# How to Migrate from VICIdial: A Step-by-Step Guide

> Plan your VICIdial migration with confidence. Plura AI covers data export, number porting, compliance continuity, and cutover strategy.

**Published:** 2026-09-09 | **Updated:** 2026-11-06 | **Author:** plurasync
**URL:** https://www.plura.ai/articles/how-to-replace-vicidial
**Type:** post

**Categories:** AI Contact Centers

![How to Migrate from VICIdial: A Step-by-Step Guide](https://plura.sites.aigrowthagent.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/75/2026/09/1788868404725-2ab928c2287b-1024x572.webp)

---

## Content

*Written by: Matt Beucler, CEO, Plura AI | Last updated: September 29, 2026*

## Key Takeaways

- VICIdial migrations follow four phases: choose a replacement, export data, port DIDs, then test and cut over.
- Export MySQL tables including vicidial_list, vicidial_log, DNC lists, and call recordings before decommissioning the server.
- Number porting is the longest-lead item; simple ports finish in one business day while business ports take 7–14 days.
- Preserve compliance data such as DNC lists, consent records, and calling-hour rules before switching platforms to reduce regulatory risk.
- Plura AI is the recommended replacement. It is an FCC-licensed AI Predictive Dialer with stateful cross-channel memory and in-platform compliance enforcement.1

[Book a live demo with Plura](https://www.plura.ai/plura-webchat?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)

## Phase 1: Inventory What You Are Leaving in VICIdial

VICIdial is open-source (AGPLv2), so the software license is free. Your real costs sit in hosting, carrier minutes, and labor. Before touching a single config file, build a complete inventory of what lives inside your deployment. Most migration guides skip this step, which is why migrations fail. Here is what actually needs to move:

**MySQL tables:**

- `vicidial_list` holds all lead and contact records, keyed on `lead_id` and grouped by `list_id`. [List IDs are permanent once created](https://vicifast.com/blog/vicidial-lists-and-leads-guide). Export the `list_id` mapping before decommissioning.
- `vicidial_log` stores outbound call history with `lead_id`, `campaign_id`, `status`, and call duration fields.
- `vicidial_closer_log` tracks inbound call records, including queue time and transfer data.
- `recording_log` contains recording metadata such as `filename`, `location`, `agent_user`, `call_date`, `length_in_sec`, `lead_id`, and `vicidial_id`.
- `vicidial_campaigns` holds campaign configuration including dial mode, pacing, and calling hours.
- `vicidial_users` stores agent accounts and permissions.
- `vicidial_dispositions` defines disposition codes tied to campaign outcomes.
- `vicidial_callbacks` contains scheduled callback records with status, timing, and agent assignment.

**DNC entries:** Export the internal DNC list and each per-campaign DNC list. Handle these as separate datasets.

**Call recordings:** Audio files live at [/var/spool/asterisk/monitorDONE/YYYY/MM/DD/](https://vicifast.com/blog/where-vicidial-stores-recordings). [The date directory reflects the call end date, not the start date](https://vicifast.com/blog/where-vicidial-stores-recordings).

**Custom configuration:** Capture agent scripts, IVR audio files, and dialplan files at `/etc/asterisk/extensions-vicidial.conf`.

## Phase 2: Choose Your Replacement Path

Four categories cover the realistic options. The table below compares them on three factors that drive migration effort: who owns the admin burden, how number porting works, and how compliance tooling is handled. For a deeper platform-by-platform comparison, see [Best VICIdial Alternatives and Replacements in 2026](https://www.plura.ai/articles/best-vicidial-replacement-options/?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent).

| Category | Admin Burden | Number Porting Support | Compliance Tooling |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Managed/hosted VICIdial | Provider handles install, patching, and uptime; customer owns campaigns | Customer-initiated; provider assists | Customer-configured; no built-in enforcement |
| Commercial cloud dialers | Vendor-managed | Vendor-supported | Varies; often bolt-on |
| AI-native dialers (Plura AI) | Vendor-managed | Vendor-supported | Enforced in-platform before dial |
| Open-source alternatives | Full self-host; requires telephony engineers | Customer-initiated | Must be custom-built |

Plura AI is the recommended replacement. It is an [AI Predictive Dialer](https://plura.ai/ai-predictive-dialer?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent) that runs on Plura’s own FCC-licensed audio bridging carrier and issues branded caller ID at the carrier level. Before each dial, it enforces real-time DNC scrubbing, TCPA-litigator screening, automated quiet-hours enforcement, and immutable consent logging inside the platform.1 For a side-by-side comparison with other platforms, visit plura.ai/compare.

