# Phone Number Validator & Carrier Lookup (US & Canada) (`checkthatphone/phone-validator`) Actor

Bulk-verify US & Canada phone numbers with real live carrier data: line type (mobile/landline/VoIP), current carrier, deliverability, ported status, TCPA litigator scrub, landline-SMS routing, and built-in GeoIP (phone geolocation).

- **URL**: https://apify.com/checkthatphone/phone-validator.md
- **Developed by:** [CheckThatPhone](https://apify.com/checkthatphone) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Developer tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 8 total users, 4 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks
- **User rating**: 5.00 out of 5 stars

## Pricing

$15.00 / 1,000 phone credits

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md):

```bash
npm install apify-client
```

In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md):

```bash
pip install apify-client
```

In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md):

````bash
# MacOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash
# Windows
irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex
```bash

In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md).

If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).


# README

## US & Canada Phone Validator — Carrier, Line Type, Litigator Scrub & Geo-IP

Bulk-verify **US & Canada** phone numbers with **real, live carrier data** — not offline format checks. Paste a list of numbers and get back validity, line type, current carrier, deliverability, ported status, geolocation, and optional TCPA litigator scrub and landline-SMS routing. Optionally add an IP to any number for **IP↔phone geolocation matching**, included with the lookup.

Built for lead validation, CRM hygiene, fraud screening, SMS/voice campaign prep, and TCPA compliance.

⚡ Backed by a validation network that has served **600M+ requests**.

### Why this actor

Most phone actors just wrap Google's offline `libphonenumber` — which **returns blank carrier for US/Canada** because of number portability. This actor hits **live carrier databases**, so you get the *current* carrier (portability-aware), real line type, and deliverability that offline tools can't provide.

- ✅ **Real US/CA carrier & line type** (mobile / landline / VoIP) — current, not carrier-at-issuance
- ✅ **Deliverability** — knows deactivated, ported, and undeliverable numbers
- 📍 **Built-in geo-IP** — add an IP and get IP↔phone geo match (country, state, city, metro, timezone), included with every lookup (not a separate add-on)
- 🛡️ **TCPA litigator scrub** — flag known TCPA litigators & serial plaintiffs from industry-leading data
- 📩 **Landline-SMS lookup** — detect text-enabled landlines and their messaging provider
- 🔁 **Auto-dedup** — one lookup per unique number (or phone+IP pair)
- 📦 **Bulk-native** — one run handles a handful or hundreds of thousands of numbers

### Geo-IP enrichment 📍

Add an IP after any number — `phone,ip` — and the result includes the IP validation (`ipResult`) plus full IP-derived geolocation (`geoCountry`, `geoState`, `geoCity`, `geoMetro`, `timezone`, `tzOffset`, with `geoSource: ip`). It works for **IPv4 and IPv6**, and it's **included with the base lookup** — not a separate add-on. Perfect for **fraud screening** — compare where the phone is registered against where the IP resolves to catch mismatches at signup.

### TCPA litigator scrub 🛡️

Turn on **litigator scrub** and every number is checked against a continuously-updated database of **known TCPA litigators and serial plaintiffs** — the professional filers who seed their numbers into lead lists and turn a single call or text into a **$500–$1,500** statutory claim (and a class action from there). Flagged rows come back with `litigator`, `litigator_type`, and `litigator_name`, so you can suppress them *before* you dial or send — while keeping every clean number you can legitimately contact.

The list isn't ours to guess at: it's sourced from **industry-leading litigation-data systems** — the same caliber of data the largest TCPA-compliance platforms run on — matched against real case records and refreshed continuously. At one extra credit per number, it's protection that costs a rounding error next to a single claim.

Pair it with line type + deliverability for a complete pre-send pass: drop litigators, skip deactivated/undeliverable numbers, and route landlines correctly — in one run.

### Input

- **Phone numbers** — one per line, any format (E.164, national, dashes, parentheses). Append `,ip` to a line for geo-IP enrichment on that row. Duplicates are removed automatically.
- **TCPA litigator scrub** — flag professional plaintiffs / serial litigators.
- **Landline SMS lookup** — detect text-enabled landlines: messaging provider, country, and whether the landline can receive texts.

```json
{
  "phoneNumbers": [
    "6108095225, 172.56.29.234",
    "7047122446, 71.76.83.173",
    "5154945996, 172.56.12.168",
    "4157012311, 8.8.8.8"
  ],
  "litigatorFilter": true,
  "landlineSmsLookup": true
}
````

### Output

One row per number written to the run's dataset (export as JSON, CSV, or Excel). Fields use the same native names as the [CheckThatPhone API docs](https://checkthatphone.com/docs), so single-call and bulk results are identical.

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `subscriber` | The number looked up |
| `action` | `send` / `unsubscribe` / `error` — the contact verdict |
| `deliverable` | Whether it's safe/possible to contact |
| `reason` | Explanation when not deliverable (e.g. deactivated) |
| `deactivationDate` | When the carrier deactivated it, if applicable |
| `nanpType` | `mobile` / `landline` / `not-mobile` |
| `dipCarrier` | Current carrier (portability-aware) |
| `dipCarrierType` / `dipCarrierSubType` | e.g. `mobile` / `PCS`, `landline` / `RBOC` |
| `dipPorted` / `dipLrn` / `dipOcn` | Portability + routing details |
| `blackList` | Known-bad flag |
| `litigator` / `litigator_type` / `litigator_name` | TCPA litigator scrub (add-on) |
| `dipMessagingEnabled` / `dipMessagingProvider` / `dipMessagingCountryCode` | Landline-SMS routing (add-on) |
| **`ipResult`** | IP validation (`valid-v4` / `valid-v6`) — when an IP is supplied |
| **`geoCountry` / `geoState` / `geoCity` / `geoMetro`** | Geolocation (IP-derived when an IP is supplied, else area-code) |
| `geoSource` | `ip` or `area-code` |
| `timezone` / `tzOffset` | IANA timezone + UTC offset |

### Notes

- **Coverage:** United States & Canada (NANP). Non-NANP numbers are skipped.
- **Scale:** one run handles up to ~1M numbers; large lists may take a while — the run polls to completion on its own.
- **Dedup:** the same number with two different IPs is two distinct lookups (each is a separate geo check); the same number+IP twice is one.

