---
key: set-up-spam-protection
title: Set up spam protection for calls and texts
audience: staff
section: communications
routes: ["/settings/communications/spam-protection"]
permissions: ["communications.spam_protection.read"]
features: ["communications.spam_protection"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Decide how Nova treats suspicious callers and texters, which reputation lists it checks, whether it shares reports, and review the numbers it has flagged.
keywords: [spam filter, block robocalls, junk texts, spam settings, reputation, quarantine, review queue, auto block]
related: [block-a-spam-caller-or-texter, manage-a-text-conversation, review-calls-and-voicemails]
---

In the sidebar, open **Settings**, then choose **Spam Protection** under **Communications**. The page address is `/settings/communications/spam-protection`. The page title reads **Spam Protection**.

## Before you start

- Your role needs permission to read spam protection. Changing the policy, the sources and the review queue each need their own permission. Without the policy one, **Handling policy** and **Governance** read **Read only**; other controls you cannot use are greyed out.
- The badges at the top show what your plan includes: **Nova community**, **External sources**, and **Auto-block allowed** or **Auto-block gated**.
- Changes save on their own; a number box saves when you click out of it. The policy sections read **Auto-save**, then **Saving** and **Saved**. **Not saved** means the change failed; try again.

## Steps

1. Under **Handling policy**, choose a **Mode**: **Off**, **Monitor only**, **Warn and review**, **Quiet suspicious senders**, **Quarantine suspicious texts**, **Block high confidence only** or **Custom**. **Monitor only** records scores but never holds anything back.
2. Set the scores, from 0 to 100. Below **Warn score** a number is allowed; from **Warn score** it gets a warning; from **Quarantine score** texts are quarantined and calls screened; from **Block score** Nova uses **Call high confidence** (**Warn**, **Screen**, **Quiet** or **Block**) and **Text high confidence** (**Warn**, **Quiet**, **Quarantine** or **Block**).
3. Set **Minimum orgs to block**: how many organizations must have reported a number before Nova blocks it on its own.
4. Press each button to turn it on (check mark) or off (cross): **Calls** and **Texts** (which channels are checked), **Nova list** and **External lists** (which lists count), **Share reports** (whether your reports help other organizations), and **Auto-block calls** and **Auto-block texts**. Without auto-block, Nova screens the call or quarantines the text instead of blocking it.
5. Under **Governance**, set **Community sharing** (**Private only**, **Phone reputation** or **Reputation and reason**), **Evidence detail** (**Minimal**, **Standard** or **Full**), and **Signal retention days** and **Review retention days** (30 to 2,555).
6. Set **Known sender handling** (for numbers that belong to a contact or account) and **Recent conversation handling** (for numbers you already have a conversation with): **Always allow**, **Monitor**, **Warn only**, **Quiet** or **Quarantine**. They apply only when Nova would otherwise quiet, quarantine or block.
7. Under **Reputation sources**, press **Enable** or **Disable** on each source, and set its **Weight** and **Mode** (**Off**, **Score**, **Warn only** or **Block-capable**). Nova confirms with **Spam protection source updated.**
8. Under **Review queue**, decide each flagged number: **Not spam**, **Trust**, **Spam** or **Dismiss**. Nova confirms with **Spam review updated.**

## What you see

- The four tiles sum up the **Policy** mode, how many **Sources** are on, **Sharing** (**Community on** or **Private only**) and **Blocking** (**Automatic** or **Review first**).
- **30-day activity** counts **Decisions**, **Blocked**, **Screened/quarantined** and **Signals/reviews**.
- Each queued number shows the suggested action, channel, score and a reason. If your role can also mark senders, **Spam**, **Not spam** and **Trust** update the number on **Blocked Senders** too, and **Not spam** lifts a block on that channel. **Dismiss** only closes the item.
- **Number lookup** checks one number: type it, pick **Text** or **Call**, and press **Lookup** to see its **Score**, **Confidence** and **Signals**.
- **Recent decisions** lists the last ten things Nova did. **Refresh** reloads everything.

## If something looks different

- **30-day activity** or **Recent decisions** says audit permission is required: your role cannot read the audit trail.
- The page reads **Page unavailable**: spam protection is not turned on for your organization.
- **Auto-block calls** and **Auto-block texts** stay greyed out and the badge reads **Auto-block gated**: automatic blocking is not included in your plan.
- The queue reads **No pending reviews.**: nothing is waiting on you.
- To block one number by hand, see [[block-a-spam-caller-or-texter]].

[[route:/settings/communications/spam-protection|Open Spam Protection]]