![Plura Predictive Dialer dashboard showing AI-powered outbound dialing, intelligent call routing, and performance analytics.](https://cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co/1779339309900-eefcb08741d1.png)**Plura Predictive Dialer uses AI-powered outbound dialing, intelligent routing, and real-time analytics to maximize call performance.**

[VICIdial Replacement: TCPA Compliant Dialer Options](https://www.plura.ai/articles/best-tcpa-compliant-vicidial-alternatives/?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent) and [No-Code VICIdial Alternative: The Operator’s Migration Guide](https://www.plura.ai/articles/best-vicidial-no-code-alternative/?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent) cover additional platform selection criteria if you are still evaluating.

[See the AI Predictive Dialer in action](https://www.plura.ai/plura-webchat?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)

## How to Export VICIdial Leads from MySQL

Once you have chosen a replacement, the first migration task is getting your data out of VICIdial. Start with the lead table. The [vicidial_list table](https://vicifast.com/blog/vicidial-lists-and-leads-guide) holds every lead record in the system. Export it along with the supporting tables before decommissioning anything.

Run a consistent dump without locking a live campaign:

```
mysqldump --single-transaction asterisk vicidial_list vicidial_log vicidial_dispositions vicidial_campaigns vicidial_users vicidial_callbacks > vicidial_export.sql
```

Use `--single-transaction` during a low-volume window. This avoids table locks that would pause active dialing.

Key steps:

- Export `vicidial_dispositions` first. Map each disposition code to the target platform’s disposition set before importing leads.
- Export the internal DNC list and each per-campaign DNC list separately from the lead data.
- [VICIdial list IDs are permanent once created](https://vicifast.com/blog/vicidial-lists-and-leads-guide). Export the `list_id` mapping before decommissioning the server. There is no way to recover it afterward.
- [The vicidial_list table is global, so the same phone number can exist in multiple lists](https://vicifast.com/blog/vicidial-lists-and-leads-guide). Deduplicate intentionally based on your business rules.

## How to Migrate VICIdial Call Recordings

[VICIdial writes completed recordings to /var/spool/asterisk/monitorDONE/YYYY/MM/DD/](https://vicifast.com/blog/where-vicidial-stores-recordings). [The date directory reflects the call end date, not the start date](https://vicifast.com/blog/where-vicidial-stores-recordings), so a call that began at 23:58 and ended at 00:03 lands in the next calendar day’s folder.

Migrating recordings requires moving both the audio files on disk and the `recording_log` database metadata. The filesystem and database are tracked independently. Moving one without the other breaks the audit trail.

Cross-reference the database against disk before migrating:

```
SELECT filename, location, agent_user, call_date, length_in_sec FROM recording_log WHERE call_date >= '2026-06-01' ORDER BY call_date DESC LIMIT 50;
```

Verify that recordings land in the new platform’s storage with correct metadata. Record counts in the database should match file counts on disk for each date directory.

**Warning:** [If a call crashes without a proper hangup event, the recording may never move from /var/spool/asterisk/monitor/ to monitorDONE](https://vicifast.com/blog/where-vicidial-stores-recordings). Check for orphaned files older than a few hours before decommissioning.

## How to Port VICIdial Phone Numbers (DIDs)

Number porting is typically the longest-lead item in a VICIdial migration. [The Customer Service Record (CSR) is the authoritative snapshot the losing carrier’s validation system checks against](https://mavericksofficesolutions.com/porting-phone-numbers). Request a CSR and a current bill from your carrier before submitting anything.

The porting sequence:

1. Request the CSR and a bill dated within the last 30 days.
2. Complete the Letter of Authorization (LOA). [LOA fields must match the CSR character-for-character, including legal entity suffixes (LLC, Inc., DBA) and punctuation](https://mavericksofficesolutions.com/porting-phone-numbers).
3. Submit the port request through the gaining carrier.
4. Receive the Firm Order Commitment (FOC) date from the losing carrier.
5. Coordinate cutover and confirm NPAC propagation.

**Timeline reality:** [Under FCC rules at 47 CFR Part 52, Subpart C](https://fransis.ai/articles/what-is-number-porting-sms), simple ports complete within one business day.2 [Business ports with multiple DIDs typically take 7 to 14 days](https://mavericksofficesolutions.com/porting-phone-numbers). Larger batches take longer. Treat porting as the critical path in your migration timeline.

