Guidelines for phone number validation (E.164 standard)
To ensure the reliability of our services and guarantee that notifications and SMS messages are always delivered correctly, we use the international E.164 standard for phone number validation.
In this article, we explain how this standard works and how to format phone numbers correctly in our system.
What is the E.164 standard?
E.164 is the international formatting standard for phone numbers. This format ensures that every phone number worldwide is unique and can be processed seamlessly by telecom providers.
A correctly formatted E.164 number can be up to 15 characters long and is structured as follows:
A plus sign (
+)The country code (e.g.,
31for the Netherlands,44for the UK, or1for the US)The area code or mobile number without the leading zero (
0)
💡 Example:
The UK mobile number 07911 123456 becomes in E.164 format: +447911123456
Why is this validation active?
Guaranteed delivery: SMS, Whatsapp and VOIP providers and external integrations require the international format to deliver messages successfully.
Error prevention: The system instantly detects typos or invalid number combinations during entry.
Clean database: It ensures a uniform, standardized, and up-to-date registry of your customer data.
How do I enter phone numbers correctly?
The system checks the input in real-time. If a number does not comply with the E.164 standard, an error message will appear, and the entry or changes cannot be saved.
Quick reference guide
Country | Local format | Correct E.164 format |
United Kingdom | 07911 123456 |
|
Netherlands | 06 12345678 |
|
Belgium | 0470 12 34 56 |
|
United States | (555) 123-4567 |
|
Please note: Format without extra characters
Make sure the number does not contain spaces, hyphens, or parentheses. While the system often filters these out automatically, entering a continuous string of numbers is always safest.
❌
+44 (0) 7911 - 123 456❌
00447911123456(always use+instead of00)✔️
+447911123456
Having trouble validating a number?
If you are unable to save a specific international number or keep receiving an error message, please contact our support team via the chat button in the bottom right corner of your screen. We are happy to help!
Legacy Phone Number Fields (Pre-June 2026)
If your Carerix system was created before June 1st, 2026, you might still be using our legacy phone number fields, which do not include automatic formatting validation.
Enabling the new validation is completely free and can be done at any time.
When you make the switch, we will automatically migrate your existing phone numbers to the new fields. During this migration, we will perform some basic cleanup to sanitize your data. Specifically, we will:
Replace a leading
00with a+.Strip out spaces, dashes, and brackets (e.g.,
-,(0)).Remove "leading zeros" wherever possible.
We highly recommend reading through the sections below so you know exactly what changes to expect in the interface and what the consequences are for your API connections.
UI Changes: What's New?
With the introduction of E.164 phone number validation, we are phasing out the old, standalone phone fields.
The Old Way: The system provided separate, rigid fields for each number type (e.g., Home, Business, Mobile).
The New Way: You now get flexible "array" fields. This means you can add as many phone numbers to a profile as you like, labeling each one with a specific type to match your workflow.
Information for API Consumers
If you use the Carerix API, there are two key areas to keep in mind regarding this transition: Website Integrations and VoIP Services.
1. Website Application Forms
Most customers connect their job boards or websites to our ATS, and almost every application form includes a phone number. Because web integrators don't always use the E.164 standard, phone numbers often enter the system in various formats.
Right Now: To prevent your website forms from breaking, our current API endpoints will automatically forward incoming phone data to the new fields—even if the format doesn't meet the new validation rules. In the Carerix UI, users will see a warning message for invalid numbers so they can clean them up manually.
In the Future: We will eventually enforce E.164 validation at the API level. When this happens, web forms must submit valid formats, or the phone number will be rejected.
What you should do: While we don't have a strict deadline for this enforcement yet (and we will give you plenty of advance notice), we highly recommend updating your website forms now. It prevents future surprises and immediately improves your data quality for VoIP and WhatsApp messaging.
💡 Using the Carerix WordPress Plugin? We've got you covered! We will update our standard plugin automatically. Just make sure you are always running the latest version.
2. VoIP Integrations
VoIP services scan Carerix to match incoming calls with the right candidate or contact. When you switch to the new fields, your VoIP service needs to search the new data structure.
Official Carerix VoIP Partners: We are working directly with our official partners to ensure their services are updated seamlessly.
Third-Party/Custom VoIP Providers: If you use a provider that is not an official Carerix partner, you will need to contact them. They must update their lookups to query the new
CRPhoneNumberentity, which links phone numbers to candidates and contacts.
For technical details, please share our GraphQL documentation with your developer or VoIP vendor.
Ready to make the switch?
If you are ready to enable the new phone number validation and start your migration, simply get in touch with your Customer Success Manager or reach out to our Support Team. We’ll be happy to help you get started!