# Actor input Schema

## `phoneNumbers` (type: `array`):

US & Canada phone numbers to verify, one per line. Any format works (E.164, national, dashes, parentheses). To also get IP↔phone geolocation (ipResult + country/state/city/metro/timezone — included with the lookup, not a separate add-on), add an IP after a comma on that line: `phone,ip` (IPv4 or IPv6). The IP is optional and per-line. Duplicates are removed automatically (one lookup per unique number, or phone+IP pair).

## `litigatorFilter` (type: `boolean`):

Flag known TCPA serial plaintiffs / professional litigators.

## `landlineSmsLookup` (type: `boolean`):

Detect text-enabled landlines (SMS-to-landline routing): messaging provider, country, and whether the landline can receive texts.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "phoneNumbers": [
    "6108095225, 172.56.29.234",
    "7047122446, 71.76.83.173",
    "5154945996, 172.56.12.168",
    "4157012311, 8.8.8.8"
  ],
  "litigatorFilter": true,
  "landlineSmsLookup": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

One row per number: line type, current carrier, deliverability, geo-IP, litigator scrub, landline-SMS, and credits used.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "phoneNumbers": [
        "6108095225, 172.56.29.234",
        "7047122446, 71.76.83.173",
        "5154945996, 172.56.12.168",
        "4157012311, 8.8.8.8"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("checkthatphone/phone-validator").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "phoneNumbers": [
        "6108095225, 172.56.29.234",
        "7047122446, 71.76.83.173",
        "5154945996, 172.56.12.168",
        "4157012311, 8.8.8.8",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("checkthatphone/phone-validator").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "phoneNumbers": [
    "6108095225, 172.56.29.234",
    "7047122446, 71.76.83.173",
    "5154945996, 172.56.12.168",
    "4157012311, 8.8.8.8"
  ]
}' |
apify call checkthatphone/phone-validator --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=checkthatphone/phone-validator",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

```json
{
    "openapi": "3.0.1",
    "info": {
        "title": "Phone Number Validator & Carrier Lookup (US & Canada)",
        "description": "Bulk-verify US & Canada phone numbers with real live carrier data: line type (mobile/landline/VoIP), current carrier, deliverability, ported status, TCPA litigator scrub, landline-SMS routing, and built-in GeoIP (phone geolocation).",
        "version": "0.1",
        "x-build-id": "h86AK3efl43GJ99Io"
    },
    "servers": [
        {
            "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2"
        }
    ],
    "paths": {
        "/acts/checkthatphone~phone-validator/run-sync-get-dataset-items": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-checkthatphone-phone-validator",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/checkthatphone~phone-validator/runs": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "runs-sync-checkthatphone-phone-validator",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK",
                        "content": {
                            "application/json": {
                                "schema": {
                                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema"
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/checkthatphone~phone-validator/run-sync": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-checkthatphone-phone-validator",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    },
    "components": {
        "schemas": {
            "inputSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "required": [
                    "phoneNumbers"
                ],
                "properties": {
                    "phoneNumbers": {
                        "title": "Phone numbers",
                        "type": "array",
                        "description": "US & Canada phone numbers to verify, one per line. Any format works (E.164, national, dashes, parentheses). To also get IP↔phone geolocation (ipResult + country/state/city/metro/timezone — included with the lookup, not a separate add-on), add an IP after a comma on that line: `phone,ip` (IPv4 or IPv6). The IP is optional and per-line. Duplicates are removed automatically (one lookup per unique number, or phone+IP pair).",
                        "items": {
                            "type": "string"
                        }
                    },
                    "litigatorFilter": {
                        "title": "TCPA litigator scrub",
                        "type": "boolean",
                        "description": "Flag known TCPA serial plaintiffs / professional litigators.",
                        "default": true
                    },
                    "landlineSmsLookup": {
                        "title": "Landline SMS lookup",
                        "type": "boolean",
                        "description": "Detect text-enabled landlines (SMS-to-landline routing): messaging provider, country, and whether the landline can receive texts.",
                        "default": true
                    }
                }
            },
            "runsResponseSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "data": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "properties": {
                            "id": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "actId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "userId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "startedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "finishedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "status": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "READY"
                            },
                            "meta": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "origin": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "API"
                                    },
                                    "userAgent": {
                                        "type": "string"
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "stats": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "inputBodyLen": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2000
                                    },
                                    "rebootCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "restartCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "resurrectCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "computeUnits": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "options": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "build": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "latest"
                                    },
                                    "timeoutSecs": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 300
                                    },
                                    "memoryMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1024
                                    },
                                    "diskMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2048
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "buildId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultKeyValueStoreId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultDatasetId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultRequestQueueId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "buildNumber": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "1.0.0"
                            },
                            "containerUrl": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "usage": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "usageTotalUsd": {
                                "type": "number",
                                "example": 0.00005
                            },
                            "usageUsd": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "number",
                                        "example": 0.00005
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
```