**Warning:** [The number must remain active with the losing carrier to port. Canceling service first can cause the number to be lost to reassignment.](https://fransis.ai/articles/what-is-number-porting-sms)

**Warning:** [A port transfers routing responsibility, the billing relationship, and the portability database record.](https://didlogic.com/learn/number-porting-how-it-works) SIP trunks, dial plans, recordings, and messaging enablement are separate migration tasks.

## Compliance Continuity: Managing the Highest-Risk Migration Step

Losing or desyncing DNC lists, consent records, and calling-hour rules creates the highest migration risk. [Dialing on the new platform before that data is complete and verified is the mistake most likely to cause harm.](https://dialerbee.com/blog/how-to-migrate-to-a-new-outbound-dialer) Consult qualified counsel on your specific obligations before migrating compliance-sensitive data.

**DNC list preservation:** Export the internal DNC list and each per-campaign DNC list before decommissioning. [Under FCC rules at 47 CFR 64.1200(d), internal do-not-call requests must be honored for at least five years from the date of the request.](https://leadcompliant.com/articles/tcpa-basics/tcpa-do-not-call)2 Store compliance evidence independently of the dialer vendor so you can retrieve it after the contract ends.

**Consent record transfer:** [Consent attaches to the phone number, not the person.](https://leadcompliant.com/articles/consent-and-optin/crm-fields-you-need-to-store-tcpa-consent-data-properly) Export consent records with timestamps, source URL, and disclosure language. Because consent records may need to be produced in litigation, append new records rather than overwriting the original. A record that cannot be retrieved quickly is nearly as problematic as one that never existed.

**Quiet-hours and state rule reconfiguration:** Recreate calling-hour rules per jurisdiction and confirm time-zone handling on a test set. [The FCC’s time-of-day restriction at 47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1) permits telemarketing calls only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time of the called party.](https://leadcompliant.com/articles/tcpa-basics/tcpa-do-not-call)2 [As of March 2026, 11 states operate their own Do Not Call programs separate from the National DNC Registry](https://wipfli.com/insights/articles/state-do-not-call-lists-what-businesses-need-to-know), each with distinct list access requirements and update frequencies.

Plura supports compliance continuity with four platform features: real-time DNC scrubbing against federal and state registries before each dial, timestamped and immutable consent records, automated quiet-hours enforcement through time-zone detection, and one-click audit-ready exports. These are platform capabilities. Your compliance posture downstream of the platform remains your responsibility.

![Screenshot of Plura’s fully compliant AI communications platform showing business registration and phone number provisioning workflows for AI Voice, SMS, RCS, and Webchat communication automation.](https://cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co/1779337911454-8c3a9645d906.png)**Plura’s FCC-licensed AI communications platform simplifies compliant business registration and phone number provisioning for AI Voice, SMS, RCS, and Webchat workflows.**

[Walk through a compliance-ready migration](https://www.plura.ai/plura-webchat?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)

## How to Test a New Dialer Before Cutting Over

**Parallel-run methodology:** Route a single campaign or a defined traffic percentage through the new platform while VICIdial stays live. [The parallel operation phase identifies where the new configuration produces different outcomes than expected, so you can correct them before full cutover.](https://abacus-bpo.com/call-center-switch)

Steps for a structured parallel run:

- Capture baseline metrics from VICIdial such as service level, abandonment, handle time, and transfer success during both normal and peak weeks. Use those numbers as pass criteria for the new platform.
- Test every call path: each IVR branch, DTMF input, queue, overflow rule, and after-hours path. A path not on the list will not be tested.
- After each number port completes, dial every DID from an outside line to confirm it lands in the intended flow.
- Verify call quality, recording storage, CRM integration, and pacing against the baseline.
- Migrate agent logins only after the parallel run passes.
- Decommission the VICIdial server last, after the new platform has run a full cycle without issues.

## Cutover and Rollback Plan

Once the parallel run passes, the cutover itself becomes a checklist exercise. Use the following go/no-go list before flipping production traffic.

A cutover checklist for go/no-go:

- Number reachability confirmed for every DID
- IVR path coverage verified
- Transfer success confirmed
- Peak load tested
- DNC and consent data imported and verified, with record counts matching
- Agent readiness confirmed
- Rollback rehearsed

Rollback plan requirements:

- Keep the old dialer running (paused) for at least 48 hours post-cutover as a rollback fallback, though some migration guides recommend keeping it available for a week or longer.
- Define the specific metric reading that triggers rollback, such as a sustained drop in connect rate or a compliance-control failure.
- Name the owner authorized to make the rollback call at any hour without waiting for a meeting.
- Test the procedure for reversing number routing before cutover day. A rollback that has never been rehearsed is a hope, not a plan.

