> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.avoca.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set campaign preferences and exclusions

> Save Outbound campaign defaults and prevent excluded phone numbers from being contacted.

Use **Preferences** to reduce repeated setup work and **Exclusions** to protect phone numbers that should not receive campaign outreach.

## Save campaign preferences

Open **Products → Outbound → Preferences**.

1. Under **Business Units**, choose whether business units are specific to service areas.
2. Select **Ask during campaign creation** if the answer changes by campaign.
3. Under **Phone Numbers**, choose the preferred **Marketing** and **Customer Care** number for each service area.
4. Select **Save**.

These settings prefill new campaigns; they do not silently rewrite existing campaigns. Only eligible numbers appear. If a number is missing, ask Avoca Support to confirm its messaging approval, voice configuration, and product use case.

## Upload an exclusion list

Open **Products → Outbound → Exclusions**.

1. On the **List** tab, select **Upload List**.
2. Enter a descriptive list name.
3. Upload an Excel file in `.xlsx` or `.xls` format.
4. Confirm the detected phone-number count after the upload completes.
5. Select the list's details to review its numbers on the **Numbers** tab.

The file can contain phone numbers in one or more columns. Use the Numbers tab to search the combined exclusion records or inspect a single uploaded list.

## Apply exclusions to a campaign

During campaign creation, keep **Remove Excluded Audience** enabled. The audience preview and final count should reflect the removed records.

<Warning>
  Exclusion files are a campaign safeguard, not a replacement for consent and opt-out handling. Keep source systems and suppression processes current, and investigate any request from a customer who was contacted unexpectedly.
</Warning>

## Review defaults periodically

Review preferences and exclusion lists when your team adds a service area, changes a sending number, updates its CRM structure, or imports a new suppression list. A saved default can remain technically valid while no longer matching the team's operating plan.