Spam labels and the Free Caller Registry

Phone companies can label your calls Spam Likely or Scam Likely, even when people asked to hear from you. Drop Cowboy® builds the spreadsheet of your numbers that the Free Caller Registry asks for, and you submit it on the registry's site.

How spam labels work

AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon label calls using call-analytics companies: First Orion, Hiya and TNS. A new number, or one that makes a lot of calls, can be labeled before anyone complains.

The Free Caller Registry is run by those three companies. One free submission sends your business and your numbers to all three. Each company reviews it and decides on its own, so a label can stay on after you register.

Drop Cowboy can't register your numbers with First Orion, Hiya or TNS on your behalf. The registry only accepts a submission from the business that owns the numbers, and it checks your business email. Drop Cowboy builds the spreadsheet of your numbers, and you upload it on the registry's site yourself.

Register numbers by brand

Use this to register every number that calls as one of your brands. Each brand is a separate submission.

1. Open Settings in the left menu, then click Trust Center.
2. Click your brand. Under Calls showing as "Spam Likely"?, click Get Registry Spreadsheet.
3. Check Display name. It's the name people see when you call, if their phone company shows names. Use 32 characters or fewer, with no commas.
4. Click Download .xlsx.
5. Click Open Free Caller Registry and verify your business email. The registry's form asks for your business name, address and contact details. It also asks what your calls are for and about how many you make each month.
6. On the registry's phone numbers step, upload the spreadsheet. Review, accept the registry's terms and submit.

Numbers on phone lines that have no brand count as your team's default brand. If your team has several brands and no default, check Also include N numbers not on any brand to add them.

Click Show numbers to see what's in the file. Each number shows New, or the date it was last prepared.

Register numbers on one phone line

Use this when one phone line is getting labeled, or you just bought numbers for it.

1. Open Phone Numbers in the left menu, and click the phone line.
2. Under Quick Actions, click Registry. On the Numbers tab, the Register these numbers link opens the same screen.
3. Pick This line, or All lines for every number on your team. With All lines, pick a Brand, since each brand is its own submission.
4. Check Display name, click Download .xlsx, then click Open Free Caller Registry and submit as in Register numbers by brand.

Register numbers you added later

The registry only knows the numbers you sent it. When you add numbers, send the new ones too.

1. Open the brand in Trust Center, or the phone line in Phone Numbers.
2. A New Numbers badge on the brand means numbers were added since your last file. Click Get Registry Spreadsheet. A brand with File Prepared has nothing new; click Download Again if you need the file again.
3. Download the file and submit it on the registry.

Each download marks its numbers as prepared. Prepared means the numbers were in a file you downloaded. It doesn't mean the registry has them, so finish your submission on the registry's site.

If it doesn't work:

Always identify your business location truthfully when asked by recipients.

This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Regulations vary by jurisdiction and use case. Always consult with qualified legal counsel to ensure your specific practices comply with applicable federal and state laws.