Inbound Group

An inbound group (also called an in-group) is VICIdial’s routing container for incoming calls. When a call arrives on a DID or is transferred internally, it is placed into an inbound group, which manages the queue of waiting callers and routes calls to available agents based on priority, skill level, and wait time.

How It Works in VICIdial

Inbound groups are configured in the VICIdial admin panel and define queue behavior: hold music, queue announcements, estimated wait time messages, maximum queue time, and overflow routing. DIDs are mapped to inbound groups, and call menus (IVRs) route callers to specific groups based on their menu selections.

Agents receive inbound calls by selecting inbound groups in their closer selection screen. The inbound queue priority setting determines which group’s calls are delivered first when an agent is assigned to multiple groups. VICIdial supports skills-based routing — agents can be ranked (grade) within each inbound group, ensuring the most skilled agents receive calls first.

For blended operations, outbound campaigns use the closer campaigns setting to allow their agents to receive inbound calls from specific groups during idle time. The no_agent_no_queue setting controls whether calls queue when no agents are logged in.

Why It Matters

Inbound groups are the foundation of VICIdial’s call routing architecture. Properly configured inbound groups ensure callers reach the right agent quickly, reducing wait times and improving customer satisfaction. Complex call centers may use dozens of inbound groups — organized by department, language, skill level, or client — each with unique queue settings and agent assignments.

Inbound groups also enable callback routing for outbound campaigns. When a lead calls back a missed call, the DID routes them to an inbound group associated with the original campaign, ensuring the callback is handled by an agent familiar with that campaign. See the DID management guide for routing configuration strategies.