A phone field in Funnelforms 5 shows a country picker with flag and calling code before the input. Visitors type their number as they know it; Funnelforms groups the digits, checks the length for the country and stores the number in international format. So you call every lead back with one click. In Funnelforms Pro, visitors can confirm their number with a code by text message.
Requirements
- Funnelforms Free 5.0 or Funnelforms Pro 5.0. The country picker is part of both editions.
- Confirm by text message (Pro only): an SMS connection with Twilio or Bird under Funnelforms → Integrations, see Send SMS and WhatsApp messages. Confirmation works in the contact step only.
- You have the right to edit forms.
Where to find it
Open the form in the editor, choose a phone field (question type Phone number in a step or the field Phone number in the contact step) and look at its properties on the right. There you find the switch Country picker and, in the contact step, Confirm by text message below it.
Features at a glance
- Country picker: flag and calling code before the input, search by country name, country code or calling code. New phone fields have it from the start.
- Start with: the start country, by default The country of the form's language.
- Countries on top: countries listed first in the picker.
- Only these countries: numbers of other countries are refused. Without a country here, numbers of every country are accepted.
- Digits are grouped while typing, a number pasted with +49 or 0049 switches the country, and the length is checked per country.
- Confirm by text message (Pro only): a code of six digits by text message that visitors enter before sending, with Sender and your own Text message.
Step by step
- Click the phone field in the editor.
- Keep Country picker switched on. For fields of older forms, switch it on here.
- Under Start with, choose the country the field starts with, for example Germany.
- Under Countries on top, add the countries most of your visitors come from with Add a country…, such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
- Enter countries under Only these countries if you only want to accept numbers from them.
- Pro only, in the contact step: switch on Confirm by text message, choose the SMS connection, enter a name (up to 11 letters) or a number under Sender and change the text under Text message if you like. Write
{{code}}where the code goes. - Test the field in the preview and publish the form.
How it works
What do visitors see?
Before the input there is a button with flag and calling code (on Windows it shows the country code instead of the flag). It opens a list with a search box; on phones it comes up from the bottom of the screen. If only one country is allowed, there is no list, only its calling code. A number typed with a leading zero keeps it, such as 0151 12345678.
In which format is the number stored?
In international format (E.164), for example +4915112345678. Mails, the entry view, exports and the lead list of Funnelforms 3 show it grouped, such as +49 1512 3456789. Integrations also get the number in international format.
How does the text message confirmation work?
Below the field it says "We will text you a code to confirm your number." with the button Send code. The code has six digits and is valid for ten minutes; visitors have five attempts. After 30 seconds they can Send a new code, and Change number lets them correct the number. Anyone who changes the number later has to confirm it again. Without a confirmed number the form cannot be sent.
So that nobody runs up text message costs, there are limits: at most five codes per visitor and form in ten minutes, five codes per number an hour and ten a day, 300 per form a day and 30 seconds between two codes for one number. The messages go through your own Twilio or Bird account.
What about phone fields from Funnelforms 3?
Since 5.0.8, phone fields of forms that came from Funnelforms 3 get the country picker with the country of the form's language as start, as in Funnelforms 3. Forms moved earlier get it when imported again. The phone verification of Funnelforms 3 becomes Confirm by text message with the same settings.
What applies in Funnelforms Free?
The country picker is part of Free. Confirm by text message belongs to Pro: Free publishes a form only once the confirmation is switched off.
Best practices
- Set Start with to the country of most of your customers. It saves them a click.
- Use Only these countries only if you really work only there. Otherwise you lose leads with a foreign number.
- Switch on Confirm by text message for forms where you call back, such as callback requests. For simple enquiries the extra step tends to cost leads.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| "The start country is not among the countries accepted." | Start with names a country that is missing under Only these countries. | Add the country or choose another start country. |
| "Phone numbers from this country are not accepted." | The visitor chose a country that is not allowed. | Add the country under Only these countries if you want to accept it. |
| The form cannot be published with Confirm by text message | There is no SMS connection. | Add a connection with Twilio or Bird under Funnelforms → Integrations. |
| Visitors get no code | The SMS connection is set up wrongly, or the country does not allow your sender name. | Test the connection under Integrations and use a number as sender. |
| The preview sends no text message | The preview never sends text messages and accepts any code of six digits. | Test the real message on the published page. |
Tips
- Visitors can paste a number with its calling code, for example from their address book. Funnelforms finds the country itself.
- Mails and exports show the number grouped, which makes it easier to read out on the phone.
FAQ
Do I have to use the country picker? No. Switched off, the field is a free input.
Who pays for the text messages? They run through your own Twilio or Bird account and are billed there.
Does the confirmation also work in a normal step? No, only in the contact step.