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How Contact Phone Numbers Work

Written by Celeste Olson

Contacts in Swivel can have multiple phone numbers. Each number can serve a different role depending on how it is configured. You can designate:

  • A Primary Phone Number

  • A Texting Phone Number

These settings are independent, so the same number can serve both roles or different numbers can be used for each.

Primary vs. Texting Phone Numbers

Primary Phone Number

  • The contact's main phone number.

  • Used as the default phone number for the contact.

  • Only one number can be marked as primary.

Texting Phone Number

  • The phone number used when sending SMS messages.

  • Only one phone number can be designated for texting.

A contact may have:

  • The same number for both roles

  • Different numbers for each role

  • A primary number with no texting number set

Set or Change Phone Number Roles

On the contact's phone card:

  • Click the star icon next to a phone number to set it as the Primary Phone Number.

  • Click the conversation icon next to a phone number to set it as the Texting Phone Number.

Only one primary and one texting number can be set at a time.

If No Texting Number Is Set

If a contact does not have a designated texting phone number, Swivel sends text messages to the contact's primary phone number.

Where the Texting Number Is Used

When a texting phone number is set, Swivel sends SMS messages to that number across all texting features, including:

  • Manual text messages sent from the contact record

  • Automated text messages

  • Text campaigns and messaging channels

  • Opt-in and compliance-related messages

Swivel uses the designated texting number to determine where SMS messages are delivered. Opt-outs and SMS messaging restrictions are applied to the designated texting number.

If no texting number is set, SMS messages are sent to the primary phone number instead.

Example

A contact has two numbers:

  • Office phone

  • Mobile phone

You can set the office phone as the Primary Phone Number and the mobile phone as the Texting Phone Number, ensuring SMS messages are sent to the mobile device while the office number remains the main contact number.

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