Google Sheets is a versatile and accessible tool that can help individuals and businesses efficiently manage and process phone number data without needing advanced software. Whether you’re handling a small contact list or a larger customer database, Google Sheets offers various special database functions and add-ons that simplify tasks like cleaning, validating, and formatting phone numbers.
Basic Phone Number Processing in Google Sheets
One common challenge with phone numbers in spreadsheets is inconsistent formatting. Google Sheets provides built-in functions that help standardize numbers. For example, you can use the CLEAN() function to remove non-printable characters or SUBSTITUTE() to replace unwanted using phone lists to boost event attendance characters like spaces, dashes, or parentheses. A simple formula like:
removes spaces, dashes, and parentheses from the phone number in cell A2, helping normalize data for further processing. Additionally, LEN() can check the length of phone numbers to identify incomplete or suspicious entries.
Leveraging Add-ons and Scripts for Advanced Tasks
For more advanced validation, Google Sheets can be extended with add-ons or custom Google Apps Scripts. Add-ons like “Phone Number Validator” can automatically check the format and validity of phone numbers against international standards like E.164. Custom whatsapp filter scripts can also automate formatting tasks—for example, converting phone numbers to a uniform international format or flagging duplicates.
Furthermore, conditional formatting rules in Google Sheets can highlight duplicates or numbers missing key parts such as country codes, allowing quick visual identification of data quality issues.
