Will your phone links dial the right number?
It checks phone-link destinations for forms that are placeholders or not defined by the link standard.
What Check Engine measures
The check decodes phone-link destinations and separates pasted markup, placeholder runs, written extensions, other letters and missing international context. Repeated identical digits are placeholders when there are at least 7 digits. A local-format number without a leading plus or phone-context parameter is reported separately. At least 2 recognised hreflang regions raise that last case from low to medium severity. Extension and placeholder patterns have their own exact formats in the source. For example, a phone target made of at least 7 identical digits can be flagged as a placeholder.
The check reads phone links on pages the crawl could load. It validates their written format. You need to test the intended contact route yourself.
How to read the result
Pasted markup, letters and placeholders can be high severity. Written extensions are medium. Missing international context is low, or medium when language-region declarations suggest a wider audience. The check validates the written link format. Test the intended line separately.
Why it matters
A visible phone label can look correct while its hidden destination contains different text. Checking that destination matters because tapping a link uses the destination, not the words displayed beside it.
How to fix it
Inspect the full link target and compare it with the intended number. Remove pasted tags, replace placeholders and use a valid extension parameter where needed. Include an international number or the required phone context. Test the destination on a suitable device without making an unwanted call during automated checks.
Phone links that will not dial
What we found in field audits
Problems in Conversion & landing pages were found on 13 of the 14 sites we audited. These are area totals. Read the field-audit method.
Method note
backend/seo_engine/checks/conversion.py, unusable_phone, revision 0bb8e8d3.
Common questions
When do repeated digits look like a placeholder phone link?
A run containing 7 identical digits or more can qualify. The hidden destination is inspected independently of the label.
Can a local phone link need international context?
Yes. A local-format target without a plus prefix or phone-context parameter can qualify. Regional declarations can raise severity.
Does the phone-link check prove the line works?
No. It validates the written link format. Confirm the intended contact route separately.