Recycling is a campaign-level action that targets one Disposition at a time. You set a delay of at least 120 seconds and an attempt cap of 1 to 10, and only leads of that status come back, on that timer. It is precise, it is fast, and it does not disturb the rest of the list. Busy numbers are the classic use case.

Choosing between them

flowchart TD
  A[Need to redial numbers] --> B{Whole list or one status?}
  B -->|Whole list| C[List reset]
  B -->|One status| D[Lead recycling]
  C --> E[Every record callable]
  D --> F{Within attempt max?}
  F -->|Yes| G[Lead re-queued first]
  F -->|No| H[Wait for list reset]

Ask one question: do I want the whole list, or just one kind of result? Whole list means reset. One status means recycle. And note the link between them, recycling has its own attempt maximum, after which those leads need a full list reset before they can be tried again.

• Reset: list-wide, all statuses, instant or scheduled.
• Recycle: per-status, per-campaign, on a delay with an attempt cap.
• Recycled leads jump the queue and enter the hopper first.

It also helps to remember where each control lives. A reset is a property of the list, so it follows the list wherever it is dialed and can be scheduled on the clock. Recycling is a property of the campaign, so it follows the campaign across whatever lists are attached and reacts to a status rather than a time of day. That split is the cleanest way to keep the two straight in your head: list-thing versus campaign-thing, time-driven versus status-driven.

In practice, most teams recycle Busy leads continuously and reset the full list once or twice a day. That keeps the Hopper fed without hammering anyone. The recycle handles the near-misses minute by minute, while the scheduled reset gives every other status a fresh chance at a sensible cadence. If lists themselves are still new to you, what is a VICIdial list is the place to start.

Get the split right and your dialer stays productive and compliant: recycle the near-misses quickly, reset the whole pool deliberately, and never let the two stack up on the same numbers.

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