> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.voxworks.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Batches: Overview & Lifecycle > What a batch is, how to create one, the batch edit page and its tabs, the header actions, and the full lifecycle from draft through launch to automatic completion. ## What is a Batch? A batch is a group of outbound calls to a set of contacts, dialled automatically by the batch scheduler over a plan you control. Instead of scheduling calls one at a time, you point a batch at one or more contact [lists](/lists/overview), choose the Call Script (or per-list scripts), set the calling window and pacing, and launch. The scheduler then spreads the calls across your business hours, retries the ones that don't connect, and marks the batch complete when nothing is left to dial. Batches live under: **Outbound Calls → Batch Scheduler** The page itself is titled **Batches**. Every batch you create — whether it's a rough draft or a finished campaign wave — appears here. *** ## The Batch list The Batches page opens with a header — *All outbound calling batches. N active · M other.* — a **New batch** button, and four stat blocks: * **Active batches** — batches currently dialling, with the number of contacts in flight * **Completed** — batches finished * **Scheduled** — batches queued to start * **Drafts** — batches not yet scheduled Below the stats sits a filter bar with a **Search batches...** box, an **All statuses** dropdown, a result count, and a view switcher: * **Rows** — the default. Batches grouped by status, each row showing the batch name and script, a status pill, its source lists, a progress bar (`completed / total` and percentage), and a timing column ("Starts Jul 21, 9:00 AM", "Started Jul 14", "Not scheduled", and so on) * **Table** — a compact table: Batch, Status, Lists, Total, Completed * **Cards** — cards grouped by status with a progress bar and Total / Done / Remaining counts Status chips under the filter bar (**All**, plus one chip per status with a count) give one-click filtering. When nothing matches you'll see *No batches match the current filters.* ### Batch statuses in the list | Status | Meaning | | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Draft** | Created but never launched. Fully editable; nothing dials. | | **Scheduled** | Launched and planned; waiting for its start time or the next calling window. | | **Active** | Calls are being dialled right now (an in-progress batch whose scheduler is running). | | **Paused** | An in-progress batch whose scheduler you've paused — no new calls dial until you resume. | | **Completed** | Every queued call has finished. Set automatically. | | **Cancelled** | Cancelled by you. Remaining calls were withdrawn. | | **Failed** | The batch stopped due to an error. | Click any batch to open its edit page. *** ## Creating a batch Every new batch starts life as a **draft** — it exists immediately, nothing dials, and you can leave and come back to it at any time. There are three entry points: * **Batches page → New batch** — creates a draft named with the current date and time (for example *New Batch 16 July, 2:30 pm*) and opens it on the Settings tab * **Dashboard → Actions → New Batch** — the same, from the Dashboard's Actions dropdown * **Lists → *(a list)* → Create Batch** — creates a draft named after the list (for example *Spring Leads Batch*) so you can batch-call that list straight away You can rename the batch at any point while it's editable — click its title on the edit page and type. ### Free trial gating Creating a batch requires either an active subscription or remaining trial minutes. On the free trial (100 free minutes), once your minutes are used up the New batch button opens a **"You've reached your free trial limit"** dialog prompting you to upgrade. See [Free trial](/getting-started/free-trial) and [Plans](/billing/plans). *** ## The batch edit page Opening a batch shows a full-page editor with a sticky header: a **Back** button, the batch title (click to rename while the batch is editable), a status badge, and the action buttons described below. If you have unedited work, an **Unsaved Changes** badge appears beside the buttons. Four tabs run across the centre of the header (on mobile they collapse into a dropdown): | Tab | What it shows | | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Summary** | Before launch: a *Ready for launch* panel — "This batch hasn't run yet. Launch it to see call results and analytics here." — plus a summary of your source lists. After launch: the full analytics view — headline metrics, charts, and the batch's calls. See [Batch Analytics](/batches/analytics). | | **Settings** | The batch's configuration: source lists and allocation — each source list can carry its own Call Script and outbound number — the **Schedule** section (timezone, public holidays, business hours, schedule window, daily cap, minimum gap between calls, ramp profile, launch mode), and the **Calling rules** section (screening gates, retry policy, cancel pending retries on inbound, end-of-day summary). See [Scheduling & Pacing](/batches/scheduling) and [Calling Rules & Retries](/batches/calling-rules). | | **Queue (n)** | Every contact queued in the batch, with per-item statuses and actions. The count in the tab label is live. See [Queue Management](/batches/queue). | | **Data Collection** | Appears only after the