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Troubleshooting Webex Contact Center outdial

Verified 2026-09-30 · 58 sources · tier 1–4

An agent can initiate an outdial call from the Webex Contact Center Desktop while in the Available state or an Idle state 48. An agent cannot place an outdial call while handling an active inbound voice call 35.

How outdial works

In a desktop profile's voice settings, the Outdial toggle must be enabled for the agent to place outdial calls 43. When Outdial is enabled in the profile, the administrator configures the outdial entry point used for those calls 42. The system automatically generates a default outdial entry point named 'Outdial Transfer to Queue' 12. An outdial entry point can be driven by either a routing strategy or a flow 17. Cisco recommends flows over routing strategies because advanced configurations, including screen pops and Customize ANI, are available only through flows 18.

Dialed numbers must meet specific constraints:

  • An extension number cannot be used as the dialed number 37.
  • An entry point number cannot be used as the dial number 36.
  • Calls placed from the Agent Desktop cannot exceed 18 digits 33.
  • All PSTN numbers (direct-inward-dial or toll-free) are stored in Control Hub in +E.164 format 38.
  • A dial plan specifies a regular expression defining valid syntax, alongside a Prefix added automatically and a Stripped Chars value listing characters removed by the system 15​14.

Outdial ANI selection and precedence

When placing an outdial call, the agent may select a number from the Select Outdial ANI drop-down list, and that number is presented to the customer as caller ID 5. Outdial ANIs must be dial numbers assigned to entry points; no other number type can be configured as an outdial ANI 6. When an administrator builds an outdial ANI entry, the contact number drop-down displays only numbers mapped to entry points 8. An outdial ANI cannot be deleted while associated with another entity, such as a desktop profile 4.

Desktop profiles reference a named list of phone numbers through the Outdial ANI field 39. An outdial ANI list becomes available to an agent only after being added to their assigned desktop profile 7.

If the agent does not select an outdial ANI, the organization's default outdial ANI is presented 3. Tenant voice settings maintain this Default outdial ANI, which requires a dial number mapped to an entry point 52​11. However, this tenant default is overridden when a specific default ANI is configured inside the Outdial ANI list assigned to the agent's desktop profile 40.

Desktop notifications and failure scenarios

The administrator what's-new page documents enhanced call failure alerts dated April 01 2026, delivering pop-up desktop notifications to Outdial and Direct Preview agents for invalid numbers, network failures, declined calls, or busy lines 1. When an alert appears, the agent can dismiss the notification and retry immediately with a corrected number 2.

The Desktop provides notifications across several failure categories:

  • Invalid number format: Triggered when a dialed number is not recognized as valid; the desktop notification includes a Tracking ID 20.
  • Invalid number: Triggered when a destination number is unavailable or disconnected, prompting the agent to retry 21.
  • Network issue: Triggered when a call fails to connect due to a network problem; the notification includes a Tracking ID 22.
  • Customer side: The desktop distinguishes three recipient conditions: Customer Declined (recipient rejected the call), Customer Busy (recipient's line is busy), and Customer Unavailable (temporarily unavailable, indicating a retry may succeed) 19.

Standard SIP final response codes defined under RFC 3261 section 21 for rejected sessions include 403 Forbidden, 404 Not Found, 480 Temporarily Unavailable, 486 Busy Here, 503 Service Unavailable, and 603 Decline 47.

Outdial recording and capacity limits

Documented causes preventing outdial calls include a desktop profile having the outdial option disabled, improper configuration of an outdial flow, or the contact center reaching its maximum concurrent call limit 56​54​55.

Tenant voice contact capacity is evaluated under specific thresholds:

  • Concurrent Voice Contact Entitlements follow the formula: ((committed Standard Agent licenses + committed Premium Agent licenses) x 3) + Add-on IVR port licenses 16.
  • The default voice contact surge percentage above entitlement is 30% 49.
  • When the tenant's maximum concurrent voice contact threshold is reached, additional inbound or outbound voice contacts are dropped 34.

