Skip the spam. Take the calls that matter.
When someone calls your VeraDial number, the AI answers first, finds out who they are and why they're calling, and tells you. You decide whether to pick up — without saying a word.
By Graham Thomson · Updated October 22, 2026
- Blocked numbers never ring, and toll-free callers can go to voicemail
- Real callers answer a brief AI screening question
- You see a one-line summary before deciding to pick up
- Voicemails from the calls you skip arrive transcribed
What it does
AI Call Screening capabilities.
Pre-pickup screening
Vera greets the caller and finds out who they are and why they're calling before your phone makes a sound. When the call reaches you, it arrives with a one-line summary — you pick up informed, send it to voicemail, or let Vera take a message.
Spam triage
When a caller plays a known recorded sales or scam script, Vera files the call away so it stays out of the calls that need you. Numbers you block are rejected before they ring, and you can send toll-free callers straight to voicemail. Real callers explain themselves and get through.
Voicemail and transcript fallback
If you don't pick up, the caller is offered voicemail. You get a transcribed message — no listening required to triage your day.
Caller context preserved
The AI captures the caller's stated reason verbatim. That detail is preserved in the transcript even if you only saw the one-line summary at pickup time.
Per-line control, hours-aware
Screening is set per number — run it on your main business line and let a direct line ring through untouched. Vera knows your business hours and timezone, so after-hours callers hear when you open instead of a dead end.
In practice
Who uses ai call screening?
Solo contractor
On a roof, two calls inside ten minutes. The first is a real lead — you take it. The second is an SEO sales rep — to voicemail. You never broke flow.
Freelancer in deep work
Mid-deep-work, an unknown number. The AI says 'Lisa from Acme — calling about Tuesday's invoice.' That's worth interrupting for; you pick up.
Small business owner with kids at home
Family time, the phone rings. Spam. The AI handles it, the family doesn't notice, you check the transcript later.
FAQ
Common questions.
Does the caller know they're talking to AI first?
Whether the opening identifies Vera as AI depends on your saved greeting. Vera's standard business greeting introduces her as the business's AI receptionist, but a greeting saved on your account replaces it word for word, including the one drafted during setup. Callers can leave a voicemail or wait for you.
What does screening cost per call?
Screening is designed to stay brief: VeraDial enforces a 5-minute max duration and 50 screenings per day per line. Time callers spend with Vera comes out of your plan's AI-receptionist minutes, and once you pick up, the connected time uses your calling minutes.
How do I get the call after screening?
Once Vera has screened the caller, your phone rings with the summary attached. Pick up and you're talking to the caller directly; decline and they can leave a voicemail you'll read as a transcript.
Does this replace a full answering service?
It can. Screening is the triage layer; the same assistant also runs as a full AI receptionist that answers customer questions about your services, hours, and pricing, and resolves routine calls without ringing you. See the AI Receptionist page for that side of Vera.
Will my real callers find this annoying?
A short greeting from a clear, named AI is less annoying than the alternatives — voicemail tag, getting hung up on, or going through a generic phone tree. Most callers answer the screening question in one short sentence.
Hear Vera in action.
Play a short sample call, follow the transcript, and move into a personalized live demo when you're ready.