Blocking phone numbers

Use Admin → Security → Number Blacklist to reject calls from unwanted callers or prevent extensions from dialing selected external numbers. These rules belong to the current tenant.

For example, an Inbound rule can reject a persistent spam caller before the call reaches an IVR, ring group or phone. An Outbound rule can block a premium-rate prefix for all extensions or for one selected extension.

Block an incoming caller

1. Open Admin → Security → Number Blacklist and choose Add Rule.
2. Enter Phone number to block in international E.164 format, for example +12125550123.
3. Set Direction to Inbound (block callers).
4. Leave Extension scope at All extensions.
5. Add a description, such as “Repeated spam calls”, and select Save.

Exovo rejects matching inbound trunk calls before routing them to the normal destination. It does not send the blocked caller to voicemail. Rules apply to subsequent calls after saving; no core restart is needed.

Inbound blocking uses the caller number presented by the provider. Check the actual number in call history when adding a rule. A caller presenting a different or withheld number will not match a rule for the original number.

Block outbound dialing

Use the same Add Rule dialog, choose Outbound (block dialing to), and enter the destination number or prefix to block. Select All extensions to apply it throughout the tenant, or select one extension to restrict that user's outbound dialing.

Choose Both directions to block the number as an incoming caller and an outgoing destination. Keep All extensions selected if the rule must also block incoming calls.

Extension scope applies to outbound dialing. Inbound calls are checked before Exovo selects a destination extension, so a rule scoped to one extension does not block incoming calls. To block an inbound caller, use a tenant-wide rule with All extensions.

Number-blacklist outbound checks apply when a call is routed outside the system; they do not replace internal extension routing or the matching criteria of outbound rules.

Exact numbers and prefix patterns

Exact-number matching also accepts a shorter trailing form of the number when it contains at least four digits. Enter the full number in E.164 format when creating a rule.

For a single number, use + followed by the country code and full number. A trailing * creates a prefix rule. Matching ignores non-digit formatting; * is a suffix marker rather than an arbitrary-position wildcard. Do not use a broad prefix when you only intend to block one caller.

Outbound matching uses the number dialed before a trunk route strips or prepends digits. If your users dial an outside-line access prefix, include that dialing format in the prefix rule or check that an exact-number rule matches the format they use.

Review, edit and unblock

The list shows Number, Direction, Scope, Description, and Blocked. The Blocked column records the number of matches and the last blocked time when available.

• Use the search box to find an entry by number or description.
• Select Edit to change a rule and Save to apply it.
• Select Delete to remove a rule and allow calls again, subject to other routing and security settings.

The Number Blacklist has no expiry field; rules remain until edited or deleted. To block a SIP source address instead of a telephone number, use IP blacklist and trunk allow-list.