Phone number formatter
Convert a phone number to E.164, international display and national formats. Get a clean value for your contact list, form or API request.
Formatted number
Enter a number and select “Format phone number” to see three versions you can copy.
Formatting runs in this browser. The tool does not send the entered number to a lookup API or check whether it belongs to a WhatsApp account.
What is E.164 phone number format?
E.164 defines the international telephone numbering plan. An international number has a country calling code followed by the national significant number, with a maximum of 15 digits. Software commonly writes it with a leading +, for example +447700900123.
The plus sign represents international context; it is not one of the 15 digits. Spaces, brackets and hyphens help people read numbers, but they do not belong in this compact storage format.
Standard reference: ITU-T Recommendation E.164 (opens in a new tab).
Which phone number format should I use?
| Format | Example | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| E.164 | +447700900123 | Storage, contact matching and APIs that request E.164 |
| International | +44 7700 900123 | A number people in different countries can read |
| National | 07700 900123 | A local contact display with known country context |
Check your destination API’s documentation: some endpoints want the plus sign, while others expect digits only. For WhatsApp contact URLs, the WhatsApp link generator produces the required wa.me format.
Why the country matters
A local number is incomplete without its country context. Select the country the number belongs to, which may be different from the country you are currently in. For a number already starting with +, the calling code takes precedence over the selector.
Do not remove a leading zero with a universal rule. A national dialing prefix is treated differently from a significant zero in a phone number. The formatter uses country-specific metadata to handle these differences instead of simply deleting every leading zero.
Prepare phone numbers for a contact import
- Keep the original entry. Store it alongside the formatted value so you can review unexpected changes.
- Supply country context. If your list mixes countries, do not apply one country to every local number.
- Store numbers as text. Phone numbers are identifiers. Numeric spreadsheet cells can remove a plus sign or leading zeros.
- Review exceptions. An extension belongs in a separate field. Short codes and emergency numbers do not fit this international contact format.
Does a formatted number mean it is valid?
A successful result means the input could be parsed and its length is possible under the formatter’s numbering metadata. It does not prove that the number is assigned, currently active, owned by a particular person or registered on WhatsApp. Numbering plans also change over time.
This tool uses the length checks and display rules from libphonenumber-js (opens in a new tab). For supported account lookup capabilities, see the API overview.
Common questions
Should I use + or 00?
Use + for an unambiguous international entry. International dialing prefixes such as 00 or 011 depend on the dialing country. If you paste one of those prefixes, choose the appropriate country or replace it with +.
Can the formatter handle extensions?
Enter only the main number. Extensions identify an internal destination and are not part of the E.164 number. Keep an extension in a separate contact field.
Why do some countries share a calling code?
A calling code does not always identify one country. For example, multiple countries and territories share +1. The rest of the number helps determine the national numbering plan.