Phone Formatter Task¶

Overview¶

The Phone Formatter Task turns a phone number into E.164 — + and the country code, then the number, with no spaces (+27825550111) — the form SMS, WhatsApp and number matching all expect. It also checks the number is a real one for its country.

When to use this task:

• Standardise numbers from form submissions before matching on them
• Prepare a number for an SMS or WhatsApp task
• Clean imported numbers

Key Features:

• One output: the number in E.164
• Any country, chosen from the list or given as a {{variable}}
• Numbers that are not valid for the country fail the task

Quick Start¶

1. Add the Phone Formatter task
2. Choose the Country the numbers are from (South Africa by default)
3. Set Phone Number — usually a {{variable}} from an earlier task
4. Save

Simple Example:

Country:      South Africa (ZA)
Phone Number: {{task_55001_phone}}        (082 555 0111)
Output:       {{task_24001_phone_number_output}} = +27825550111

Configuration¶

Builder fields¶

The Field column is the label as it appears in the task builder; Key is the name the value is stored under and referenced by.

Country¶

The country says how to read a number written without its country code — 082 555 0111 is a South African number only if the country is ZA. A number that already starts with + and its country code is read as written, whichever country is chosen.

Outputs¶

There is no is_valid, e164, national or international field: the task produces one formatted value in phone_number_output, in E.164 (+27825550111). A number that cannot be read fails the task instead — see below.

When the task fails¶

The run fails — and the tasks after it do not run — when:

• No country is chosen, or no phone number is given
• The number is not a valid number for its country — too short, too long, or not a number at all

Real-World Examples¶

Normalise a number before matching on it¶

Form Submission
  └─ Phone Formatter       format the submitted number
      └─ Match to Client   contact_cell_number: {{task_24001_phone_number_output}}

This is the most common use. Matching compares known formats of the same number, so feeding it a normalised value is what makes a match land reliably.

Clean a number before sending an SMS¶

Webhook In
  └─ Phone Formatter   format to E.164
      └─ SMS           to {{task_24001_phone_number_output}}

Examples by Country¶

Best Practices¶

1. Store E.164 — one consistent form makes numbers matchable and searchable
2. Choose the country the numbers come from — it decides how a number without + is read
3. Format before you match or send — Match to Client and SMS both work best with E.164

Troubleshooting¶

Number could not be formatted¶

1. Is the Country the one the number is from?
2. Does the number have the right number of digits for that country?
3. Is it really a phone number? Placeholder text like "n/a" fails.

The run's message shows the number it was given.

Frequently Asked Questions¶

What's E.164 format?¶

The international standard: +, the country code, then the number — no spaces, dashes or brackets. For example +27825550111.

Can it give a display format like (555) 123-4567?¶

No — the output is always E.164.

Can it tell mobile from landline?¶

No. It checks the number is valid for its country, not what kind of line it is.

Can I format several numbers in one task?¶

No — use a Phone Formatter task per number.

Related Tasks¶

• SMS - Send to {{task_24001_phone_number_output}}
• Match to Client - Match by formatted phone
• Edit Client - Update with clean format
• If Statement - Validate before proceeding
• Code - Additional phone processing