batch has launched — a table of the data your script collected from each contact. | A batch is editable while it is a Draft or Scheduled. Once it's in progress, completed, or cancelled, the Settings tab becomes read-only. ### Unsaved changes protection Navigating away with unsaved edits triggers an **Unsaved Changes** dialog — "You have unsaved changes. Are you sure you want to leave? Your changes will be lost." — with **Stay** and **Leave** options. Closing the browser tab prompts a standard browser warning too. *** ## Header actions | Action | When it appears | What it does | | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Save** | Draft and Scheduled batches, enabled when there are unsaved changes | Persists your edits. If scheduler settings changed, saving also replans the batch automatically so the dialling plan reflects the new settings. | | **Replan** | Always (disabled while scheduler settings are unsaved) | Recomputes the day-by-day dialling plan from the current settings and queue — how many calls land on each day, in which windows, and which contacts are suppressed. Save first if you've edited settings; Save replans for you. | | **Launch Batch** | Draft batches only, disabled while the queue is empty | Saves your settings, runs the pre-launch checks below, plans the queue, and moves the batch to Scheduled with the scheduler active. | | **Pause / Resume** | Launched batches whose scheduler is active or paused | **Pause** stops new calls dialling and pulls back any calls that were released but hadn't started, so they can be replanned cleanly. **Resume** restores the paused queue items and triggers a replan so calls go out at fresh, appropriate times rather than burst-dialling stale slots. Completed and cancelled batches can't be paused or resumed. | | **Cancel Batch** | Scheduled and in-progress batches | Opens a **"Cancel batch?"** dialog — "This will cancel the batch and cannot be undone." Choose **Keep Batch** to back out or **Cancel Batch** to confirm. Cancelling withdraws all remaining queue items and scheduled calls; calls that already completed keep their results and recordings. | *** ## Launching a batch Clicking **Launch Batch** runs three checks before anything dials: 1. **At least one queued contact.** An empty batch can't launch — you'll see *"Please add at least one source list before launching."* Add contacts first: see [Adding Contacts to a Batch](/batches/adding-contacts). 2. **Every contact has a script.** If the batch has no default Call Script, each queued contact must get one from its source list. Otherwise launch stops with: *"Every queued contact needs a script before launching. Assign a script to each source list or select a batch default script."* 3. **Resource check.** Voxworks estimates 2 minutes and \$2.00 per queued call, then checks that you have **either** enough plan/trial minutes **or** enough wallet balance to cover the whole batch. Only one needs to pass. If neither does, launch stops with *"Your account balance is too low to launch this batch. Top up your wallet or increase your plan, then try again"* — along with the exact minutes and dollars needed. See [Wallet](/billing/wallet). This is a pre-launch estimate only — you're billed for actual call minutes, not the estimate. Once the checks pass, the scheduler plans the queue (some contacts may be suppressed by [screening gates](/batches/screening-gates)) and the batch becomes **Scheduled**. If the batch's start time is already in the past, it starts from now rather than failing. *** ## Lifecycle ```mermaid theme={null} flowchart LR A[Draft] -->|Launch Batch| B[Scheduled] B --> C[Active / In Progress] C -->|last call finishes| D[Completed] B -->|Cancel Batch| E[Cancelled] C -->|Cancel Batch| E C <-->|Pause / Resume| F[Paused] D -->|add more calls| B ``` * **Draft** — build the batch: add contacts, pick scripts, tune the schedule. Nothing dials. * **Scheduled** — launched and planned. Settings can still be edited (with a replan). Calls are released to the dialler as their planned times arrive inside your business-hours windows. * **Active / In Progress** — calls are dialling. Progress, remaining calls, and average call time update on the batch as each call finishes. * **Paused** — you've paused the scheduler. Nothing new dials; the plan resumes (and replans) when you press Resume. * **Completed** — set **automatically** when the last remaining call finishes. You don't close a batch manually. * **Cancelled** — you cancelled it; remaining calls were withdrawn. Cancelled batches are read-only. Two useful wrinkles: * **Completed isn't the end.** Adding more calls to a completed batch reactivates it back to Scheduled — handy for follow-up waves. See [Adding Contacts to a Batch](/batches/adding-contacts). * **Retries extend the run.** Calls that hit voicemail, ring out, or reach a busy line are retried on a per-outcome policy, so a batch stays in progress until retries are exhausted or connect. See [Calling Rules & Retries](/batches/calling-rules). *** ## Next Steps * [Adding Contacts to a Batch](/batches/adding-contacts) — the four ways to stage contacts, and how drafts hold them before launch * [Batch Scheduling & Pacing](/batches/scheduling) — business hours, timezones, daily caps, ramp profiles, and how the plan extends itself * [Batch Queue Management](/batches/queue) — queue statuses, views, and per-contact actions once a batch is live