# Fix Formatting - Automation option

**URL:** <https://community.hubspot.com/t/fix-formatting-automation-option/114650>\
**Category:** HubSpot Ideas\
**Tags:** object\
**Created:** [August 16, 2024, 3:55pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/fix-formatting-automation-option/114650 "2024-08-16T15:55:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![GPalethorpe1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GPalethorpe1](https://community.hubspot.com/u/GPalethorpe1)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2024, 3:55pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/fix-formatting-automation-option/114650/1 "2024-08-16T15:55:39Z")

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Hi The Phone number property is a Hubspot one so I can’t change this. I am currently creating workflows as a workaround for removing spaces and dashes in phone numbers. It would have been ideal if I could have added to Fix formatting Issues - automation rules but its not listed. Is there a way to stop spaces or dashes in phone numbers at the time of creation?

Would be good to have

Thanks

G

 ![spacing and punctuation.png](https://d2qpr2jzcazej7.cloudfront.net/original/3X/1/c/1cc2c10019726fd63e607d78b30a51fbf37a3560.png)

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**Author:** ![RBozeman](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/rbozeman/32/8786_2.png) [@RBozeman](https://community.hubspot.com/u/RBozeman)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 3:45pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/fix-formatting-automation-option/114650/2 "2024-09-05T15:45:49Z")

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Hi G, to do this you would have to upgrade to Ops Hub, which has some additional features and the ability to custom code data updates manually. You would have to turn off automatic phone number formatting to make changes to phone numbers in that field.

I also wanted to mention that Insycle can do this. Full disclosure: I work for Insycle. But with Insycle, you can do bulk updates, such as removing spaces or separators. There are also built-in functions for bulk formatting phone numbers (if HubSpot’s standard phone number formatting is turned off). Along with tools for deduping, associations, standardization, etc.
