Routing Extension: where unanswered calls go

When a call connects, something has to decide which agent receives it. In VICIdial that decision runs through the Routing Extension — a transfer extension that controls how a connected call gets handed off. Most people never touch it, but it is worth knowing what the options mean so you do not accidentally cause dropped calls.

What this field controls

The Routing Extension is a custom transfer extension that lets you use different call-handling methods depending on the Campaign. After a number is dialed and answered, this extension is where the call lands so the system can route it to a free Agent. Different extension numbers mean different routing behavior, especially around which server the agent is on.

The common extensions

These are the ones you will run into most:

• 8368 — the default. Sends the call to the next available agent regardless of which server they are on.
• 8367 — tries an agent on the local server first, then looks at other servers if none is free.
• 8366 — used for press-1 and survey campaigns, where there may be no live agent in the loop.
• 8369 and others — variants used after answering-machine detection or for text-to-speech survey flows.

Which one to pick

If you run a single server — which most people on a managed box do — leave it on 8368. The whole question of which server an agent is on does not apply to you, so the default just works and routes connected calls to the next free agent. The multi-server options matter only if you have several dialers sharing agents, where you might want to keep a call local to reduce cross-server hops.

The time to change it is when you are building a special flow: a press-1 survey, a broadcast campaign, or something that needs answering-machine handling first. In those cases the extension number is part of the recipe, and you confirm the right one before you go live rather than guessing. This setting works hand in hand with the agent search method, which decides how the system hunts for a free agent once the call arrives.

Routing versus search method

People mix up two settings that sound alike. The Routing Extension is the destination — where a connected call is handed off so the system can route it. The agent search method is the rule for how widely the system then hunts for a free agent. They work as a pair: routing puts the call on the right path, and the search method decides whether it can reach an agent on another server or only the local one. If you change one, it is worth glancing at the other so they tell the same story.

For survey and broadcast work, the routing extension also decides whether a live Agent is even in the loop or whether the call is handled entirely by automation. That is why the press-1 and survey extensions are separate numbers — they expect a different flow from a normal agent campaign.

Why a wrong pick causes drops

If you route calls to a path that has no agents available, the connected customer ends up with nobody on the line — which counts as a dropped or Nuisance call. That hurts your numbers and, in the US, your regulatory standing. A common way this happens is copying a campaign that used a survey extension into a new agent campaign and forgetting to switch the routing back to the default. The fix is simple once you know to look: confirm the extension matches the kind of campaign you are running. If you suspect routing is part of a drop problem, walk through how to lower your VICIdial drop rate alongside this setting.

For the bigger picture on how connected calls flow into agents, the VICIdial dialing strategies guide ties it together. And if you would rather not manage server topology at all, see our plans.