In BoldDesk, you can create and save a contact using only a phone number. This is ideal when customers reach you via phone, SMS, or chat and do not provide an email address. You can add phone‑only contacts from the Contacts module or inline while creating a ticket for the Requester.

Prerequisites

• Your role has permission to Create or Edit contact
• You have the customer’s phone number, formatted according to your workspace setting:
  • If E.164 validation is enabled, include the country code (e.g., +112345678).
  • If validation is disabled, local formats are accepted.

Configure Phone Number Format (E.164)

BoldDesk supports validating phone numbers using the E.164 international standard.

• When E.164 validation is enabled, all phone numbers must include a country code. (For example, +112345678)
• When E.164 validation is disabled, users can enter numbers in a local format (country code not required).

Steps to Enable or Disable E.164 Phone Number Validation

1. In the left navigation panel, click Admin.
2. Under Fields and Forms, select User Fields.
3. In the User Fields interface, open the Contact Form.
4. Locate the system-defined Phone Number field and click the Edit icon.
5. In the field settings, toggle Enable E.164 Validation to:

   • Yes — to enforce international format

   • No — to allow local number formats
     

     
     
     

Supported Phone Number Formats

The Phone Number field supports international phone number formats, including numeric values, spaces, hyphens (-), parentheses (()), and extensions. Phone numbers, including country codes, must contain 7 to 15 digits. Extensions must contain 1 to 10 digits and can be specified using ext, ext., or x.To ensure successful validation, existing phone numbers should be updated to a supported format. Examples of valid phone number formats include:

• 8778330990
• (904) 555-1212
• 877-833-0990
• +1 212 555 1234
• +91 87783-30990
• 8778330990 ext123
• 8778330990 ext 123
• 8778330990 ext.123
• 8778330990 ext. 123
• 8778330990 x123
• 8778330990 x 123
• +1 212 555 1234 ext. 567
• +1 212 555 1234 x567
• (212) 555-1234 ext 567
• 1234567 ext1
• 123456789012345 ext. 1234567890

Ensure that phone numbers and extensions comply with the supported length requirements and formatting conventions listed above.

Create a Phone‑only Contact from the Contacts Module

Follow the standard Contacts workflow:

1. In the left navigation bar, click Contacts.

2. Select Add Contact in the top‑right corner to open the contact form.

3. In the Phone field, enter the customer’s phone number.

4. Leave the Email field blank if the email ID is not available.

5. Complete any other fields your organization uses (optional).

6. Click Add.
   

   
   
   

The contact will be created successfully with the phone number alone.

Create a Phone‑only Contact While Creating a Ticket

1. Go to Tickets → Create Ticket.

2. Next to Requester, click Add new contact.

3. In the Phone field, enter the customer’s phone number.

4. Leave the Email field blank if the email ID is not available.

5. Enter any other required details (e.g., Contact Group, if applicable).

6. Click Create.
   

   
   
   

Result: A new contact is created and the ticket is submitted. On the Ticket Details page under Requester Details, only the phone number will be displayed when no email is provided.

Search Contacts by Phone Number

You can find contacts by entering their phone number in search. For best results, search using the same format the number was saved with (e.g., full international format when E.164 is enabled).

Use Case

Phone-only conversations: When a customer reaches out via phone, SMS, or chat without sharing an email, agents can create the contact using only the Phone field and proceed with ticketing and support.

Benefits

• Flexible data capture: Create contacts with either an email ID or a phone number—whichever is available.
• Faster onboarding: Reduce friction when customers don’t provide an email address.
• Channel fit: Supports phone/SMS/chat scenarios where email is unavailable.

Roles and Permissions

To add a new contact while creating a ticket, the permission “Add new contact at the time of ticket creation” must be enabled for the agent’s role. Also, the agent must have the permission to ‘Create or Edit contact’.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is an email address required to create a contact in BoldDesk?
   No. BoldDesk allows contact creation with either Phone or Email. At least one of the two fields must be provided.

2. Can I create a ticket for a requester that only has a phone number?
   Yes. Use Tickets → Create Ticket → Requester → Add new contact, enter the Phone value, and submit the ticket.

3. What happens if both Phone and Email are blank?
   BoldDesk will not allow the contact to be saved. Phone or Email is required.

4. Where is the phone number displayed if the requester has no email address?
   On the Ticket Details page under Requester Details, BoldDesk displays the phone number when the requester has no email.

5. Who can add a new contact while creating a ticket?
   Only agents whose role includes:

   • Add new contact at the time of ticket creation
   • Create or Edit contact

6. What phone number format should be used when E.164 validation is enabled?
   Use a phone number with a country code in E.164 format (example: +112345678).

7. Can users enter phone numbers with spaces, hyphens, parentheses, or letters?
   No. The Phone Number field supports numeric values only. Existing values with letters or special characters must be manually updated.

Related Articles

1. How to Add and Edit Contacts in BoldDesk
2. How to Block and Unblock Contacts in BoldDesk