What is phone number validation?
Phone number validation is checking that a phone number is correctly formatted, real and in service before a team spends calls on it.
Why it matters for sales teams
Bad numbers waste dials and distort metrics. A list full of disconnected or wrong numbers drags down contact rate and makes reps doubt the list instead of the pitch. Numbers also decay as people move and change jobs.
Validation can happen at several levels:
- Format: the number has the right digits and can be written in E.164 format.
- Status: the number is assigned and in service.
- Line type and carrier: whether it is mobile, landline or VoIP, and which phone carrier serves it.
- Reassignment: whether the number has been permanently disconnected since a given date, such as the date consent was given, and so may have been reassigned. The FCC's Reassigned Numbers Database answers that question.
Example
Before a campaign, a team runs its list through validation. Numbers that are badly formatted or not in service are removed, and the rest are tagged by line type so reps know what they are calling.
Validation vs verification
Validation checks the number itself. Contact verification checks that the number belongs to the person you think it does.
This is a general definition, not legal advice.