How to format mobile numbers to send Esendex SMS via Zapier

The Esendex integration with Zapier makes it easier for your most used applications to pair with some of your most popular business applications while taking away the requirement to export and upload contact data from one application and import into your Echo account.

However, using the same rules as Echo, our platform still requires the numbers from your database, CRM or application to be structured into one consistent format when using Zapier.

It’s important to format your database before you send to ensure that all numbers are either prefixed with the country code, or not. You also need to ensure that you haven’t included non-numerical data in your spreadsheet, such as the brackets in this example: 44 (0) 7870 154 769.

There are two ways to do this:

  1. Ensure that the mobile numbers input into your application or recipient field on Zapier are formatted correctly, or
  2. If you have a premium Zapier account, use the Formatter by Zapier to apply a format path

Option 1

Our guide for how to use excel to import contacts into Echo will help you understand how numbers need to be formatted. They won’t need to be exported just inputted into your CRM, database or recipient fields in this format.

Option 2

The Zapier formatter provides an option to format phone numbers into a specific style. As the Zapier tool is an American application it will typically work with USA phone numbers however you can format phone numbers from other countries, but a multiple Zap with filter steps and formatter steps will be required.

Where users aren’t entering phone numbers in the correct format you will be required to create 2 Zaps with filters.

  1. One that checks if the phone number was entered in the correct format
  2. and another to check if the number begins with “0”

Here, Zapier provides some useful guidance on using the number formatter for non-USA phone numbers.

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