How to Clean a Phone List for SMS: Mobiles Only, by Time Zone
To clean a phone list for SMS, keep only the numbers that can take a text: set aside landline, toll-free, premium and invalid numbers, merge repeats and write the rest in E.164. The SMS list cleaner does this for a pasted list or CSV and gives you a result and a time zone per row.
US and Canadian numbers are marked rather than judged, because their digits do not say mobile or landline.
Why each group is set aside
Landlines cannot receive SMS in most countries, toll-free numbers need their own text enablement, and premium, shared-cost and pager ranges never take marketing texts. Invalid numbers and repeats cost a message each for nothing. See can you text a landline, and the wider checklist in preparing the phone list for a 10DLC campaign.
The by-hand way
- Format every number to E.164 and dedupe after formatting. See validating phone numbers for SMS.
- Look up each country's mobile ranges and drop the rest.
- Work out each number's time zone for send windows.
Step 2 is the part nobody does well by hand across several countries.
Step 1: add the numbers
Paste one per line, or upload a CSV of contacts. The phone column is found for you.
Step 2: set the options
Pick the default country for numbers with no + and choose whether to keep US/Canada numbers (unclear type) and VoIP ranges.
Step 3: clean and download
Each row gets an E.164 number, a result (mobile range, landline, toll-free, repeat and so on) and a time zone. Download the SMS-ready file, the set-aside numbers, or one file per time zone so each send goes out in local hours. For repeats alone, use remove duplicate phone numbers.
What this check cannot do
- Type comes from the numbering plan; ported numbers and US/Canada lines are not known from the digits.
- Nothing checks that a number is in service or has consented to texts.
- For countries and states that span zones, the zone given is the most populous one, so treat it as approximate.
- VoIP and personal-number ranges vary by country; check your SMS provider's rules.
Next: email the people who cannot be texted
Numbers set aside may still have a working email address. Check those at the verify page: the first 100 email checks are free with a Google sign-in, no card. See bulk email verification and pricing.
Try it now
Open the SMS list cleaner.
Common questions
Which numbers does the SMS list cleaner set aside?
Landline, toll-free, premium and other service ranges, invalid numbers and repeats.
Why are US and Canada numbers marked instead of removed?
Their mobiles and landlines share the same ranges, so the digits say neither. They are kept by default and marked; you can turn that off.
Why split by time zone?
The TCPA restricts telemarketing calls and texts to between 8am and 9pm in the recipient's local time, and several US states set tighter windows.
Does it prove a number can receive texts?
No. Type comes from the numbering plan, so a ported number or a US/Canada line is not known from the digits.
Does it check consent?
No. Send only to people who agreed to receive texts, and include opt-out wording in every message.
Check your list before you send
Real mailbox checks over SMTP, and nothing is sent to the address. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. Plans for bigger lists are on the pricing page.