Assistants
Spam and robocall protection
How Ringhum keeps robocalls, cold sales calls and scams off your line, how to block numbers and hidden callers, and which spam calls use minutes.
4 min read Updated 24 September 2026
On this page
Robocalls, cold sales calls and scams should not use your minutes or your team's time. Spam protection stops most of them before anyone answers, and tells your assistant to end the rest quickly. It is on by default for every workspace.
Where to find it
Go to Phone numbers and scroll to the Spam protection card. The settings apply to every number in your workspace.
The card header shows how many calls were refused in the last 30 days.
Owners and admins can change these settings. Other roles can see them.
How spam is stopped
Spam protection works in two stages.
Before the call is answered
A call is refused before anyone answers when:
| Reason | When it applies |
|---|---|
| The number is on your Blocked numbers list | Always, even with Filter spam calls off. |
| The number has been flagged as spam by several businesses | When Filter spam calls is on. |
| The caller hides their number | When Filter spam calls and Refuse calls from hidden numbers are both on. |
A number counts as flagged when at least five different businesses using Ringhum have blocked it, or their assistants recognised it as spam, within the last 60 days.
People in your contacts are always put through, whatever others think of their number. This covers contacts with a name and contacts who have had an appointment. A number you blocked yourself is still refused.
During the call
With Filter spam calls on, the assistant watches for calls that are clearly a robocall, a pre-recorded message, or an unsolicited sales pitch or scam aimed at your business. It says "Thank you, goodbye." and ends the call right away, without taking a message. Customers, suppliers and people your business knows are not treated as spam.
Such a call is marked with the outcome Spam or robocall. Its number is flagged, which counts towards it being refused for every business. Spam calls are not scored or coached on, and questions from them are not added to your knowledge gaps.
The settings
Filter spam calls
"Numbers flagged as spam by several businesses are refused before anyone answers. When a robocall or a sales or scam call gets through, the assistant says goodbye and hangs up. People in your contacts are always put through."
On by default. Switch it off only if you want the assistant to talk to every caller. Your own block list keeps working either way.
Refuse calls from hidden numbers
"Callers who withhold their number are not answered. Leave this off if customers may call from a private number."
Off by default. It only works while Filter spam calls is on.
Changes save as soon as you switch them.
Block a number
From the Spam protection card:
- Under Blocked numbers, enter the number with its country code, for example +1 415 555 0100.
- Click Block.
From a call:
- Open Calls and click the call.
- Open the menu at the top of the page and choose Block this number, then confirm.
The call page shows a Number blocked badge from then on. Only incoming calls with a visible number can be blocked this way.
Blocked numbers are always refused before anyone answers. Numbers blocked from a call page show a note such as "Blocked from call #1234" in the list.
Unblock a number
- On the Spam protection card, click Unblock next to the number, or
- on a call from that number, open the menu and choose Unblock this number.
Unblocking also removes your workspace's spam flags for that number, so they no longer count towards it being refused for others.
Spam and billing
| Call | Uses minutes? |
|---|---|
| Refused before anyone answers (blocked, flagged or hidden) | No. It is never answered. |
| Answered, then ended by the assistant as spam | Yes, like any other call. The assistant ends it right away to keep it short. |
Troubleshooting
A real customer was refused. Check the Blocked numbers list and unblock them if they are there. Add the customer to Contacts with their name: contacts with a name are always put through, even if other businesses flagged the number. If they call from a private number, switch off Refuse calls from hidden numbers.
"Enter a phone number with the country code, for example +1 415 555 0100." The number could not be read. Type it with a plus sign and the country code.
A sales call still got through. Filtering catches numbers that several businesses flagged, and the assistant ends calls that are clearly spam. A new number, or a call that sounds like a real enquiry, can still get through. Block the number from the call page so it is refused next time.
The toggles are greyed out. Only owners and admins can change spam protection.
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