Recording is decided first by a matching active recording schedule; if no schedule matches, queue-level recording settings are evaluated and then tenant-level settings 46. Under recording schedules, whether an outdial call is recorded is based on the site, team, and agent making the call; a schedule for the Outdial queue scoped to one site records only outdial calls from teams under that site 44. When the tenant call recording setting is Yes the system records all inbound and outdial calls; when it is No, recording follows each queue's settings 45.

Diagnostics and regional constraints

When engaging Cisco TAC for outbound call failures, required diagnostic data includes the ANI or Contact Session ID, exact failure timestamps, agent details, and screenshots of any client errors 50. TAC outbound triage questions assess whether the agent call leg is established, whether there is a significant delay establishing the agent phone leg, whether failures correlate to specific area codes, and whether the issue reproduces on demand 51.

Regional deployment rules impose additional PSTN restrictions:

  • Cisco-provided Webex Contact Center PSTN does not support international dialing and delivers calls only to and from North American Numbering Plan destinations within Canada or the contiguous 48 US states 9.
  • In India deployments, agents must present a verified India PSTN Caller Line Identification for domestic and international PSTN calls 27.
  • In India deployments, ANIs contained in Outdial ANI lists must belong to the same zone as the agents using them 26.

See also

Applicability

Applies to: Cisco Webex Contact Center and IETF SIP. Deployments: multi-tenant and any. Sources checked 2026-09-30. The Cisco-provided Webex Contact Center PSTN dialing restrictions apply specifically to destinations in the contiguous 48 US states and Canada 9. Special caller identity and zone constraints apply exclusively to deployments in India 27​26. Enhanced desktop call failure alerts apply from the April 2026 entry onward 20​21​22​19​1​2.

What remains uncertain

The following operational details are not covered by the sources below:

  • Mapping of SIP response codes and Q.850 causes to the Desktop outdial notifications is not covered by the sources below.
  • Behaviour of Customize ANI or Set Caller ID in a flow on an outdial entry point and its precedence over agent selected ANI is not covered by the sources below.
  • STIR SHAKEN attestation and spam labelling of outdial ANIs by terminating carriers is not covered by the sources below.
  • Agent leg failures on outdial where the agent device never rings including Webex Calling extension versus PSTN DN versus WebRTC is not covered by the sources below.
  • Whether the Dial Plan Enabled CSV column and the Dial Pad toggle are the same setting is not covered by the sources below.
  • Effect of Webex Calling outgoing call permissions and CCP or Local Gateway routing on WxCC outdial destinations is not covered by the sources below.
  • Exact wording of the outdial error notifications and which ones carry a Tracking ID is not covered by the sources below.
  • Analyzer reports and fields that identify outdial calls and failed outdial attempts is not covered by the sources below.

See also

Referenced by

  • Troubleshooting Webex Contact Center callbacks — Scheduled callbacks are processed through an outdial entry point configured as the Callback Default Entry Point; outdial ANI behaviour is shared ground. Target id taken from a sibling directory name seen in git status; not from a recorded relationship.

