Multichannel
Ringless voicemail software: what to ask
Questions to ask any ringless voicemail vendor about records, opt-outs and sending, with a table of what FTC pages say about prerecorded messages.
Article
Ringless voicemail software places recorded messages into voicemail boxes without ringing the phone. This post is not a buyer's list and does not recommend a product. It lists what to ask a vendor, because the answers decide what you can see and control once messages are going out.
The FTC pages summarized below describe how prerecorded messages and their opt-outs are treated, which is what several of the questions turn on.
Why software is the last question, not the first
Software determines how a message is sent. The rules attach to who sends it, what it says and who receives it. A tool that sends perfectly still carries whatever the campaign says and to whom.
The FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule guide says the rule covers outbound calls that deliver a prerecorded message, including messages left on an answering machine or voicemail service. The table restates this and the neighboring points.
| Topic | What the page says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Recorded sales calls | The Telemarketing Sales Rule covers outbound telemarketing calls that deliver a prerecorded message. | FTC, Telemarketing Sales Rule guide |
| Voicemail | The rule applies whether the call is answered by a person or by an answering machine or voicemail service. | FTC, Telemarketing Sales Rule guide |
| Do Not Call Registry | For prerecorded calls the rule applies regardless of whether the number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. | FTC, Telemarketing Sales Rule guide |
| Opt-out in the message | The message must offer an automated opt-out, and a message that may reach voicemail must include a toll-free number that reaches it. | FTC, Telemarketing Sales Rule guide |
| Consumer view | The FTC tells consumers that a selling robocall is illegal unless the company has written permission to call that way. | FTC consumer advice, Do Not Call FAQs |
| Email, for contrast | Email asks for a postal address, a clear opt-out and honoring an opt-out within 10 business days, with no business-to-business exception. | FTC, CAN-SPAM guide |
What to ask a vendor
These questions are about records and who does what.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Where does the record for each number live, and can it be exported? | You need the record to answer any later question about a message. |
| How is the opt-out offered in the message, and does it reach a toll-free number? | The FTC guide says a message that may reach voicemail must include a toll-free opt-out number. |
| How are opt-outs applied across every campaign and every sender? | An opt-out that reaches only one list does not stop the next message. |
| Who handles sending when the vendor sends on our behalf? | Settle who does what in writing before sending. |
| Which numbers and states does the vendor refuse to send to? | A vendor that sends to anything leaves the filtering to you. |
Sources and corrections
Spot something wrong or out of date? Write to hello@coldmeetings.com and we will review it.
Questions
- What should the opt-out look like?
- The FTC guide says a prerecorded message offers an automated opt-out, and a message that may reach voicemail includes a toll-free number that reaches it.
- Which software do you recommend?
- None. This post does not recommend a ringless voicemail product.
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Put it to work
Pages in the product and the tools that go with this guide.
Sources
- FTC: Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/complying-telemarketing-sales-rule, read 2026-10-19
- FTC consumer advice: National Do Not Call Registry FAQs: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/national-do-not-call-registry-faqs, read 2026-10-19
- FTC: CAN-SPAM Act, a compliance guide for business: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business, read 2026-10-19
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