Extract phone numbers from an Excel file, every sheet and cell
In short: Upload an .xlsx, .ods or CSV to pull every phone number from every sheet and cell, deduplicated in E.164 with the sheet and cell where each was found. Limit: It finds numbers that fit their country's numbering plan; it can't tell you whether any of them is in service, who uses it now, or whether it's a mobile.
To extract phone numbers from Excel, upload the .xlsx or paste cells and pick the country for numbers without a + code. Every cell on every sheet is read in your browser, including numbers Excel stored as plain numbers, and each phone number is listed once in E.164 with the sheet and cell it came from, ready as a CSV.
Numbers written without a + code are read as numbers in this country.
By SimpleVerifier Team · Last updated · Runs in your browser; nothing you paste is sent to us
How do I pull all the phone numbers out of a spreadsheet?
- Upload an .xlsx, .xlsm, .ods or .csv file up to 25 MB, or paste cells copied from Excel or Google Sheets. Older .xls files need saving as .xlsx first.
- Pick the default country, used for numbers written without a + and country code.
- Press Extract phone numbers. Every sheet is read, notes and free-text columns included, not just a column called Phone.
- Check the First found column for the sheet, column and cell, then download the CSV or copy the E.164 list.
Example
- You enter
- An .xlsx with a Contacts sheet:
(415) 555-2671in A2,alt 020 7946 0959in a notes cell, and447946095800stored as a number in A3, default country United States. - You get
+14155552671from Contacts › A2 and+447946095800from Contacts › A3, the second labelled "Stored as a number; read with a + in front". The notes number needs the default country set to United Kingdom.- Limits
- Up to 25 MB, read in your browser; .xlsx, .xlsm, .ods and CSV only (save .xls as .xlsx first).
How do I extract phone numbers from every cell in Excel?
Upload the workbook and every non-empty cell on every sheet is searched. An .xlsx file is a zip archive of XML in the Office Open XML format; it is unpacked in your browser with its built-in decompression, so nothing is uploaded and no spreadsheet library is downloaded. Each cell's text is matched with Google's libphonenumber data, which keeps only digit runs that form a valid number for their country, so prices, dates and order IDs are left alone.
Because every cell is read, numbers buried in a Notes column ("alt 020 7946 0959") are found as well as the main phone column, and a cell holding two numbers gives two results. Each number is converted to E.164 and duplicates are merged with a count, so the same office number on fifty rows is listed once with the first cell it appeared in.
Why did Excel remove the + or the 0 from my phone numbers?
Because the cell is formatted as a number, and numbers don't keep a leading + or 0. Type 07946 095800 or +447946095800 into a General cell and Excel stores 7946095800 or 447946095800. Microsoft documents this in keeping leading zeros. When a number cell doesn't read as a phone number in your default country, the tool tries it once with a + in front and once with the 0 put back, and labels every number it repaired that way in the CSV's note column, so you can check those rows rather than trust them blindly.
To stop it happening in future, format the phone column as Text before typing or pasting, or store numbers in E.164 with the +, which the phone number formatter produces for a whole column while keeping your other columns.
Are the extracted phone numbers real, working numbers?
The spreadsheet can't say. A valid result means the digits fit a range allocated in that country's numbering plan: it doesn't mean the line is connected, who has it now, or whether it's a mobile. In the US and Canada mobiles and landlines share area codes, so even the line type needs a carrier lookup.
If you plan to text the list, that matters: most landlines can't receive SMS, and US rules for mobiles are stricter, as covered in TCPA rules for mobile vs landline.
Is this faster than a formula in Excel?
| This tool | Excel formula or Flash Fill | |
|---|---|---|
| Cells searched | Every cell on every sheet | One column, one pattern |
| Numbers in free text (notes) | Found | Hard to pull out with a formula |
| Dates, prices, IDs | Skipped (not valid numbers) | Matched if the pattern fits |
| Output format | E.164 plus as written | Whatever the formula builds |
| Duplicates | Merged, with first cell | Kept |
A formula such as =REGEXEXTRACT(A2,"\+?[0-9][0-9 ().-]{7,}") in Google Sheets finds digit runs, but can't tell a phone number from an order number.
Who uses this tool, and for what?
- Sales ops
- Collect every number from a messy CRM export, including the ones typed into notes, as one deduplicated E.164 list for the dialler.
- SMS teams
- Pull the numbers from a sign-up sheet, then separate mobiles from landlines with the landline or mobile checker before you text anyone.
- Event organisers
- Turn a registration spreadsheet with numbers in several formats and columns into one clean list, with the cell each came from for checking.
- Agencies
- Merge the phone numbers across a client's workbook of several tabs without copying each tab by hand.
What can’t this tool tell you?
- It finds numbers that fit their country's numbering plan; it can't tell you whether any of them is in service, who uses it now, or whether it's a mobile.
- Numbers Excel stored as plain numbers have lost their leading 0 or +; the tool puts it back when that makes a valid number and labels those rows, but a repair can be wrong.
- Local numbers without a country code are only found when the default country matches; a workbook mixing several countries' local numbers needs one run per country.
- Formulas are read from their last saved value, and legacy .xls files must be saved as .xlsx first.
- A long ID stored in a cell can match a valid number range; the As written column shows what was matched.
Common questions
- How do I extract phone numbers from an Excel sheet?
- Upload the .xlsx above or paste the cells, pick the default country and press Extract phone numbers. Every sheet and cell is searched and each number is listed once in E.164 with the cell it came from.
- Can I extract phone numbers from Excel for free?
- Yes. It's a free tool that runs in your browser, so the workbook is read on your device and not uploaded. There's no sign-up.
- Does it read numbers stored as numbers, not text?
- Yes. Numeric cells are read as digits. If Excel already dropped a leading 0 or +, the tool tries putting it back and marks every repaired number in the CSV so you can check it.
- Does it work with Google Sheets?
- Yes. Download the sheet as .xlsx (File › Download › Microsoft Excel) to read every tab, or copy the cells and paste them into the box.
- Can I use it with an old .xls file?
- Not directly. Excel 97-2003 .xls files store numbers in a binary format this page can't read, so open the file in Excel or Google Sheets and save it as .xlsx first.
- Will it change my spreadsheet?
- No. It only reads the file and gives you a new CSV of the numbers it found. To reformat the numbers inside your own file, use the phone number formatter on the column.
Sources
Well formatted is not the same as reachable.
This tool fixes how numbers are written. It cannot tell you whether a line is mobile, landline or VoIP, or which carrier holds it. That takes a live carrier lookup, which is what the $20/mo phone add-on on Growth or Pro adds.
- Upload a CSV up to 100,000 rows with an email or phone column
- 5,000 live carrier lookups a month: carrier name and real line type
- Emails in the same file get a real SMTP mailbox check
One plan, cancel anytime, no contract. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. The free tools stay free either way.