Sources

  1. 1
    The administrators' what's-new page lists, dated April 01 2026, enhanced call failure alerts under which Outdial and Direct Preview agents get desktop pop-up notifications for an invalid number, a network failure, a declined call or a busy line.
    What's new for administrators in Webex Contact Center · entry 'Enhanced call failure alerts for Outdial and Direct Preview agents', dated April 01, 2026 · Checked 2026-09-30
  2. 2
    For outdial calls the agent can dismiss a call failure notification and retry immediately with a corrected number.
    What's new for administrators in Webex Contact Center · entry 'Enhanced call failure alerts for Outdial and Direct Preview agents', dated April 01, 2026 · Checked 2026-09-30
  3. 3
    If the agent does not select an outdial ANI, the organization's default outdial ANI is used as the caller number.
    Make an outdial call · section 'Place an outdial call', Outdial ANI step · Checked 2026-09-30
  4. 4
    An outdial ANI cannot be deleted while it is associated with another entity such as a desktop profile.
    Manage Outdial ANI · section 'Delete an outdial ANI' · Checked 2026-09-30
  5. 5
    When placing an outdial call the agent may choose a number from the Select Outdial ANI drop-down list, and that number is presented to the customer as the caller ID.
    Make an outdial call · section 'Place an outdial call', Outdial ANI step · Checked 2026-09-30
  6. 6
    Outdial ANIs must be dial numbers that are assigned to entry points; no other type of number can be an outdial ANI.
    Manage Outdial ANI · section 'Outdial Automatic Number Identification (ANI)' · Checked 2026-09-30
  7. 7
    An outdial ANI list becomes available to an agent only when the list is added to a desktop profile and that profile is assigned to the agent.
    Manage Outdial ANI · section 'Outdial Automatic Number Identification (ANI)' · Checked 2026-09-30
  8. 8
    When an administrator creates an outdial ANI entry, the contact number drop-down shows only dial numbers that are mapped to entry points.
    Manage Outdial ANI · section 'Create an outdial ANI', contact number field · Checked 2026-09-30
  9. 9
    The Cisco-provided Webex Contact Center PSTN service does not support international dialing; it delivers calls only to and from North American Numbering Plan destinations in the contiguous 48 US states or Canada.
    Set up voice channels for Webex Contact Center · Webex Contact Center PSTN section, international dialing note · Checked 2026-09-30
  10. 10
    The bulk-operations CSV definition names the desktop profile control for ad-hoc outdial 'Dial Plan Enabled' (ON/OFF), with a 'Dial Plan' column that applies only when it is ON and accepts multiple pipe-separated dial plan names.disputed
    CSV definition for bulk operations in Webex Contact Center · Desktop Profile CSV definition, fields 'Dial Plan Enabled' and 'Dial Plan' · Checked 2026-09-30
  11. 11
    A dial number must be mapped to an entry point before it can be chosen as the tenant default outdial ANI.
    Set up voice settings for Webex Contact Center · section 'Manage call settings', setting 'Default outdial ANI' · Checked 2026-09-30
  12. 12
    The system automatically creates an outdial entry point named 'Outdial Transfer to Queue'.
    Set up a channel · outdial entry point / Outbound Telephony channel section · Checked 2026-09-30
  13. 13
    If manual dialing is not enabled in the agent's desktop profile, the agent is limited to numbers offered by the profile's address book and cannot type an arbitrary number.inferred
    Manage desktop profiles · desktop profile Voice settings, 'Address Book' and 'Dial Pad' · Checked 2026-09-30
  14. 14
    A dial plan also has a Prefix that the system automatically adds to the phone number and a Stripped Chars value listing characters the system removes from the dial number.
    CSV definition for bulk operations in Webex Contact Center · Dial Plan CSV definition, fields 'Prefix' and 'Stripped Chars' · Checked 2026-09-30
  15. 15
    A Webex Contact Center dial plan carries a regular expression that defines the valid syntax for dial numbers.
    CSV definition for bulk operations in Webex Contact Center · Dial Plan CSV definition, field 'Regular Expressions' · Checked 2026-09-30
  16. 16
    Concurrent Voice Contact Entitlements are calculated as ((committed Standard Agent licenses + committed Premium Agent licenses) x 3) + Add-on IVR port licenses.
    Set up voice settings for Webex Contact Center · section 'View concurrent voice contact settings', Entitlements · Checked 2026-09-30
  17. 17
    An outdial entry point can be driven by either a routing strategy or a flow.
    Set up a channel · outdial entry point / Outbound Telephony channel section · Checked 2026-09-30
  18. 19
    The Desktop distinguishes three customer-side outdial failure scenarios: Customer Declined (recipient rejected the call), Customer Busy (recipient's line is busy) and Customer Unavailable (temporarily unavailable; a later retry may succeed).
    Make an outdial call · section 'Error scenarios and notifications', rows 'Customer Declined', 'Customer Busy', 'Customer Unavailable' · Checked 2026-09-30
  19. 20
    When the dialed number is not recognized as valid, the Desktop shows an invalid number format notification that includes a Tracking ID.
    Make an outdial call · section 'Error scenarios and notifications', row 'Invalid number format' · Checked 2026-09-30
