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# How do you use the replace formula to strip spaces and characters from a phone number before a WhatsApp automation?
- URL: https://blog.jestor.com/replace-formula-clean-phone-number-whatsapp-automation/
- Published: 2026-07-19T05:41:19.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-19T05:41:19.000Z
- Author: Bruno Bannach

In **Jestor**, the **replace** formula lets you substitute spaces, plus signs, and dashes with nothing inside a text field, which is especially useful for cleaning up phone numbers before using them in WhatsApp automations.

## How the replace formula works

The formula works by substituting a specific piece of text with something else — including nothing, which effectively removes that character. In the case of phone numbers, it's common for people to type them with spaces, dashes, or a plus sign before the country code; using replace, you can strip out each of those characters before sending the number to an automation, ensuring the format stays clean and compatible.

| Character to remove | Using replace                                                |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Space**           | Replaces the space with nothing, joining the number together |
| **Plus sign (+)**   | Removes the symbol before the country code                   |
| **Dash (-)**        | Removes separators used when typing the number               |

## How to set up the replace formula

1. Create a formula field in the table where the phone number is stored.
2. Use the replace function to substitute spaces, dashes, and plus signs with nothing.
3. Use this already-cleaned field as the phone number source in the WhatsApp automation.
4. Apply the same logic to other text fields that need cleanup before an automation.

## Why choose Jestor

- **More reliable WhatsApp automations**: numbers arrive standardized, reducing sending failures.
- **A versatile formula**: replace can also help with ID generation or cleaning up other text fields.
- **No dependence on external tools**: the data cleanup happens right inside Jestor's own table.

### Does replace only work for phone numbers?

No, it can be used to clean up any kind of text, such as when generating IDs or cleaning other fields.

### Do you need a separate formula field to use replace?

Yes, the formula is applied inside a dedicated formula field, which can then be referenced in your automations.

### Does replace only remove one type of character at a time?

Each application of the formula handles one specific substitution; to remove several types of characters, you can chain multiple replaces together as needed.

## Reference video

Check out more hands-on tutorials on the Jestor YouTube channel.

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