What Is STIR/SHAKEN?
Also known as: SHAKEN/STIR
STIR/SHAKEN is the call-authentication framework U.S. phone carriers use to digitally sign outbound calls, so the receiving carrier can check that the caller ID was not faked. It verifies where a call claims to come from, but it does not decide whether the call is wanted.
STIR/SHAKEN is the call-authentication framework U.S. phone carriers use to digitally sign outbound calls, so the receiving carrier can check that the caller ID was not faked. It verifies where a call claims to come from, but it does not decide whether the call is wanted.
STIR/SHAKEN explained
When a call starts, the originating carrier attaches a cryptographic signature that vouches for the calling number, using a certificate issued within an industry trust system. The carrier handling the final leg checks the signature and passes along a result. Each call carries one of three attestation levels. Full attestation means the carrier knows the customer and has confirmed the customer is entitled to use that number. Partial means the carrier knows the customer but cannot confirm the number. Gateway means the call entered from somewhere the carrier cannot vouch for, such as another network.
Wholesalers never touch the signing, but their setup determines the attestation their calls receive. Numbers purchased through the dialer’s provider and registered to the account can earn full attestation, while a number the account does not hold, such as one borrowed to look local, may drop to partial or gateway. Lower attestation tends to hurt how receiving carriers and call-blocking apps treat the call, so dialer vendors should be able to explain how calls are signed and which number types they support.
The common misunderstanding is that a verified call is a trusted call. Authentication only says the number was not forged. Carriers and analytics companies still judge behavior, so a fully attested number that places high volumes of short, unanswered calls can be labeled as spam anyway. In the other direction, a clean signature does not make a call exempt from do-not-call or consent rules. Think of it as the entry ticket: necessary for good delivery, never sufficient on its own.
Example
A wholesaler adds a second batch of numbers to the dialer and asks the vendor how those calls will be signed. The vendor explains that numbers bought through its own carrier connection carry full attestation, while numbers the account does not hold would carry less. The wholesaler keeps only the first type in the rotation.
Related VA Horizon resources
Keep learning the language of wholesaling
Frequently Asked Questions
Put the playbook to work
VA Horizon places trained cold calling VAs and builds the systems behind STIR/SHAKEN and the rest of your wholesaling pipeline. Book a 15-minute call to see how it works.
Recommended next steps