Spam calls can inflate your call volume, waste time, and if you're using Voice AI, result in unnecessary usage costs. Spam callers often spoof local numbers, making individual number blocking unreliable, which makes it impossible to block all spam completely. However, there are a few layers of protection you can put in place to significantly reduce their impact.
Your account already blocks calls from hidden or private caller IDs automatically, so the steps below focus on what else you can do on top of that.
This guide is perfect if you want to:
Identify likely spam callers before answering
Automatically block repeat spam numbers from calling again
Add a simple screening step to filter out robocalls on high-traffic numbers
Protect important contacts from being accidentally blocked
The most effective approach is to layer these methods together. Each one adds a different level of protection - implement them in order based on how much spam you're experiencing.
Number Intelligence uses phone number reputation data to detect likely spam and nuisance callers before you, your team, or your Voice AI Agent answers. This helps your team quickly recognise spam patterns and reduce time wasted on repeat callers.
From the main Ivorey™ menu, go to Settings > Phone Numbers > Additional Settings tab
Click to the [Number Intelligence] tab > and tick the box next to Gather Intelligence on Unknown Phone Numbers to enable
Once enabled, calls flagged as likely spam will show a Spam Likely indicator in your call logs and in the LeadConnector app
If spam is still getting through after enabling Number Intelligence, the next step is to make spam handling consistent and automated. This involves creating a custom call disposition your team can apply when they receive a spam call, then using a workflow to automatically enable inbound DND on that number so it can never ring through again.
From the main Ivorey™ menu, go to Settings > Phone Number > Voice > Custom Dispositions
Click [Add Disposition] > type a clear, consistent name (e.g. Spam Call) > and save
Your team can now select [Spam Call] from the call end screen (on desktop and mobile) whenever they receive a spam call
Go to Workflows > click [+ Create Workflow] > and select [Start from scratch]
At the top, give your workflow a relevant Name > click to add a Trigger > and search for and select the [Call Details] trigger:
Click [+ Add filters] > select [Call direction] from the first drop-down > and select [Incoming] from the second drop-down
Click [+ Add filters] > select [Custom disposition] from the first drop-down > and select the spam call disposition you created, from the second drop-down
Click [Save Trigger]
Click the [+] button to add an action > search for and select the [Enable/Disable DND] action:
Set the DND Direction to [Inbound] > and set DND to [Enable DND for all channels]
Click [Save Action]
Toggle your workflow to [Publish], in the top right corner > and click the [Save] button
Test your workflow by calling your own connected Ivorey™ number > click the Spam Call disposition option > check your contact in Ivorey™ to see if DND was enabled > and check your workflow Execution Logs tab to see if there were any errors (remember to disable DND for your contact again after testing)
From now on, whenever a team member marks a call as spam, that number will automatically be blocked from calling through again
(optional) If you want to make sure certain contacts (e.g. key clients or business partners) can never accidentally be blocked:
Add a tag to their contact record (e.g. VIP)
Return to your workflow > and click the [+] before the DND action, to add an action > and search for and select the [If/Else] action:
Under Branches, click the first drop-down > and search for and select [Tags]
From the Operator drop-down, select [Does not include]
From the Tags drop-down, select the tag you added to your VIP contacts
Click [Save Action]
Click the [Save] button, in the top right corner of your workflow
Now any contact that enters the workflow will be checked for the VIP contact tag > if they don’t have the tag, DND will be enabled > if they do have the tag nothing will happen
IVR (Interactive Voice Response) is one of the most effective spam filters for publicly listed numbers. Most robocalls can’t navigate phone menus, and even human spam callers tend to drop off when they have to press keys and wait. This step is best suited to numbers published on ads, directories, or landing pages where spam volume is highest.
