Number Formatting for Phone Numbers, Dates & More

Formsite online forms are an integral part of data collection for form owners in all industries. To help ensure accuracy and streamline data processing, Formsite includes formatting for some input items. See more about the available number formatting options and tips for effective implementation.

Importance of Number Formatting

Automatic number formatting helps improve data accuracy and enable data validation. It ensures consistency, reduces errors, and improves the user experience. Proper formatting is important for fields like phone numbers, dates, times, and credit card numbers. These numbers all have common formats that are familiar to most online users.

Number Formatting Options

Phone Numbers

The Phone Number item is a newly-added item available to Formsite form owners. Options for the Phone Number item are US, International, or Any. The US and International options let the form visitor type or paste their numbers, then applies the formatting. The Any option collects numbers and symbols as they’re entered, with no auto-formatting but some validation.

Dates

The Calendar item adds the number formatting improvement by applying the chosen format as the visitor types. Expiration dates with month and year (MM/YY) use a Short Answer item with the Credit Card Expiration Date validation.

Times

Our time formatting allows for 12-hour or 24-hour formatting using a Short Answer item. The 12-hour format allows for HH:MM and optional am/pm, though the am/pm isn’t required. Form owners can still use a Radio Button with AM and PM choices if needed. The 24-hour format collects times from 00:01 to 23:59, where everything after 11:59 is pm.

Credit Card Number Formatting

The Credit Card item supports many different card providers. The format for most US cards follows the 4-4-4-4 format, though some do differ. The logic in our system detects the format entered for easier entry and result reading.

Tips for Collecting Data

• Clear instructions help form visitors comprehend expectations and reduce errors.
• Placeholder text shows the format applied and provides a clue to help visitors. For example, the placeholder for US Phone Numbers is (___) ___-____, which US visitors recognize as a phone number format.
• Automatic formatting lets visitors see their formatted numbers as entered to help with accuracy and verification.