> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://onextel-09023014.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Blacklist

> Suppress specific numbers from receiving messages, grouped into categories you can manage individually or in bulk.

A **blacklist** stops messages reaching numbers you have chosen to suppress — customers who have
opted out, complainants, known bad numbers, or internal test lines you do not want included in a
live campaign.

Blacklisted numbers are organised into **categories**. A category groups numbers under one
purpose and can be switched off without deleting its contents, so you can suspend a suppression
rule temporarily rather than rebuilding the list later.

<Note>
  Blacklisting is a suppression list you control. It is separate from channel-level opt-out, which
  is driven by the recipient sending a keyword — see
  [WhatsApp opt-in / opt-out](/api-reference/whatsapp/opt-in-opt-out) and
  [RCS opt-in / opt-out](/api-reference/rcs/opt-in-opt-out).
</Note>

## Categories

### Add a category

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Blacklist Category tab">
    In the left pane, click **Config**, select the **Blacklist Category** tab, and click
    **+ Add Blacklist**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the details">
    | Field | Description |
    | - | - |
    | Channel | The channel this blacklist applies to |
    | Category Name | A name for the group |
    | Category Status | Whether the category is active and in use |
    | Category Description | A short description of what the category is for |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add">
    Click **Add**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Categories are bound to a **channel**. A number blacklisted under an SMS category is not
  suppressed on WhatsApp or RCS — add it to a category on each channel you want it blocked on.
</Warning>

### View categories

Click **Config**, select the **Blacklist Category** tab, then click **Show Blacklist**. The list
shows each category's name, total numbers, description, and status.

<Frame caption="Blacklist categories">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/onextel-09023014/YrEWyr0_iQvllDUV/images/platform/blacklist-list.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=YrEWyr0_iQvllDUV&q=85&s=6d90c43b0e1e92089398955bf368c9b0" alt="Config Blacklist Category tab listing categories with total numbers, description and status" width="1245" height="520" data-path="images/platform/blacklist-list.png" />
</Frame>

## Numbers

### Add a number

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Blacklist Number tab">
    Click **Config**, select the **Blacklist Number** tab, and click **+ Add Blacklist Number**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the details">
    | Field | Description |
    | - | - |
    | Category | The category to add this number to |
    | Name | The name of the person the number belongs to |
    | Number | The number to suppress |
    | Description | A short note about why |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add">
    Click **Add**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Fill in the Description. Six months on, a suppression list with no reasons attached is one
  nobody is willing to prune — and an over-broad blacklist quietly suppresses traffic you intended
  to send.
</Note>

### Upload numbers in bulk

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the upload view">
    Click **Config**, select the **Blacklist Number** tab, then click **Upload Blacklist
    Number**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Get the format right">
    Use **Download Sample File** to get a correctly formatted file before preparing your own.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose your file">
    Click **Choose File** and select the file to upload.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select the category">
    Choose the **Category** the numbers should be added to.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload">
    Click **Add Records to Category**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Download numbers

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the download view">
    Click **Config**, select the **Blacklist Number** tab, then click **Download Blacklist
    Number**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose what to export">
    Select the **Category** and the **File Type** from the dropdowns.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Download">
    Click **Download**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Find and remove numbers

On the **Blacklist Number** tab, select a category and optionally enter a number, set a record
limit, and click **Search**.

To remove entries, use **Delete Selected** for specific numbers, or **Delete All** to clear the
results.

<Warning>
  **Delete All** clears every number matching the current filter, not just the rows on screen.
  Check the filter before using it — and export the category first if you might need it back.
</Warning>

## Related

* [Platform overview](/guides/platform/overview)
* [Phonebook](/guides/platform/phonebook)


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