What this tool does
Phone numbers appear in dozens of messy formats: parentheses, dashes, dots, spaces, country code prefixes, and sometimes extensions tacked on at the end. This tool takes any of those variations and converts them into a clean, consistent format of your choice.
Paste one phone number or dozens — one per line — and choose your output format. The tool handles the cleanup automatically, stripping non-digit characters, detecting country code prefixes, and applying the correct formatting rules for the selected country. Results appear instantly as you type.
Whether you're cleaning a spreadsheet of customer contacts, preparing numbers for an SMS platform, or standardizing a database export, this tool gives you formatted results in seconds without writing a single line of code.
Phone number formats explained
**E.164 (International Standard)** E.164 is the international standard format defined by the ITU-T. It starts with a plus sign, followed by the country code and the subscriber number, with no spaces or punctuation. Example: \`+12025551234\`. This format is required by most telephony APIs, SMS gateways, SMS services like Twilio and AWS SNS, and VoIP systems. It's unambiguous — any system anywhere in the world can parse it correctly.
**National Format** National format uses local conventions for displaying phone numbers, typically with the area code and subscriber number separated by dashes, spaces, or parentheses. In the US, this looks like \`(202) 555-1234\`. In the UK, a London number appears as \`020 7946 0958\`. National format is best for displaying numbers to users in the same country — it's familiar and easy to read.
**International Display Format** International format combines the E.164 country code prefix with the national format for readability. Example: \`+1 (202) 555-1234\` for a US number, or \`+44 20 7946 0958\` for a UK number. Use this when showing numbers to an international audience or in documentation where origin country matters.
**RFC3966 (URI Format)** RFC3966 is the \`tel:\` URI scheme used in HTML links and web applications. Clicking a \`tel:\` link on a mobile device opens the phone dialer. Format: \`tel:+1-202-555-1234\`. Use RFC3966 when embedding phone numbers in HTML, email templates, or anywhere you want tap-to-call functionality.
How to use
1. Paste one or more phone numbers into the input box — one number per line for bulk formatting 2. Select the country that the numbers belong to (sets the expected digit count and formatting rules) 3. Choose your desired output format: E.164, National, International, or RFC3966 4. Formatted results appear instantly — copy individual numbers or copy all at once
The tool accepts numbers in virtually any format: \`(202) 555-1234\`, \`202-555-1234\`, \`202.555.1234\`, \`202 555 1234\`, \`+1 202 555 1234\`, or just \`2025551234\`. Numbers with extensions like \`202-555-1234 ext 456\` are supported — the extension will be stripped and noted in the result.
Supported countries
The following countries are supported, with their expected local digit counts:
- **United States (+1)** — 10 digits (area code + 7-digit number) - **Canada (+1)** — 10 digits (same North American Numbering Plan as the US) - **United Kingdom (+44)** — 10–11 digits (national format includes a leading 0) - **Australia (+61)** — 9 digits (local number after country code) - **Germany (+49)** — 10–12 digits (varies by area and mobile) - **France (+33)** — 10 digits (national format starts with 0) - **India (+91)** — 10 digits (mobile and landline) - **Brazil (+55)** — 10–11 digits (11 digits for mobile with 9-digit prefix) - **Japan (+81)** — 10–11 digits - **Mexico (+52)** — 10 digits - **China (+86)** — 11 digits (mobile numbers)
The tool validates that each number has the correct digit count for the selected country and shows an error if the count doesn't match.
FAQs
**Q: What is E.164 format?** A: E.164 is the international standard for phone numbers defined by the ITU-T. It begins with a \`+\` followed by the country code and subscriber number, no spaces or punctuation. For example, a US number in E.164 is \`+12025551234\`. Most SMS APIs, telephony platforms, and contact databases expect numbers in this format.
**Q: Why do I need to format phone numbers consistently?** A: Inconsistent phone number formatting causes problems in CRMs, SMS campaigns, and contact databases. A number stored as \`(202) 555-1234\` in one record and \`+12025551234\` in another creates duplicates and delivery failures. Standardizing to E.164 or another consistent format eliminates these issues.
**Q: Can I format multiple numbers at once?** A: Yes. Paste one phone number per line in the input box. The tool formats each line independently and shows results in a list with individual copy buttons and a "Copy All" button for the entire batch.
**Q: What if my number includes an extension?** A: Extensions (like \`ext 456\` or \`x 789\`) are automatically stripped before formatting. The result will indicate that an extension was present. Extensions are not part of any standard phone number format, so they must be stored separately.
**Q: What if the tool shows an error for my number?** A: The most common cause is a digit count mismatch — for example, formatting a UK number while "United States" is selected. Switch to the correct country. Also check that the number isn't truncated or has extra digits from copying.
**Q: Is the formatting done locally in my browser?** A: Yes. All formatting happens entirely in your browser. Your phone numbers are never sent to any server. This makes the tool safe to use with sensitive contact data.
**Q: What is the RFC3966 tel: format used for?** A: RFC3966 defines the \`tel:\` URI scheme, which lets you create clickable phone number links in HTML: \`<a href="tel:+12025551234">Call us</a>\`. On mobile devices, tapping this link opens the phone dialer with the number pre-filled. It's standard practice for phone numbers in web pages and email templates.
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