> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.get2dial.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How the dialer paces calls

> How Get2Dial decides when to place the next call ahead of agent availability, and how that affects abandon rate.

In power and predictive [dial modes](/outbound/dial-modes), Get2Dial dials ahead of agent
availability. Pacing is the set of controls that decides how far ahead, and how many of
those calls are allowed to connect with no agent free.

## How it works

Three settings, all set per campaign:

* **Overdial ratio** (power mode) — how many lines open per available agent. A ratio of
  1.5 means roughly 1.5 calls are dialed for every free agent.
* **Abandonment rate cap** — the maximum percentage of connected calls allowed to go
  unanswered by an agent before the dialer backs off. The product's default is 3.0%.
* **Connect window** — how long, in milliseconds, a connected call waits for an agent before
  it counts as abandoned.

In **predictive** mode, there's no fixed overdial ratio to set — Get2Dial estimates it from
your campaign's own recent connect-rate data instead. Until it has enough samples, it dials
conservatively (holding lines in reserve rather than overdialing), and opens up as the
estimate becomes reliable.

**Answering machine detection (AMD)**, if enabled, classifies each connected call as a human
or a machine before deciding whether to bridge it to an agent — a call with no voice or beep
detected within the AMD timeout is treated as a human answer. AMD affects which calls reach
an agent; it does not change the pacing math itself.

## When to use it

Set the abandonment rate cap based on your compliance requirements and your tolerance for
customer experience risk — a lower cap means the dialer is more conservative and agents
have more idle time; a higher cap means more throughput and more abandoned calls. Get2Dial's
default of 3.0% reflects a commonly cited compliance threshold, but what your calling
program is required to meet depends on your jurisdiction — consult your legal counsel.

## What it affects

Pacing is the direct lever on both agent idle time and abandoned-call risk — the two things
that make or break an outbound campaign's economics and its compliance posture. See
[Dial modes](/outbound/dial-modes) for how mode choice interacts with these settings.

## Limits and constraints

See [Limits and quotas](/reference/limits-and-quotas) for current defaults.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create a campaign" href="/outbound/campaigns/create-a-campaign" />

  <Card title="DNC lists" href="/compliance/dnc-lists" />
</CardGroup>