  20. 21
    The Desktop has a distinct 'Invalid number' outdial error scenario for a number that is unavailable or disconnected, and it prompts the agent to retry.
    Make an outdial call · section 'Error scenarios and notifications', row 'Invalid number' · Checked 2026-09-30
  21. 22
    The Desktop has a 'Network issue' outdial error scenario for a call that could not connect because of a network problem, and the notification includes a Tracking ID.
    Make an outdial call · section 'Error scenarios and notifications', row 'Network issue' · Checked 2026-09-30
  22. 23
    The recording schedules article states that flow-level Recording Control takes precedence over the recording configuration set in Control Hub.
    Manage call recording schedules · note on flow-level Recording Control (exact heading not captured) · Checked 2026-09-30
  23. 24
    A training-partner write-up describes agent outdial as needing four things in place: a call flow, an outbound queue (which need not have agents assigned), a default tenant ANI, and a desktop profile with outdial enabled.field report
    Configuring and Using Outdial in Webex Contact Center · configuration requirements paragraph · Checked 2026-09-30
  24. 25
    In India deployments, when an outdial call is rejected for policy reasons the agent sees a Policy Error.
    Set up Webex Contact Center in India · outdial rejection statement (exact heading not captured) · Checked 2026-09-30
  25. 26
    In India deployments, the ANIs in Outdial ANI lists must come from the same zone as the agents who use them.
    Set up Webex Contact Center in India · zone guidance for Courtesy Callback, Outdial ANI Lists and Campaigns (exact heading not captured) · Checked 2026-09-30
  26. 27
    In Webex Contact Center India deployments, agents must use a verified India PSTN Caller Line Identification for all PSTN calls, domestic or international.
    Set up Webex Contact Center in India · Outbound Dialing item (exact heading not captured) · Checked 2026-09-30
  27. 28
    On a tenant whose PSTN is the Cisco-provided Webex Contact Center PSTN bundle, an outdial to a destination outside the contiguous US and Canada is expected to fail regardless of dial plan or desktop profile settings.inferred
    Set up voice channels for Webex Contact Center · Webex Contact Center PSTN section, international dialing note · Checked 2026-09-30
  28. 29
    Outdial cannot be used to call the '184/186 (FAC) + number' and 'outdial digit + 184/186 + number' combinations.
    Make an outdial call · section 'Things to consider when placing an outdial call' · Checked 2026-09-30
  29. 30
    The system limits page lists a maximum of 10 dial plans per desktop profile.
    System limits in Webex Contact Center · limits table, row for dial plans per desktop profile · Checked 2026-09-30
  30. 31
    The system limits page lists a maximum of 400 outdial ANI lists and 200 entries per outdial ANI list.
    System limits in Webex Contact Center · limits table, rows for Outdial ANI and Outdial ANI entries · Checked 2026-09-30
  31. 32
    The system limits page lists a maximum of 1,000 active outdial entry points.
    System limits in Webex Contact Center · limits table, row for outdial entry points (active) · Checked 2026-09-30
  32. 33
    An outdial call from Agent Desktop cannot be dialed with more than 18 digits.
    Make an outdial call · section 'Things to consider when placing an outdial call' · Checked 2026-09-30
  33. 34
    Once the tenant's maximum concurrent voice contact threshold is reached, the contact center drops further inbound or outbound voice contacts.
    Set up voice settings for Webex Contact Center · section 'View concurrent voice contact settings', maximum concurrent voice contact threshold · Checked 2026-09-30
  34. 35
    An agent cannot make an outdial call while they have an active inbound voice call.
    Make an outdial call · article introduction, before 'Things to consider when placing an outdial call' · Checked 2026-09-30
  35. 36
    An entry point number cannot be used as the dial number for an outdial call.
    Make an outdial call · section 'Things to consider when placing an outdial call' · Checked 2026-09-30
  36. 37
    An extension number cannot be used as the dialed number for an outdial call.
    Make an outdial call · section 'Things to consider when placing an outdial call' · Checked 2026-09-30
  37. 38
    All PSTN numbers (direct-inward-dial or toll-free) are stored in Control Hub in +E.164 format.
    Set up voice channels for Webex Contact Center · voice channel number format statement (exact heading not captured) · Checked 2026-09-30
  38. 39
    The desktop profile's Outdial ANI field selects the named list of phone numbers the agent can use to make an outdial call.
    Manage desktop profiles · desktop profile Voice settings, 'Outdial ANI' · Checked 2026-09-30
  39. 40
    The tenant default outdial ANI is overridden for an agent when a specific default ANI is configured inside an Outdial ANI list that is linked to the agent's desktop profile.
    Set up voice settings for Webex Contact Center · section 'Manage call settings', setting 'Default outdial ANI' · Checked 2026-09-30
  40. 41
    The current desktop profile article names the control for manual dialing 'Dial Pad': toggling it on allows agents to dial manually using the dial pad.disputed
