Best Practices for Implementing Phone Number Validation
Effective phone number validation involves three key stages:
- Phone Number Input
- Phone Number Validation
- Phone Number Verification
By using LandlineRemover API users can Properly handle each stage ensuring that patient contact details are accurate, reducing communication failures, and improving patient engagement. Here’s a breakdown of best practices for each step:
1. Best Practices for Phone Number Input
The first step in phone number validation starts with accurate data collection. If the information is entered incorrectly, even the best validation tools won’t help. Here’s how to get it right from the start:
Use clear formatting guidelines – Provide patients with a clear format E.164 (e.g., +1 (123) 456-7890) to reduce formatting errors.
For example:

Include country codes automatically – Set up your system to automatically detect and apply the appropriate country code based on the patient’s location.
Example:
- +1 (123) 456-7890 for the US
- +44 20 7946 1234 for the UK
Enable auto-correct and input suggestions – If a patient mistypes their number, auto-correct features can help fix it before submission.
Example: If a patient enters 123-456-78, the system could suggest 123-456-7890
Allow for multiple formats – Some patients may input their phone numbers differently (e.g., with or without dashes); configure the input field to accept common formats.

2. Best Practices for Phone Number Validation
Once the phone number is collected, it needs to be validated to confirm its accuracy and legitimacy. This step ensures that the number is properly formatted and reachable. Best practices include:
Use real-time validation – Validate phone numbers immediately upon entry to catch errors before they are stored in the system.
Example: If a patient enters +1 (123) 456-789, the system should flag it as incomplete and request correction.
Check for valid number ranges – Ensure that the phone number exists within a real and active range of numbers.

Verify country and area codes – Cross-check country and area codes to confirm that the number aligns with the patient’s provided location.

Flag suspicious patterns – Identify potential spam or fraudulent numbers by checking against known invalid or high-risk patterns.
Example: A repeated pattern like +1 (111) 111-1111 could be flagged as suspicious.
3. Best Practices for Phone Number Verification
After validating the number, the final step is verification — ensuring that the person actually has access to the phone number. This step confirms that the contact information belongs to the patient and can be used for communication. Best practices include:
Send a one-time password (OTP) – Send a verification code via SMS or call to confirm that the patient has access to the number.
Example: “Your verification code is 123456.”
Mask phone numbers for privacy – When displaying phone numbers, only show part of the number to protect patient privacy.

Request verification at regular intervals – Patient contact details may change over time; periodically request re-verification to keep records updated. For that send a message like:
We’ve noticed it’s been a while since you verified your contact details. Please confirm your phone number to keep receiving updates.
Provide an easy option to update details – If a patient no longer has access to their phone number, make it simple for them to update their contact information by sending text messages like:
Need to update your phone number? Tap here to update your contact details.