How to Create Inbound Campaign in VICIdial — Complete Technical Guide

Prerequisites and architecture overview

• Working VICIdial installation (web admin and AGC agent GUI).
• Asterisk reachable and peered SIP trunk(s) from carrier/provider.
• Admin access to Carriers, DIDs, In-Groups, Campaigns and Users pages.
• SSH access for dialplan/AGI changes.
• Test phone or carrier test number.

High-level flow — how VICIdial handles an inbound call

Carrier → SIP trunk → Asterisk trunkinbound context → VICIdial DID record → Route type (IN_GROUP or EXTEN) → In-Group queue → Agent (via meetme/bridge) or IVR.

Step 1 — Add or verify your Carrier (SIP trunk)

1. Admin → Carriers → Add a New Carrier.
2. Set context=trunkinbound, type=peer, host=IP_or_FQDN.
3. Test registration: asterisk -rx "sip show peers"

[MYCARRIER]
type=peer
host=203.0.113.22
dtmfmode=rfc2833
context=trunkinbound
insecure=port,invite
disallow=all
allow=ulaw

Step 2 — Create In-Group(s)

1. Inbound → Add a New Ingroup.
2. Set In-Group ID (e.g., SUPPORT), Handle Method (CID), Next Agent Call (ringall).
3. Configure Queue Timeout and priority.

Step 3 — Create the DID and route to In-Group or EXTEN

1. Inbound → Add a New DID.
2. DID Extension = number from carrier.
3. DID Route = IN_GROUP (recommended) or EXTEN.
4. Select In-Group ID and Server IP.

Step 4 — Configure Campaigns for inbound handling

1. Admin → Campaigns → Add / Modify Campaign.
2. Dial Method: INBOUND_MAN, MANUAL, RATIO, or INBOUND.
3. Allow Inbound and Blended = Y.
4. Select Allowed Inbound Groups.

Step 5 — User & Phone settings (agents)

1. Users → Modify User: set Agent Choose Ingroups, Agent Choose Blended.
2. Admin → Phones: ensure extensions register correctly.

Step 6 — Optional: Sticky-Agent or custom routing

Set DID Route to EXTEN and call an AGI script to query last agent.

exten => 999888777,1,Answer()
exten => 999888777,n,AGI(stickyagent.agi,${CALLERID(num)},48)
exten => 999888777,n,AGI(agi-VDAD_ALL_inbound.agi,params...)
exten => 999888777,n,Hangup()

Asterisk dialplan notes — commonly required tweaks

• Normalize caller ID/DID format (remove leading +).
• Ensure trunkinbound context contains AGI(agi://127.0.0.1:4577/call_log).
• For one-way audio: verify RTP ports (10000-20000) and NAT settings.

Testing checklist — verify end-to-end inbound flow

1. Dial the DID from external phone, watch Asterisk CLI.
2. Confirm call hits In-Group and goes to queue.
3. Log agent into campaign, verify call is offered.
4. Test no agents, overflow, voicemail.

Advanced design patterns

• Blended campaigns: Allow Inbound and Blended = Y.
• Sticky Agent: AGI lookup of vicidial_list.
• Multi-server: Set Server IP in DID and Ingroup.

Security, monitoring and operational SOPs

• Monitor inbound call quality with periodic test calls.
• Keep backups of /etc/asterisk/ and astguiclient.conf.
• Implement rate-limiting to avoid toll fraud.

Quick configuration summary (cheat sheet)

1. Admin → Carriers: Add carrier; context=trunkinbound.
2. Inbound → In-Groups: Create SUPPORT.
3. Inbound → DIDs: Add DID; DID Route = IN_GROUP.
4. Admin → Campaigns: Allow Inbound; pick ingroups.
5. Users → Phones/Users: Ensure agent phone logins.

Common pitfalls and fixes

• "You are the only one connected" → carrier format mismatch.
• No audio → check codecs, RTP ports, NAT, SIP ALG.
• DID not mapped → verify DID record and route type.

FAQ

Q1: Do I need a separate DID per agent?

No — map multiple agents to the same In-Group.

Q2: Why does VICIdial say 'no agents' though agents are logged in?

Check campaign allowed ingroups, user ingroup assignment, agent phone registration.

Q3: Can I use Twilio or Telnyx as SIP trunk for inbound DIDs?

Yes. Configure carrier accounts and map DID entries correctly.

Q4: How to test inbound routing without a traditional carrier?

Use a SIP softphone registered to a different account and call the DID.

Q5: Does VICIdial support skills-based routing?

VICIdial supports prioritized ingroups; advanced skills-based routing may need custom AGI.

Conclusion

Setting up an inbound campaign in VICIdial requires configuring SIP trunks, DIDs, in-groups, and campaigns correctly. By following this step-by-step guide, you can create a production-ready inbound call flow with proper queue handling, agent assignment, and even sticky-agent routing. Remember to test thoroughly and monitor performance regularly.

Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes only. Configuration steps may vary based on your VICIdial version and telephony setup. Always perform testing before deploying changes in a live environment.