From the main Ivorey™ menu, go to Workflows > click [+ Create Workflow] > and select [Start from scratch]
At the top, give your workflow a relevant Name > click to add a Trigger > and search for and select the [Start IVR] trigger:
Under the In phone number filter, select the phone number you want to screen
Click [Save Trigger]
Click the [+] button to add an action > search for and select the [Gather Input on Call] action:
Ensure Say a Message is selected > and input a short prompt (e.g. Thanks for calling [Business Name]. To connect, press 1.)
Set your preferred Language > select a Message Voice (Man or Woman) > and keep Number of Loops at 1
Click [Advanced Settings]:
Set Stop Gathering After (Seconds) - how long to wait for a keypress (5-30 seconds)
(optional) Enable Stop Gathering on Key Press so the input submits the moment a key is pressed, rather than waiting for the full timeout > and input the number or key specified in your prompt above
Set the Stop Gathering After (Digits) number to match your prompt above (e.g. if you told callers to press 1, you can stop gathering after 1 digit, but if you told callers to press 12 you would need to gather 2 digits)
Toggle on Match Conditions to route callers based on what they press:
Enter a relevant Branch name (e.g. Connect) > and next to On key press enter the value to match your prompt (e.g. 1)
(optional) Add additional branches, in order to create numbered options > and make sure to adjust your prompt accordingly (e.g. press 1 to connect to support, press 2 to connect to billing)
Note: We recommend keeping your IVR simple with as few button options as possible. Long menus create more friction for real customers than they do for spam callers.
Click [Save Action]
Your workflow will now have two branches > callers who press the correct key fall into the first branch (e.g. Connect) > callers who don't press a valid key automatically fall into the None branch
In the first branch (e.g. Connect), click the [+] button to add an action > search for and select the [Connect to Call (IVR)] action:
Select the team member they should be routed to - or select [Assigned User] to automatically route to the team member assigned to the contact profile
Click [+ Add Custom Number] to route to a specific phone number instead > and enter the phone number
(optional) Add a Whisper Message, to play a quick note for your team member at the start of the call, so they know they call has been routed
(optional) In Advanced Settings, you can enable Detect Voicemail, Record Call, Timeout and Time Limit
Click [Save Action]
In the None branch, click the [+] button to add an action > search for and select the [Say or Play Message] IVR action:
Type in a short message to explain that they did not select a valid key (e.g. That number was invalid, please call back to try again) > and click [Save Action]
Click the [+] button to add another action > search for and select the [End Call (IVR)] action to automatically hang up - or select the [Record Voicemail] action to send callers to voicemail instead
Toggle the workflow to [Publish] in the top right corner > and click [Save]
Test your workflow with a few calls to confirm the press 1 path connects correctly, and an incorrect key ends cleanly
After setting up these spam protection methods, check in regularly to make sure everything is working as intended and adjust as needed:
Weekly: review your call logs, how often the Spam Call disposition is being used, IVR no-input rates, and which contacts have Inbound Voice DND enabled
Adjust IVR prompts and timeouts if real callers are dropping off before connecting
Review contacts with Inbound DND periodically to catch any legitimate numbers that were accidentally blocked
No. Number Intelligence provides a "Spam Likely" signal on suspicious numbers in your call logs and app, but it doesn't block calls automatically. Blocking behaviour comes from the DND workflow and optional IVR screening in the steps above.
You absolutely can and should block individual spam numbers, as they are identified. However, spam callers frequently change numbers, so blocking individual numbers is not reliable as a standalone solution.
If a contact is accidentally marked as spam, and sent through your DND workflow, you can disable DND on that contact's record manually. Please refer to our DND guide for the steps. Adding a VIP tag will also protect that contact from being blocked again in the future, if you’ve set that up in your DND workflow.
Alternatively, you can automatically disable Inbound DND after a certain period (e.g. 30 days). To this, return to the DND workflow, add a Wait action at the end (set to your preference of time), and add another Enable/Disable DND action to disable Inbound DND again.
No. Enabling Inbound DND only blocks that number from ringing through to you. Your ability to make outbound calls to that contact is not affected, unless Outbound DND is enabled.
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