Lead source

A lead source is simply where a lead came from. It might be a web form on your site, a batch of purchased data, a referral, an old customer file, or a partner feed. Tracking the source lets you answer the question every manager eventually asks: which leads are actually worth what they cost, and which ones are quietly draining the budget?

VICIdial does not have one rigid lead-source button, so people record it in a couple of practical ways. The most common is putting each source in its own lead list, so the list itself tells you the origin at a glance. Another is storing the source in the vendor lead code or a custom field, which keeps the marker on the record even after lists get merged or split down the road.

Why it matters

Once you tag the source, your reports can break results down by it. You will quickly see that some sources have a far better conversion rate than others, even when they cost more per record up front. A pricier feed that closes twice as often is the cheaper choice in the end. That insight tells you where to spend next month and which feed to drop without regret.

Decide your tagging scheme before you load anything. If you mix three sources into one list with no marker, you can never untangle them later and the comparison is gone for good. Keep sources separate at load time, whether by lead list or by custom field, and your data stays honest. Clean source tracking is the difference between guessing about your spend and actually knowing which lead origin pays off.

Source data is also worth keeping for compliance reasons. If a contact ever disputes a call, knowing exactly which web form or feed they came from, and when, helps you show you had a reason to reach them. Store the date alongside the source in a custom field, and you turn a marketing metric into a record that protects you as well.