## How Long Does It Take to Migrate from VICIdial

- **Data export and testing:** Most VICIdial migrations are completed in 2–3 weeks with zero production downtime, including data export and testing.
- **DID porting:** The long pole. Simple ports complete within 1 business day under [47 CFR Part 52, Subpart C](https://didlogic.com/learn/number-porting-how-it-works). Business ports with multiple DIDs typically take 7 to 14 days. Larger batches take longer.
- **Total:** Plan for 4 to 8 weeks end-to-end for a complex multi-server VICIdial migration with carrier and DID porting as the critical path. Simpler migrations can complete in 2–3 weeks.

[Get a migration timeline for your setup](https://www.plura.ai/plura-webchat?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)

## Conclusion

Replacing VICIdial is an infrastructure project that combines a data inventory, a compliance handoff, and a rollback plan. The four phases stay consistent: choose your replacement path, export your VICIdial data, port your DIDs, then test and cut over. Plura AI is the recommended replacement. It is an [FCC-licensed AI Predictive Dialer](https://plura.ai/ai-predictive-dialer?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent) that enforces compliance inside the platform before each dial. It also holds conversation context across voice, SMS, and RCS.

Compare plans and rates side by side at [plura.ai/pricing](https://plura.ai/pricing?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent). Run your numbers through Plura’s calculator to check your ROI in real time at [plura.ai/calculator](https://plura.ai/calculator?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent).3

[Book a live demo with Plura](https://www.plura.ai/plura-webchat?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)

1 Plura AI maintains SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO, and GDPR posture as part of its platform infrastructure. References to compliance frameworks in this article describe Plura’s platform capabilities and do not constitute a guarantee that any customer using Plura will themselves be compliant with applicable laws or standards. Customers remain solely responsible for their own regulatory obligations, certifications, consent management, recordkeeping, and the claims they make to their own end users. Consult qualified legal counsel for guidance specific to your use case.

2 This article describes regulatory frameworks at a general level and does not constitute legal advice. Laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction, change over time, and apply differently depending on facts and circumstances. Readers should consult qualified legal counsel before making compliance decisions.

3 Performance figures, customer outcomes, and industry statistics referenced in this article are drawn from cited third-party sources or Plura customer case studies. Individual results vary based on implementation, use case, industry, audience, and execution. Past or aggregate performance is not a guarantee of future results.

This article is provided for informational purposes only and reflects Plura AI’s understanding at the time of publication. Product capabilities, integrations, and specifications are subject to change. For the most current information, visit plura.ai.

This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by Plura AI prior to publication.

## Read Next

- [VICIdial Migration Guide: Like-for-Like Move vs. Upgrade](https://www.plura.ai/articles/vicidial-migration-guide/?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)
- [VICIdial Replacement Options: A Decision Guide for Operators](https://www.plura.ai/articles/best-vicidial-replacement-options/?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)
- [Migrate From VICIdial to an AI Dialer for Lead Qualification](https://www.plura.ai/articles/vicidial-replacement-lead-qualification/?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)
- [How To Migrate From VICIdial To an AI Dialer](https://www.plura.ai/articles/vici-dial-alternative-with-ai/?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)
- [VICIdial Alternative With CRM: A Migration-First Guide](https://www.plura.ai/articles/best-vicidial-alternatives-with-crm/?utm_term=how-to-replace-vicidial&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)

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- **DateModified:** 2026-09-29T10:27:42.198Z
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## Citations

- [TCPA Opt-Out Rules 2026: What Is Enforceable Now vs. Nov. 25](https://www.plura.ai/articles/tcpa-opt-out-rules)
- [FCC 26-67: What the TCPA Rule Changes Mean for Operators](https://www.plura.ai/articles/fcc-26-67-tcpa-order)
- [TCPA Informational vs Marketing Messages: Key Differences](https://www.plura.ai/articles/tcpa-informational-vs-marketing-messages)
- [SIP Error Codes for Disconnected Numbers: Retry or Suppress](https://www.plura.ai/articles/sip-error-codes-disconnected-numbers)
- [TCPA Opt-Out Compliance: 2026 Rule Changes and Controls](https://www.plura.ai/articles/tcpa-opt-out-compliance-checklist)

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