AI agents troubleshooting
When an AI campaign won't dial, callers reach your team instead, a transfer goes nowhere, or the agent screen is blank: what to check.
AI & automation · 4 min read
Start with the agent's Calls: Details on any call shows its recording, transcript and every step it took, ending with what happened to the caller.
The agent is live but the campaign isn't dialing
- The status says Taking calls, not Paused. A paused agent's lines are logged out.
- The campaign is Active in VICIdial.
- Dial Prefix is 8000, and the campaign's Auto Dial Level isn't 0.
- There are NEW leads in an active list of the campaign, inside its Local Call Time.
- Your wallet has money. See AI agents: pause, stop and limits.
Callers reach my team instead of the AI
Those calls went to the queue under When the agent can't take a call. That happens when the agent is paused or not live, it is at its limit of calls at once, your other live agents are using all your AI calls at once, the AI was briefly unavailable, your OpenAI key is not working, or your wallet is empty.
The AI said it was transferring, but nobody answered
- Open the call's Details. The last step says whether the server sent the caller to your queue, or never took the call.
- Sent but unanswered: nobody was Ready in that in-group, or nobody had it selected.
- Never took the call: contact support with the call's link.
The agent screen showed no number or name on a test call
A test call rings your own phone, so VICIdial has no lead for it. Turn on Add a lead for test calls in 6. What it can do. When a test call transfers, a lead is then made in list 999 (never dialed) with your number, the name you typed and the AI's notes.
The AI used the wrong name, or no name
- It only says names when Use the lead's name is on. It is off by default.
- On a test call, the name is the one in the box next to your phone in 7. Test and go live. It starts as the account owner's first name and is remembered per phone. Leave it empty for no name.
- On a real call, it is the lead's First Name in VICIdial.
People who answer hear a message, or wait, instead of the AI
Every AI line was busy when they answered, and the campaign's Drop Action ran. Adaptive dialing keeps this under the 3% drop limit. Check the campaign's drop rate in VICIdial's reports. If you need more AI calls at once, ask support.
There is silence when the call is answered
With Routing Extension 8369, answering-machine detection listens for about 3 seconds first. Then the AI waits for the person to say hello before it opens. A short opening line helps. 8368 removes the detection silence, but the AI then answers machines too.
The AI talked to answering machines
Use Routing Extension 8369 so machines are caught before the AI joins. The AI also hangs up on a voicemail greeting by itself within the first minute. See Answering-machine detection (AI AMD).
A note says "We set ... back"
VICIfast found the campaign's dialing (method or drop limit), or the AI's remote agent, changed in VICIdial and put it back. The note says what it was. See AI agents: pause, stop and limits.
Go live says no
- Install it on the server first, or Wait for the latest changes to reach the server: click Save and install, then wait for it to finish.
- Make one test call to your phone first: use Call my phone in section 7.
- Confirm the people in this campaign agreed to calls from an AI voice: tick the consent box.
- AI agents are not switched on for this account yet: ask support.
- Your account runs N AI calls at once and your other live agents use…: lower this agent's AI calls at once, pause another agent, or ask support for more.
- Your wallet is empty: top up first.
- AI agents are paused by VICIfast right now: try again later.
