Setting Input Masks To Validate Us Phone Numbers In Sharepoint Forms

Why Validate Phone Numbers?

Validating phone number input in SharePoint forms provides multiple important benefits for administrators and users alike. By setting proper phone number validation, form creators can prevent submissions with invalid data, ensure higher quality data capture, and improve overall form completion rates.

Prevent Invalid Submissions

SharePoint’s integrated input mask capabilities provide real-time validation for form fields. Configuring an appropriate phone number mask denies submissions with incorrect data. Instead of allowing bad records into the system, the form demands properly formatted numbers. This saves administrators downstream effort cleaning bad data.

Ensure Data Quality

Validating against known phone number patterns guarantees higher quality data makes it into the SharePoint repository. Data analysts can trust submissions meet expected standards. Common tasks like reporting and visualization won’t be distorted by bad phone numbers. Overall data integrity improves.

Improve Form Completion Rates

When users attempt submitting invalid phone numbers, input masks clearly explain the expected formatting. Instant feedback allows correcting mistakes immediately, keeping users focused on finishing the form. This frustration-free experience increases completion rates and participation.

Using Input Masks for Validation

SharePoint input masks check entered data against configurable validation rules. By choosing an appropriate mask pattern, form creators can limit submissions to valid US phone numbers in standard formats. Here is an overview of how input masking for real-time validation works.

What are Input Masks?

An input mask is a preset pattern that dictates allowed content in a text field. As users enter information, each character must match expected placeholders in the mask or validation fails. SharePoint masks support numbers, letters, punctuation symbols and literals as placeholders. For phone numbers, numeric digits, parentheses, dashes, plus signs and spaces can validate common US conventions.

How Input Masks Validate in Real-time

As information is typed into an input masked field, each character is checked against the configured validation rules. Valid entries fill in placeholders sequentially while invalid characters trigger an error message. Users can immediately rectify mistakes before submitting the form. This real-time feedback ensures only data matching the expected pattern can be submitted, preventing bad records from multiple mistakes.

Examples of Common Phone Number Masks

Here are some typical mask patterns used to validate standard US phone number variants in SharePoint forms:

• (999) 999-9999: Captures formatted numbers like (555) 123-4567
• 999-999-9999: Matches simpler conventions lacking punctuation
• +1 (999) 999-9999: Validates international coding by checking leading +1 country code

Setting a Phone Number Input Mask

Configuring input mask validation for a phone number field only takes a few steps. By accessing an existing form’s settings menu, administrators can easily apply standard US phone number masks. Here is how to set up real-time validation for collecting this type of data.

Access Form Settings

With the SharePoint form open in edit mode, expand the drop-down menu for the field needing validation and select “Change Validation…”. This opens wider form settings where input masking among other validation rules can be configured for individual fields.

Select Input Mask Control

The validation settings window for a text field contains an “Input Mask” section. Expanding this section displays masking controls. Toggle the switch labeled “Use input mask” to enable masking and expose additional options.

Configure Mask for US Phone Numbers

With input masking activated, administrators must choose an appropriate pattern under the “Mask” setting. Consider the needs of the form – whether to capture simple digits, formatted punctuation, international codes, etc. Select or enter the desired input mask to validate against the necessary convention. Save settings when finished.

Example Input Mask Patterns

Choosing the right input mask to validate common US phone number variants is crucial for effective data quality control in SharePoint forms. Here are typical masking patterns for administrators to consider when configuring real-time validation:

(999) 999-9999

This conventional pattern captures formatted 10-digit phone numbers with dashes, parentheses and spaces. The template validates numbers like:
(555) 123-4567

999-999-9999

A simpler formatting mask appropriate for numbers lacking punctuation, but still 10 numerical digits:
5551231234

+1 (999) 999-9999

For forms collecting international numbers, this pattern checks for 11-15 digit strings starting with a +1 country code. Examples include:
+1 (555) 123-4567
+1 5551231234

Testing Validation

Before rolling out any input-masked SharePoint form, thorough testing helps confirm the mask catches all invalid cases while smoothly handling valid entries. Try these steps to validate the chosen phone number pattern:

Enter Valid Phone Numbers

Test by inputting correctly formatted phone numbers matching the expected convention such as (555) 555-1234. Ensure the form accepts the valid data and allows submitting.

Attempt Invalid Entries

Enter incorrectly formatted phone numbers like 555-123-4567 without punctuation to check the input mask properly catches bad data. Attempt invalid character types as well. Confirm error messages appear preventing submission.

Confirm Real-time Validation

While entering test data, verify key strokes check against mask rules immediately. There should be no waiting until submitting to receive validation feedback. The form should prevent proceeding with invalid data entry in real-time.

Troubleshooting Issues

Even with extensive testing, input masks may still fail catching some bad phone number cases or confuse certain users through poor experiences. Try these tips to troubleshoot and improve validation.

Mask Not Catching All Invalid Numbers

If bad data still squeezes through, the chosen input mask likely doesn’t cover the right patterns. Review convention variations and expand the mask to account for gaps. Adding numeric digit placeholders or additional expected punctuation usually resolves validation gaps.

Users Confused by Formatting

Overly strict masking might confuse casual users and reduce completion rates. Consider relaxing requirements if participation suffers and exclude non-critical punctuation validation for simpler numbers.

Summary

Configuring input masks for SharePoint form fields provides easy real-time validation of US phone numbers. Checking entered data against defined acceptable patterns guarantees submissions match quality standards. Overall, input masking improves data integrity, simplifies analysis and keeps users focused on efficiently completing forms.