How to Block Spam Calls with the Blacklist in Kalimna

Spam calls, telemarketing bots, and abusive callers are a universal problem—but they're especially frustrating when they waste your AI phone agent's time and skew your call center metrics. The Blacklist feature in Kalimna gives you a simple, powerful way to block specific phone numbers from ever reaching your AI voice agents.

For businesses running Arabic and English AI phone agents in Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, protecting your AI call center from spam isn't just about saving time—it's about maintaining accurate analytics, protecting your team's follow-up workflows, and ensuring your AI agents focus on real customers who need help.

This guide will show you exactly how to identify problem callers, add them to your Blacklist, and manage your list of blocked numbers. Whether you're dealing with persistent spam in Doha, bot callers in Dubai, or abusive numbers in Riyadh, this feature puts you back in control.

Watch the Blacklist Feature Tutorial

Follow along with this step-by-step video to see the Blacklist feature in action:

💡 Tip: Watch the video while following the written steps below for the best learning experience.

What the Blacklist Feature Does

The Blacklist is a list of phone numbers that are permanently blocked from reaching your AI phone agents. Once a number is added to the Blacklist, any calls from that number will be rejected before they even connect to your AI voice agent.

Common Use Cases:

• Spam Callers: Persistent spam calls promoting insurance, loans, or other unwanted services that waste your AI agent's time.
• Telemarketing Bots: Automated calling systems that dial your number repeatedly, creating noise in your call logs and analytics.
• Abusive or Fraudulent Callers: Numbers associated with harassment, scams, or abusive behavior that you want to block permanently.
• Wrong Numbers: Persistent wrong-number callers who keep calling despite being corrected.
• Competitor Intelligence: Block known competitor numbers that are calling to gather information about your business.

Why This Matters for Your AI Call Center:

• Accurate Analytics: Spam calls skew your metrics. Blocking them ensures your call volume, duration, and performance data reflect real customer interactions.
• Cost Savings: If you're paying per minute or per call, blocking spam saves money by preventing unnecessary charges.
• Focus on Real Customers: Your AI agents and human follow-up teams can focus on legitimate customers instead of wasting time on spam.
• Protect Your Reputation: Prevent abusive or fraudulent interactions that could damage your brand or team morale.

Step 1 – Open the Blacklist Tab in the Dashboard

To access the Blacklist feature, log into your Kalimna dashboard and look for the Blacklist tab in the left-hand navigation menu.

If you're a new user or haven't blocked any numbers yet, you'll see an empty Blacklist. This is normal—you're about to add your first entry.

Step 2 – Add a Number to the Blacklist

Click the "Add to blacklist" button to begin adding a number.

A form will appear with two main fields:

1. Phone Number

Enter the exact phone number you want to block. Make sure to:

• Include the country code if applicable (e.g., +971 for UAE, +974 for Qatar)
• Double-check the number for accuracy—a typo could block the wrong number or fail to block the right one
• Use the same format consistently across all your blacklist entries

2. Description / Reason

In the description field, explain why you're blocking this number. This is crucial for organization and future reference.

Good description examples:

• "Spam: insurance telemarketer, called 5+ times"
• "Bot: automated loan sales calls"
• "Abusive caller: used offensive language"
• "Wrong number: persistent wrong-number caller"
• "Competitor: gathering pricing information"
• "Fraud: attempted scam call"

Step 3 – Save the Blacklist Entry

After filling in the phone number and description, you have two save options:

Option 1: Create

Click "Create" to add this single entry to your Blacklist and return to the overview screen. Use this when you're blocking one number at a time as issues arise.

Option 2: Create and Create Another

Click "Create and create another" to save this entry and immediately open a fresh form to add another number. This is perfect when you have a batch of spam numbers to block at once.

Example scenario: You review your call logs on Monday morning and identify 8 spam numbers from the weekend. Use "Create and create another" to add all 8 quickly without navigating back and forth.

Once saved, the number is immediately blocked. Any future calls from that number will be rejected before connecting to your AI phone agents.

Step 4 – View Blacklisted Numbers and Linked Leads

After adding a blacklist entry, you can view a summary of that entry. This summary shows:

What's Shown in the Summary:

• The Blocked Number: Displayed clearly so you can verify it was entered correctly.
• Description/Reason: Your note explaining why this number was blocked.
• Linked Lead (if applicable): If this number was previously associated with a lead in your system, you'll see which lead it was. This is useful for:
  • • Understanding the history of interactions with this number
  • • Identifying patterns (e.g., a lead that turned abusive)
  • • Preventing accidental blocks (if you realize the lead was legitimate)

Why This Matters:

Seeing linked leads helps you investigate past interactions. For example:

• If a spam number was previously logged as a lead, you can clean up your CRM
• If an abusive caller was an existing customer, you can flag that account
• You can identify patterns (e.g., multiple spam calls from related numbers)

Step 5 – Managing the Blacklist Overview

Click on the Blacklist tab again to return to the overview screen. Here you can see the full list of all blocked numbers.

What You Can Do in the Overview:

• Scan Blocked Numbers: Quickly review which numbers are currently blocked.
• Check Descriptions: See why each number was blocked at a glance.
• Periodic Review: Set a reminder to review your Blacklist monthly or quarterly to ensure it's still accurate and relevant.
• Remove Entries (if needed): If you accidentally blocked a legitimate number or a situation changes, you can edit or remove entries from the Blacklist.

The overview screen is your command center for managing blocked numbers—treat it like a living document that evolves with your business needs.

Best Practices for Using the Blacklist

To get the most out of the Blacklist feature, follow these practical guidelines:

1. Only Block Clear Problem Numbers

Don't block numbers impulsively. Only add numbers to the Blacklist when you're certain they are:

• Repeated spam or telemarketing calls
• Automated bots with no legitimate purpose
• Abusive or fraudulent callers
• Persistent wrong-number callers who don't respond to correction

If a customer called with a legitimate complaint and you had a bad interaction, don't block them—that's a customer service issue, not a spam issue.

2. Use Meaningful Descriptions

Always add clear, detailed descriptions. Future you (or your team) will thank you when reviewing the list.

• Good: "Spam: insurance sales, called 6 times in 2 days"
• Bad: "spam" (too vague—what kind of spam?)
• Good: "Bot: automated loan telemarketer, Arabic language"
• Bad: "annoying" (not helpful for future reference)

3. Review Periodically

Set a calendar reminder to review your Blacklist every 1-3 months:

• Check if any blocked numbers should be unblocked (e.g., a situation was resolved)
• Look for patterns (e.g., multiple spam calls from similar number ranges)
• Clean up entries that are no longer relevant

4. Combine with Call Analytics

Use the Conversations or Analytics tab to identify repeat problem callers:

• Sort calls by duration—very short calls (under 10 seconds) are often bots
• Look for numbers that call multiple times per day with similar patterns
• Check transcripts for obvious spam or abusive language

5. Train Your Team

If multiple people manage your AI call center, make sure everyone understands:

• When it's appropriate to blacklist a number
• How to write clear descriptions
• The importance of accuracy (wrong numbers can block legitimate customers)

What's Next?

Congratulations! You now know how to protect your AI phone agents from spam calls, bots, and abusive callers using the Blacklist feature. You can add numbers, review blocked entries, and maintain a clean list that keeps your AI call center focused on real customers.

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