> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.powerfulform.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.powerfulform.com/field-types/contact-info/phone.md). # Phone Collect a phone number — plain, or with a country flag picker and format checking. The **Phone** field collects a telephone number. Left alone it is a plain box; switch validation on and it gains a country flag and dialing-code picker, and checks the number against the country the visitor selected. ## 🔧 How to Set It Open the form in the app > click **Add element** > select **Phone**. The field is added and its settings open on the left. {% hint style="info" %} See [Add and arrange elements](/build-your-form/add-and-arrange-elements.md) for the other ways to add a field and how to reorder them. {% endhint %}

## 🔧 Settings > Only the settings specific to this field are listed here. **Label**, **Placeholder**, **Description**, **Required**, **Hide label**, **Column width**, **Conditional display** and the rest of the shared settings work the same on every field.

Setting	What it does	Default
Validate international telephone numbers	Adds the country flag and dialing-code picker to the field and checks the number against the selected country.	off
Only used to display flags and country codes	Keeps the flag and dialing-code picker but skips the number check. Appears only when validation is on.	off
Select default country	Which country the picker starts on. The list offers Automatically select based on the customer's country plus every country.	Automatically select based on the customer's country

### Validate international telephone numbers Turn this on to add a flag and dialing-code picker to the field, and check the number against the selected country. Off by default, so the field starts as a plain text box.

Example: This Phone field has **Validate international telephone numbers** turned on and **Switzerland** set as the default country — so the field shows a Swiss flag with **+41** pre-filled. The visitor's number is checked against Switzerland's format unless they change the country themselves. What you see in the submission detail:

### **Only used to display flags and country codes** Appears once validation above is on. Turning this on keeps the flag and dialing-code picker visible for customers, but turns off the actual number check — whatever the customer types is accepted as-is, with no format validation. Off by default. **Example:** A customer selects the **US flag (+1)** and types `098 7778 76` — not a valid US phone number — and the submission still goes through with no error, since the field only displays the flag and code without checking the number against that format.

### **Select default country** {% hint style="info" %} This option only shows if **Validate international telephone numbers** is enabled. {% endhint %} Defaults to auto-detecting the visitor's country; here it's set to **Switzerland** , shown with the **+41** flag already selected.

## 🔄 How It Works The two checkboxes stack, so the field has three possible behaviours.

You want	Set it up like this
A plain box that accepts whatever the visitor types	Leave Validate international telephone numbers off.
A flag and dialing-code picker, but no rejections	Switch on Validate international telephone numbers, then switch on Only used to display flags and country codes.
Numbers checked against the chosen country	Switch on Validate international telephone numbers and leave Only used to display flags and country codes off.

**1. Visitor picks a country** — the picker opens on your default country, or on the country the app detects for them.\ **2. Visitor types the number** — the dialing code stays in front of what they type.\ **3. Form is submitted** — with checking on, a number that does not fit the selected country is rejected before submit and the field shows the **Invalid phone** message.
## ⚠️ Limits & Notes * **Only used to display flags and country codes** and **Select default country** only appear once **Validate international telephone numbers** is on. With validation off, the field is an ordinary text box. * Reword the rejection in [Edit error messages](/build-your-form/error-messages.md) > **Invalid phone**. * On a form that creates Shopify customers, Shopify requires the phone number to be unique across your customers. A repeat number fails with its own error — see [Error: phone has already been taken](/troubleshooting/phone-already-taken.md). ## Next steps * [Country](/field-types/contact-info/country.md) — ask for the country as its own answer. * [Edit error messages](/build-your-form/error-messages.md) — reword the invalid phone message. * [Error: phone has already been taken](/troubleshooting/phone-already-taken.md) — fix the most common phone error on registration forms.