    Manage desktop profiles · desktop profile Voice settings, 'Dial Pad' toggle · Checked 2026-09-30
  41. 42
    When Outdial is enabled in a desktop profile, the administrator chooses the outdial entry point that the agent uses to make outdial calls.
    Manage desktop profiles · desktop profile Voice settings, 'Outdial Entry Point' · Checked 2026-09-30
  42. 43
    In a desktop profile's voice settings, the Outdial toggle must be enabled for the agent to be able to make outdial calls.
    Manage desktop profiles · desktop profile Voice settings, 'Outdial' toggle · Checked 2026-09-30
  43. 44
    Under recording schedules, whether an outdial call is recorded is based on the site, team and agent making the call; a schedule for the Outdial queue scoped to one site records only outdial calls from teams under that site.
    Manage call recording schedules · outdial call recording note with the Chicago site example (exact heading not captured) · Checked 2026-09-30
  44. 45
    When the tenant call recording setting is Yes the system records all inbound and outdial calls; when it is No, recording follows each queue's settings.
    Set up voice settings for Webex Contact Center · section 'Manage call settings', call recording setting · Checked 2026-09-30
  45. 46
    Recording is decided first by a matching active recording schedule; if no schedule matches, queue-level recording settings are evaluated and then tenant-level settings.
    Manage call recording schedules · recording schedule evaluation order paragraph (exact heading not captured) · Checked 2026-09-30
  46. 47
    RFC 3261 section 21 defines the SIP final response codes commonly seen on rejected calls, including 403 Forbidden (21.4.4), 404 Not Found (21.4.5), 480 Temporarily Unavailable (21.4.18), 486 Busy Here (21.4.24), 503 Service Unavailable (21.5.4) and 603 Decline (21.6.2).
    RFC 3261 — SIP: Session Initiation Protocol · section 21 (21.4.4, 21.4.5, 21.4.18, 21.4.24, 21.5.4, 21.6.2) · Checked 2026-09-30
  47. 48
    An agent can make an outdial call from the Webex Contact Center Desktop while in the Available state or an Idle state.
    Make an outdial call · article introduction, before 'Things to consider when placing an outdial call' · Checked 2026-09-30
  48. 49
    The default voice contact surge percentage, the share of sessions allowed above the concurrent voice contact entitlement, is 30%.
    Set up voice settings for Webex Contact Center · section 'View concurrent voice contact settings', Surge percentage · Checked 2026-09-30
  49. 50
    For outbound call failures Cisco TAC asks for the ANI or Contact Session ID of the failed call, the exact timestamps of the failure, agent information, and screenshots of any errors.
    Data Requirements to Troubleshoot Webex Contact Center Calls · outbound call failures data list (exact heading not captured) · Checked 2026-09-30
  50. 51
    TAC's triage questions for outbound call failures include whether the agent call leg is established, whether there is a significant delay establishing the call to the agent phone, whether failures correlate with specific area codes, and whether the problem is reproducible on demand.
    Data Requirements to Troubleshoot Webex Contact Center Calls · outbound call failures question list (exact heading not captured) · Checked 2026-09-30
  51. 52
    The tenant voice settings hold a Default outdial ANI: the dial number shown as the customer's caller ID when an agent does not select a specific outdial ANI.
    Set up voice settings for Webex Contact Center · section 'Manage call settings', setting 'Default outdial ANI' · Checked 2026-09-30
  52. 53
    An outdial call involves an agent call leg that is set up separately from the customer leg, so a call that fails after dialing should first be classified by whether the agent's own device rang or connected.inferred
    Data Requirements to Troubleshoot Webex Contact Center Calls · outbound call failures question list (exact heading not captured) · Checked 2026-09-30
  53. 54
    One documented reason an agent is unable to make outdial calls is that the outdial flow is not configured properly.
    Make an outdial call · article introduction, list of reasons you may be unable to make outdial calls, item 2 · Checked 2026-09-30
  54. 55
    One documented reason an agent is unable to make outdial calls is that the contact center has reached its maximum limit for concurrent calls.
    Make an outdial call · article introduction, list of reasons you may be unable to make outdial calls, item 3 · Checked 2026-09-30
  55. 56
    One documented reason an agent is unable to make outdial calls is that their assigned desktop profile has the outdial option disabled.
    Make an outdial call · article introduction, list of reasons you may be unable to make outdial calls, item 1 · Checked 2026-09-30
  56. 57
    After an outdial call ends the Wrap-Up Reasons dialog box appears for the agent.
    Make an outdial call · section 'Place an outdial call', final step · Checked 2026-09-30
  57. 58
    When a customer sees an unexpected caller ID on an outdial call, the presented number is determined in this order: the ANI the agent selected in the Desktop, else the default ANI of the Outdial ANI list on the agent's desktop profile if one is set, else the tenant Default outdial ANI.inferred
    Set up voice settings for Webex Contact Center · section 'Manage call settings', setting 'Default outdial ANI' · Checked 2026-09-30

