# Phone Number Fields

Phone Number fields are structured to hold contact telephone numbers consisting of the country code and the number itself. Phone numbers are stored in the [E.164](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.164) standard format.

For example, if a user chooses "United States" and enters `(939) 555-3226` then the stored value will be `"+19395553226"`.

## Components

Phone Number fields include:

* **Country Code**: Automatically selected dropdown
* **Phone Number**: The actual phone number
* **Extension** (optional): Can be toggled on/off

## Format and Storage

All phone numbers are stored in E.164 international format, which:

* Starts with a '+' sign
* Includes the country code
* Contains only digits after the country code
* Has no spaces, hyphens, or other formatting characters

## Configuration Options

* **Show Extension** Toggle whether to include an extension field for the phone number
* **Default Country** Set which country appears as default in the country dropdown

## Use Cases

Phone Number fields are perfect for:

* Customer and client contact information
* Employee directories
* Emergency contact details
* Support and service phone lines
* International business contacts
* Mobile app user verification

## Limitations

This field type is not intended for:

* SMS short codes
* Numbers beginning with a \*
* Extension-only numbers
* Alphabetic phone numbers (like 1-800-FLOWERS)

For these cases, consider using a [Text field](https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections/field-types/text) instead.

## Best Practices

* Use Phone Number fields for all standard telephone numbers to ensure proper formatting
* Enable extensions only when necessary to keep forms simple
* The E.164 format ensures compatibility with telecommunications systems and APIs
* Phone Number fields work well with SMS and calling integrations
* Consider validation rules for specific country phone number formats if needed