Formatting Phone Numbers in Genesys Cloud Architect with Expressions

How-To-Articles
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Formatting Phone Numbers in Genesys Cloud Architect with Expressions

What You Will Build

  • This tutorial demonstrates how to construct a pure Expression logic sequence in Genesys Cloud Architect to transform an E.164 formatted phone number (e.g., +14155551234) into a standard US display format ((415) 555-1234).
  • This solution utilizes the native Expression capabilities within Genesys Cloud CX, specifically leveraging string manipulation functions like substring, length, and concatenation.
  • No external API calls or backend code are required; the logic resides entirely within the flow architecture.

Prerequisites

  • Access Level: Architect Administrator or Architect Author role to edit flows.
  • Platform: Genesys Cloud CX (PureCloud).
  • Concept Knowledge: Familiarity with Genesys Cloud Expression syntax, specifically the @ prefix for functions and the # prefix for attributes.
  • Input Data: A contact attribute or interaction attribute containing a phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +1XXXXXXXXXX).

Authentication Setup

This tutorial relies on the Genesys Cloud Architect UI and Expression engine. No OAuth token management or external SDK authentication is required for the logic construction itself. However, if you are automating the deployment of this flow via the API, you would need the flow:write scope. For the purpose of writing the expression, you only need access to the Architect interface.

Implementation

Step 1: Understanding the Input and Output Constraints

E.164 numbers are variable in length but generally follow the pattern +[CountryCode][NationalNumber]. For US numbers, the country code is 1 and the national number is 10 digits. The total length is typically 11 characters (including the +).

Target Format: (XXX) XXX-XXXX

We must handle three components:

  1. The Area Code (3 digits).
  2. The Prefix (3 digits).
  3. The Line Number (4 digits).

We will assume the input attribute is named phoneNumber and is stored in the Contact object. If using an Interaction object, the attribute path will differ (e.g., #interaction.attributes.phoneNumber). For this tutorial, we will use #contact.attributes.phoneNumber.

Step 2: Validating the Input Length

Before formatting, it is critical to ensure the phone number is in the expected format. If the number is missing, null, or not in E.164 format, the substring operations will fail or produce garbage data.

We will create a conditional check. If the length of the phone number is not 11 characters, we will default to the original number or a null value.

Expression Logic:

@length(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber) == 11

If this condition is false, the flow should bypass the formatting logic.

Step 3: Extracting Substrings

We need to extract the three parts of the number. The substring function in Genesys Cloud expressions takes three arguments: substring(string, start, length).

Note on Indexing: Genesys Cloud string functions are 0-indexed.

  1. Area Code: Starts after the + and the Country Code 1.

    • Input: +14155551234
    • Index 0: +
    • Index 1: 1
    • Index 2: 4 (Start of Area Code)
    • Length: 3
    • Expression: @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 2, 3)
    • Result: 415

  2. Prefix: Starts after the Area Code.

    • Start Index: 5 (2 + 3)
    • Length: 3
    • Expression: @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 5, 3)
    • Result: 555

  3. Line Number: Starts after the Prefix.

    • Start Index: 8 (5 + 3)
    • Length: 4
    • Expression: @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 8, 4)
    • Result: 1234

Step 4: Concatenating with Formatting Characters

Now we assemble the parts using the concat function. We need to inject the parentheses, spaces, and hyphens.

Expression Logic:

@concat(
    "(",
    @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 2, 3),
    ") ",
    @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 5, 3),
    "-",
    @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 8, 4)
)

Step 5: Handling Edge Cases with Ternary Operators

In Genesys Cloud Architect, you often want to place this logic directly into a Set Attribute step or a Decision node without creating multiple branching paths. We can use the ternary operator @if(condition, true_value, false_value) to handle validation inline.

The Complete Expression:

@if(
    @length(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber) == 11,
    @concat(
        "(",
        @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 2, 3),
        ") ",
        @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 5, 3),
        "-",
        @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 8, 4)
    ),
    #contact.attributes.phoneNumber
)

This expression checks if the length is 11. If yes, it formats it. If no, it returns the original phone number. This prevents errors if the data is malformed.

Complete Working Example

Below is the step-by-step configuration within the Genesys Cloud Architect UI to implement this logic.

1. Create or Open a Flow

Open your desired Flow in the Architect editor.

2. Add a “Set Attribute” Step

Drag a Set Attribute step onto the canvas.

3. Configure the Attribute

  • Attribute: Select or create a new attribute, e.g., formattedPhoneNumber.
  • Value: Click the expression icon (ƒ) or enter the expression directly into the value field.

4. Enter the Expression

Copy and paste the following expression into the Value field. Ensure you replace #contact.attributes.phoneNumber with the actual attribute path holding your E.164 number.

@if(
    @length(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber) == 11,
    @concat(
        "(",
        @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 2, 3),
        ") ",
        @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 5, 3),
        "-",
        @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 8, 4)
    ),
    #contact.attributes.phoneNumber
)

5. Test the Flow

  1. Preview Mode: Use the Preview mode in Architect.
  2. Input Data: In the preview input, set contact.attributes.phoneNumber to +14155551234.
  3. Execution: Run the preview.
  4. Result: Inspect the output attributes. You should see formattedPhoneNumber set to (415) 555-1234.

6. Alternative: Using Decision Node for Branching

If you need to branch based on whether the number was successfully formatted, use a Decision Node.

  • Condition: @length(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber) == 11
  • True Branch: Set Attribute using the @concat expression.
  • False Branch: Handle the error (e.g., log a warning, drop the call, or use the raw number).

Common Errors & Debugging

Error: Expression Syntax Error

  • Cause: Missing commas, mismatched parentheses, or incorrect function names.
  • Fix: Verify that every @concat has matching opening and closing parentheses. Ensure commas separate each argument.
  • Debugging Tip: Use the “Check Syntax” feature in the Architect editor. It highlights errors in red.

Error: Null Reference Exception

  • Cause: The attribute #contact.attributes.phoneNumber does not exist or is null.
  • Fix: Add a null check before the length check.
  • Updated Expression:
@if(
    @isnull(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber),
    null,
    @if(
        @length(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber) == 11,
        @concat(
            "(",
            @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 2, 3),
            ") ",
            @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 5, 3),
            "-",
            @substring(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber, 8, 4)
        ),
        #contact.attributes.phoneNumber
    )
)

Error: Incorrect Formatting for Non-US Numbers

  • Cause: This expression assumes a US country code (1) and a 10-digit national number. It will fail for UK (+44…), Australia (+61…), or other international numbers.
  • Fix: This expression is specific to US numbers. For global support, you must implement a more complex logic that checks the country code prefix and adjusts substring indices accordingly, or use a third-party normalization service via an API step.

Error: Whitespace Issues

  • Cause: The input phone number contains leading or trailing spaces.
  • Fix: Wrap the input in a @trim function.
  • Updated Expression:
@if(
    @length(@trim(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber)) == 11,
    @concat(
        "(",
        @substring(@trim(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber), 2, 3),
        ") ",
        @substring(@trim(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber), 5, 3),
        "-",
        @substring(@trim(#contact.attributes.phoneNumber), 8, 4)
    ),
    #contact.attributes.phoneNumber
)

Official References