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Transfer mobile numbers from a custom data field to the Mobile number field
Transfer mobile numbers from a custom data field to the Mobile number field

Transfer mobile numbers that you have stored for your contacts in a custom data field to the system Mobile number field.

Laura Russell avatar
Written by Laura Russell
Updated over a week ago

If you're storing mobile numbers for your contacts in a custom data field, but want to take full advantage of unified contact data by merging this data into the system Mobile number field, you can do this using the Update contact node in a program.

There’s a premade program template you can use to help with this.


Before you start

Things you need to know:

  • This feature is only available on request. If you’d like to make use of it, you must complete this request form. A member of our Product team can then enable the feature for you.

  • It’s very important to understand that merging mobile numbers into the system Mobile number field enables these numbers for SMS sending. It remains your responsibility to ensure you have the correct permissions from a contact before sending any marketing communications to them.

  • It’s not possible to overwrite an existing mobile number; a custom data field value can only be copied into a currently blank Mobile number field. It’s also not possible to overwrite the value of the Mobile number field with a blank value.

  • It’s not possible to add a mobile number that already belongs to another contact; each mobile number must be unique to a single contact record.


Create a program to merge stored phone numbers into the Mobile number field

  1. Go to Automation > Programs.

  2. Select NEW PROGRAM, and then select the Copy data between fields template.

  3. Select the Start node and set the enrolment schedule you want to use.
    Learn more in Set up program start rules.

  4. Select the Update contact node.

  5. For Selected data field, select the X icon to clear the example field, then SELECT DATA FIELD.

  6. Select Mobile number, then select APPLY.

  7. Expand the Search or select a data field drop-down menu and then select the data field you want to copy the values from.
    For example, you might be storing mobile numbers in a custom data field called MOBILE_NO.

  8. Select APPLY.

  9. Once you’re happy with the program, select SAVE and then ACTIVATE.

Contacts are then enrolled into the program based on the criteria and schedule you set in your Start node, and the value from the custom data field you selected is written to the Mobile number field.

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