Documents

tier 1 standards and regulators

RFC 3261 — SIP: Session Initiation Protocol

IETF / RFC Editor · 2002-06 · accessed 2026-09-04

tier 2 current vendor documentation

CSV definition for bulk operations in Webex Contact Center

Cisco Systems · 2024-12-23 · accessed 2026-09-22

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Data Requirements to Troubleshoot Webex Contact Center Calls

Cisco Systems · 2022-11-01 · accessed 2026-09-30

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Make an outdial call

Cisco Webex Help Center · 2026-04-01 · accessed 2026-09-23

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Manage call recording schedules

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Webex Help Center) · 2026-06-26 · accessed 2026-09-05

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Manage desktop profiles

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Webex Help Center) · 2026-09-03 · accessed 2026-09-16

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Manage Outdial ANI

Cisco Webex Help Center · 2026-05-29 · accessed 2026-09-30

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Set up a channel

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Webex Help Center) · 2025-07-31 · accessed 2026-09-16

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Set up voice channels for Webex Contact Center

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Webex Help Center) · 2026-06-25 · accessed 2026-09-04

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Set up voice settings for Webex Contact Center

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Webex Help Center) · 2026-06-10 · accessed 2026-09-04

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Set up Webex Contact Center in India

Cisco (Webex Help Center) · 2026-05-04 · accessed 2026-09-30

tier 2 current vendor documentation

System limits in Webex Contact Center

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Webex Help Center) · 2026-08-18 · accessed 2026-09-05

tier 2 current vendor documentation

What's new for administrators in Webex Contact Center

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Webex Help Center) · 2026-09-03 · accessed 2026-09-05

tier 4 archived vendor documentation

Configuring and Using Outdial in Webex Contact Center

Sunset Learning Institute · 2026-07-24 · accessed 2026-09-30

Cite this page

APA

WarmTransfer. (2026, September 30). Troubleshooting Webex Contact Center outdial. WarmTransfer. https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/wxcc-outdial-troubleshooting

BibTeX

@misc{warmtransfer-wxcc-outdial-troubleshooting,
  title  = {Troubleshooting Webex Contact Center outdial},
  author = {{WarmTransfer}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/wxcc-outdial-troubleshooting},
  note   = {Verified 2026-09-30}
}