How phone numbers are formatted for SMS and WhatsApp
Twilio needs phone numbers in E.164 format: a +, the country code, then the number, with no spaces. AutomatedOn tidies up the number in a message template's Recipient before sending, so most common formats work.
How numbers are converted
First, everything except the digits (and a leading +) is removed, so spaces, dashes and brackets don't matter. Then:
| If the number… | AutomatedOn… | Example |
|---|---|---|
starts with + | keeps it as it is | +44 7700 900123 becomes +447700900123 |
starts with 00 | replaces 00 with + | 0033 6 12 34 56 78 becomes +33612345678 |
starts with 0 | replaces the 0 with the default country code | 07700 900123 becomes +447700900123 |
| starts with any other digit | adds the default country code in front | 7700900123 becomes +447700900123 |
The default country code is +44 (UK) unless Three 17 has set a different one for your Twilio set-up.
Numbers that are rejected
After converting, the number must be a + followed by up to 15 digits, not starting with 0. If it isn't, the message is not sent and the record fails with an error like:
'12345abc' is not a valid E.164 phone number.
Empty numbers
If the Recipient token has no value for a record, the message is not sent and that record fails.
SMS length limit
An SMS can be up to 1,600 characters after all tokens have been filled in. A longer SMS is not sent, and the record fails. WhatsApp messages don't have this limit in AutomatedOn.
For WhatsApp, the same number rules apply. AutomatedOn adds the whatsapp: prefix Twilio needs, so don't add it yourself.
Checking before you go live
The Test tab shows the number each record would be sent to, but it doesn't check the number format or the SMS length. Look at a few previews to make sure the numbers look right.