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Glossary · Compliance

What is Robocall?

  • Also called: automated call, prerecorded call

Reviewed by Sujan ThapaliyaLast updated

Definition

A robocall is a call delivering a prerecorded or artificial voice message rather than a live person. The term covers both lawful automated calls — appointment reminders, outage notifications, school closures — and the unlawful marketing and fraud calls that gave it its reputation.
The three STIR/SHAKEN attestation levels, which underpin how robocall behaves in practice: A asserts both that the carrier knows the customer and that the customer may use the calling number, B asserts the customer only, and C asserts neither. A shared number pool can reach B at best, which is why number ownership keeps recurring in these definitions.
Attestation is the backdrop to most caller-ID and deliverability terms, robocall included.

In practice

How robocall actually works

The legal line is consent and purpose, not technology. A prerecorded appointment reminder to a patient who gave their number is lawful; the same technology selling extended warranties to a purchased list is not.

Marketing robocalls to consumers generally require prior express written consent, a stricter standard than ordinary permission to be contacted.

Because carrier analytics score calling patterns rather than intent, lawful automated calling still has to be run carefully — sensible volumes, identifiable caller ID, and numbers that accept callbacks.

The reputational cost is also carried collectively. Analytics engines score patterns rather than intent, so every unwanted automated campaign makes it slightly harder for the next legitimate one to be answered — which is why businesses running lawful automated calls have a direct commercial interest in the rules being enforced.

Worked example

A prerecorded appointment reminder to a patient who gave their number is lawful. The same technology selling warranties to a purchased list is not — the difference is consent and purpose, not the recording.

Robocall: common questions

Are all robocalls illegal?
No. Appointment reminders, delivery notifications, outage alerts and similar informational calls are lawful with appropriate consent. Marketing calls with a prerecorded voice to consumers require the stricter written consent standard.
Why do my legitimate automated calls get blocked?
Because analytics engines score patterns, not legality. High volume, short duration and low answer rates look identical whether the calls are wanted or not, which is why identity and callback paths matter.
Does an opt-out message make a robocall compliant?
It is required, and it is not sufficient. Consent has to exist before the call; the opt-out mechanism governs what happens after it.

Sources

  1. Combating Spoofed Robocalls with Caller ID Authentication — Federal Communications CommissionThe STIR/SHAKEN framework, the attestation levels carriers sign calls with, and the mandate requiring providers to authenticate caller ID.
  2. 47 U.S.C. § 227 — Restrictions on the use of telephone equipment — Cornell Legal Information InstituteThe Telephone Consumer Protection Act itself — the consent requirements, calling-hours limits, and private right of action.
  3. ITU-T Recommendation E.164 — The international public telecommunication numbering plan — International Telecommunication UnionThe international number format, the 15-digit maximum, and how country codes and national numbers compose.

See robocall in the product

Voice broadcasting sends one recorded or synthesised message to thousands of phone numbers at once. It is used for outage notices, appointment reminders, school closures, and event alerts, anywhere a short, identical message needs to reach a lot of people quickly.

Explore voice broadcastingGet early access