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# How to use the replace formula to strip spaces from a phone number before a WhatsApp automation?
- URL: https://blog.jestor.com/replace-formula-clean-phone-whatsapp-jestor/
- Published: 2026-07-24T05:34:06.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-24T05:34:06.000Z
- Author: Bruno Bannach

**[Jestor](https://jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com)**'s new replace formula substitutes one piece of text for another — for example, a space for nothing — letting you automatically clean phone numbers that have spaces, dashes, or symbols before using that data in a **WhatsApp** automation.

## Why do phone numbers typed by different people cause problems in automations?

Everyone types a phone number differently: one person with spaces between the digits, another with dashes, another with nothing at all. When that data feeds a message-sending automation on **WhatsApp**, those formatting variations can break the send. The replace formula solves this by standardizing the text before it's used.

## How to configure the replace formula in Jestor?

1. Create a formula field on the table where the phone number is registered.
2. Use the replace formula to substitute spaces, dashes, or other unwanted characters with nothing, "gluing" the number into a single format.
3. Use that already-cleaned field as the reference in the message-sending automation via **WhatsApp**.
4. The same formula can be reused for other text, like making it easier to generate an ID.

| Use of the replace formula | Example                                                         |
| -------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Clean phone number**     | Removes spaces, dashes, or symbols before a WhatsApp automation |
| **Standardize text**       | Makes it easier to generate IDs or other derived fields         |

## Why choose Jestor?

This formula is one more piece of **[Jestor](https://jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com)**'s process automation working behind the scenes of **WhatsApp** flows, preventing a poorly formatted number from breaking an automatic message send.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Does the replace formula only work for phone numbers?** No, it can be used to substitute any piece of text for another, including generating identifiers.

**Do I need to code to use this formula?** No, it's configured like any other formula field, with no code.

**Does this formula work in automations and also in everyday manual use?** Yes, it can be used both inside automations and in fields visible during everyday table use.

## Reference video

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