🧑‍🔧 Fixing Phone Number Formatting in Excel or Google Sheets (For Bulk Messaging Uploads)

When preparing your CSV file for sending bulk messages, Excel or Google Sheets may automatically modify the formatting of your phone numbers. This can cause issues such as:

Follow the steps below to correct this.

Why This Happens

Excel and Google Sheets try to interpret phone numbers as numerical values, not text, which changes the formatting.

Doctify requires the following format:

+447700900900

How to Fix Phone Number Formatting

Option 1 — Fix formatting in Excel

1- Paste your phone numbers into Excel.

A column of pasted numbers showing incorrect formatting (e.g., missing +).

2- Highlight all the cells containing the numbers.

Highlighted column.

3- Go to:

Home → Number section → More Number Formats
or
Right-click → Format Cells

4- Navigate to:

Home → Number section → More Number Formats or Right-click → Format Cells

The Format Cells menu is open, showing the “Number” tab.

5- Select Custom.

Custom category selected in the Format Cells window.

In the Type field, enter:

+00000

6- The “+00000” format was typed into the field. (The number of zeros does not need to match the phone number length.)

7- Click OK.

Your phone numbers will now display correctly with the + and full country code.

Correctly formatted numbers in Excel.

Option 2 — Fix formatting in Google Sheets

1- Paste your phone numbers into Google Sheets.

2- Highlight the affected cells.

Highlighted column.

3- Go to:

Format → Number → Custom number format

The dropdown menu with "Custom number format" visible.

In the custom format box, enter:

+00000

4- The custom number format window with "+00000" entered.

5- Click Apply.

Your phone numbers will now appear in the correct international format.

Correctly formatted numbers in Google Sheets.

Preventing Issues in Future

✔️ Option A — Use an apostrophe

Start the number with an apostrophe (').

Example:

'+447700900900

This tells the spreadsheet to keep the value as text.

A cell showing the apostrophe-typed number, with preview correct.

✔️ Option B — Format the column as text before pasting

Apply the custom format first, then paste your numbers.

Column formatted as text before data entry.

✔️ Option C — Use the Doctify CSV template

Download the template from the Send in bulk screen to avoid formatting errors.

The “Send in bulk” screen shows the CSV template download button.

Still Having Trouble?

If your CSV won’t upload or numbers still display incorrectly:

📩 Email hello@doctify.com or contact your Customer Success Manager.