Pause Code

A pause code is a reason code that agents select when they pause (make themselves unavailable for calls) in VICIdial. Pause codes categorize non-productive time into defined buckets — such as Break, Lunch, Training, Bathroom, Technical Issue, or Supervisor Meeting — enabling accurate tracking of where agent time is spent when not handling calls.

How It Works in VICIdial

Pause codes are enabled through the agent_pause_codes_active campaign setting, which can be set to “FORCE” (require a pause code), “ACTIVE” (optional), or “N” (disabled). When enabled, agents who click the Pause button on their agent screen are presented with a dropdown of available pause codes. They must select a reason before the system pauses their status.

Pause code usage is logged in the vicidial_agent_log table with timestamps for each pause event. VICIdial’s agent time detail report breaks down each agent’s day by time spent in different states: calls, wrap time, idle/waiting, and pause — further broken down by pause code. This provides granular visibility into non-productive time patterns.

Administrators can define custom pause codes per campaign or globally. Some codes can be flagged as “preset” pause codes that supervisors can trigger remotely, forcing an agent into a specific pause state.

Why It Matters

Pause code data is essential for workforce management and agent utilization optimization. Without pause codes, all non-call time appears as a single undifferentiated block. With pause codes, managers can identify patterns — excessive break time, frequent technical issues indicating infrastructure problems, or agents spending too long in post-call wrap.

Forcing pause codes (rather than making them optional) is recommended for any operation serious about time tracking. When agents know their pause time is categorized and monitored, break adherence improves. Pause code data also feeds scheduling optimization — understanding how much time agents spend in each pause state helps predict actual productive hours per shift. See the analytics dashboard feature page for pause code reporting.