Carrier · Line type · Known burner apps

Carrier lookup API

Know the network
behind the number.

Look up the phone carrier, distinguish mobile, landline and VoIP, and flag known burner apps. Give your messaging and signup flows the facts they need.

Get startedExplore the API
Example lookup

+14153755556

T-Mobile US

Line type
mobile
Known burner app
false

Explore complete requests and responses below.

See the answer

One number.
Useful facts.

Explore verified examples for mobile, VoIP and national input. Add issuing location when you need it. Each task shows its request and complete JSON.

Example responses. Run a lookup from your app with your API key.

Know the carrier behind the number.

This mobile number returns T-Mobile US, its normalized phone number and country. Expand or collapse Deep to explore its issuing location alongside those six core fields.

Request

curl "https://api.parseapi.com/carrier/+14153755556?deep=true" \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Example response

JSON200 OK
{
  "phone": "+14153755556",
  "valid": true,
  "country": "US",
  "type": "mobile",
  "carrier": "T-Mobile US",
  "burner": false,
  
    "city": "San Francisco",
    "state": "CA",
    "state_name": "California"
  }
}

Before the next message

Choose how
to handle the contact.

Turn a phone field into a useful decision for your application.

Check a file with Bulk Phone

Choose a contact path

Separate mobile, landline and VoIP contacts before sending a message or choosing a call workflow.

Add a signup signal

Use the known burner-app flag in your review rules. Keep false, true and unknown distinct.

Enrich your contact list

Keep normalized numbers, carrier names and line types alongside your contacts. Use one request in your app or a file in Bulk.

Coverage and context

Worldwide numbers.
Clear answers.

Look up international numbers or supply a country with national input. Results are cached between network checks. Available facts depend on the number and network.

Read the reference
Unknown stays unknown
Missing carrier and burner facts stay null. A false burner flag means no match to the known-app list.
Issuing place when useful
Deep adds an available issuing city and North American area-code state or province. It describes the number's issuing area, not a person's live location.
Validity has a specific meaning
valid checks the numbering plan. Assignment and reachability are available through HLR.

From the first request to your app

A phone number in.
JSON you can use.

Use the same key for Carrier and the other ParseAPI products your application needs. Start with one lookup, then build it into your contact workflow.

HTTP, SDKs and MCP

Copy a request above or call Carrier from your SDK. MCP brings the same lookup to your agent.

Carrier referenceChoose your SDKExplore MCP

Before you build.

Which phone number formats can I use?

Use an international number with its country calling code, such as +14153755556. For national input, add country= with the two-letter country code. The response returns a normalized number. Invalid input returns HTTP 200 with valid: false and null facts.

What do the line types tell me?

type is mobile, landline, voip, toll_free or unknown. A network-reported type takes precedence when available. Otherwise the numbering-plan type is used. An invalid number has a null type. Use line type to choose a contact workflow. It does not guarantee that a message or call will arrive.

What does the burner flag mean?

burner is true when the carrier name matches a known burner or second-number app. false means no match to that list, and null means the carrier is unknown. Use it as one signal in your signup rules. It does not establish identity or prove that a number is safe.

Does valid mean the number is active?

valid describes the phone number's numbering-plan validity. Carrier identifies the network and line type. Use HLR when you need available assignment and reachability status.

Which countries and locations are supported?

Carrier lookups accept numbers worldwide. Available carrier facts depend on the number and network. Missing carrier and burner values stay null. Optional Deep adds an issuing city when available and area-code state or province context for North American numbers. This describes the number's issuing area, not the person's current location.

How fresh is a Carrier lookup?

Results are cached between network checks. A lookup can return a cached result, so it does not promise a new network check on every request. Carrier names and line types can change when numbers move between networks.

How are Carrier lookups billed?

Carrier has its own monthly allowance. A valid lookup that receives an answer uses one Carrier unit, including cached answers and answers with unknown carrier facts. Optional Deep is included in that unit on every plan. Invalid numbers and a failed network lookup with no answer use no Carrier unit. Plans lists included allowances and additional lookup rates.

Can I check a file of phone numbers?

Upload a CSV or Excel file to Bulk Phone and select Carrier on the quote. The results add carrier, line type and known burner status to your phone data. Review the file price before paying.

Carrier API pricing

Know the number.
Choose your next step.

Carrier checks have their own monthly allowance. Optional issuing location is included in the same lookup.

Free

Start free

Try Carrier with a free API key.

Room to grow

See plans

Choose the volume your app needs.

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